Have you seen the latest action thriller flick Kandahar? Do you know where was Kandahar filmed? In this article, I’ll let you in on some interesting details of this new action movie. Furthermore, I’ll also share its filming location.
Kandahar is an American action film that was released earlier this year. Ric Roman directed this rousing film, while Mitchell LaFortune joined this project as a screenplay writer. Gerard Butler and Tom Rhys featured in the lead roles, whereas F. Bagheri played the supporting character.
The basic premise of Kandahar revolves around the character of Tom Harris, an undercover American agent stationed in Afghanistan. The story gets interesting when Tom escapes from an Afghan camp after accomplishing his covert mission.
To date, Kandahar has grossed over $7.3 million in worldwide collections. The makers were hoping for an even better commercial performance. Even though this action drama movie hasn’t won a major award, critics have appreciated Gerard’s performance in the lead role. In fact, the storyline of Kandahar was also widely appreciated by the audience.
I’ll definitely let you in on some other interesting details of this incredible movie, but before that, let’s discuss where was Kandahar filmed.
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Where Was Kandahar Filmed? Let’s Know This Action Thriller Movie Closely!
The story of Kandahar is set in Afghanistan. But, for a number of reasons, this movie wasn’t shot in Afghanistan. We’d discuss the reasons in detail, but before that, let’s understand what happened during the first stages of making.
Before Mitchell LaFortune became famous as a screenplay writer in Hollywood, he served in the military. So, while Mitchell was writing the script for this project, he decided to include a number of real-life experiences which he gained during a military expedition in Afghanistan in 2013.
The shooting rights were sold to Thunder Road Films back in 2016. Four years later, Gerard Butler decided to fund this project and play the lead role as well. By the summer of 2020, other cast members were selected, and that’s when Ric Roman joined this project.
As per reports, a number of production heads advised the director to shoot the entire film in America and later merge the sequences using VFX and CGI. However, Roman thought of doing something innovative so discussed the prospects of shooting in Afghanistan.
But, after not getting security clearance from the American government due to the volatile political atmosphere in Afghanistan, Roman had to explore other options. After several rounds of conferences, the creative heads decided to shoot the entire film in Saudi Arabia.
This, in fact was a game-changing decision. Everyone in the set was pretty excited about shooting the scenes in Saudi Arabia, as it was going to be the first big-budget film being shot in this Middle Eastern country.
The principal photography of Kandahar began in the first week of December 2021 and continued till the final week of January 2022. The entire shooting schedule lasted for almost two months.
During this time, the production members filmed the majority of the outdoor scenes in and around Al-Ula. While some important scenes of this movie were also shot in the beautiful city of Jeddah.
The production members didn’t take much time to design the set and capture the outdoor shots. The majority of the logistics were also arranged by the filming crew before the shooting process began.
Now, let’s discuss in detail where was Kandahar filmed. As I mentioned earlier, I’ll also give you an overview of this action thriller movie.
Saudi Arabia
The opening scene of the film, where we see the character of Tom Harris for the first time, was filmed in Al-Ula. This ancient Arabic city is located in the province of Medina.
The production members traveled to the northwestern part of Saudi Arabia to capture the opening scene because of the arid and rough backdrop. In fact, the majority of the outdoor scenes from the first half of the movie were filmed in Al-Ula.
The sequence where the character of Tom finally comes out of hiding and makes an attempt to escape from Afghanistan was shot here. After these action-packed scenes were filmed, the production members moved to the next shooting location.
The remaining scenes were filmed in and around the city of Jeddah. The sequence where Tom runs into an old military officer while taking refuge inside a small house in Afghanistan was filmed in Jeddah.
By the final week of January 2022, the entire shooting process of Kandahar was completed. Friends, these were the main filming locations that were used during the making of this action film.
Now, let me give you an overview of Kandahar. Meanwhile, you can also read American History X, Broker, and Hunter Killer.
Plot Of Kandahar | What’s It About
The story of Kandahar revolves around the character of Tom Harris, an undercover American agent stationed in Afghanistan. At the beginning of the film, the lead actor makes an attempt to escape from his undercover spot in Afghanistan after completing a covert mission.
As the story progresses further, Tom faces a number of challenges after coming out of his hiding and revealing his true identity. But the personal translator of the lead actor somehow gets in touch with the base in America and requests for back up.
Watch Kandahar and find out how an undercover CIA operative and his assistant escape from the most hostile country in the world.
Final Words
In conclusion, the filming locations which I’ve mentioned above were used to capture the outdoor shots of Kandahar. I hope now you know where was Kandahar filmed. If you have any other questions, let me know in the comments below.
Who Is The Cinematographer Of The Film Kandahar?
MacGregor is the cinematographer of the film Kandahar.
What Is The Rating Of The Film Kandahar?
The film Kandahar has an R rating.
Who Is The Music Director Of The Film Kandahar?
David Buckley is the music director of the film Kandahar.
Who Is The Producer Of The Film Kandahar?
Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee are the producers of the film Kandahar.
