Matt Damon is out, Jeremy Renner is in, and production of the nearly completed "The Bourne Legacy" has made its way to the Philippines (where about 20% of the film will be shot).
I can certainly attest to the gritty international feel that the entire Metro Manila area has. When I was there back in 2010, I kept thinking that it would be awesome to see a major motion picture shot there. In actuality, this isn't the first time Manila has been used in Western Cinema. In many cases the city has doubled as other cities (such as Jakarta in the 1982's "The Year of Living Dangerously", Bangkok in the 1999's "Brokedown Palace", and Panama City in the 2000's "Noriega: God's Favorite"). However, in the case of "Legacy", the Philippines will be playing itself, the first notable Hollywood movie to do so. It is actually the biggest film to be shot in the country since 1989's Tom Cruise and Oliver Stone drama "Born on the 4th of July", in which it represented Vietnam.
The $100 million+ film has already wrapped shooting in New York and in Alberta, Canada, and the crew are currently in the middle of about 45 days to be spent in the Philippines. Be on the lookout for some kinetic action sequences, with rumored scenes including a major car chase through Manila and a helicopter hovering over the financial district of Makati, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. After the Manila scenes wrap up, the crew will then complete shooting in the beautiful island province of Palawan.
In a recent interview with the Philippine Star, Producer Frank Marshall explains why it is being filmed in the Philippines over other rumored cities such as Jakarta & Ho Chi Minh City:
We have always tried to find exotic locations which the people have not seen before. We have been to Tangiers and Goa in India. Manila has great visuals and interesting locations. It worked well. In what Director Tony Gilroy was thinking as a writer, that he would be able to create a story around. One of the reasons why we decided to go to Manila was that Jun (Juban, the film’s local producer) has been here for several years and there is an actual film structure in Manila. So there are people who know how to make movies here. And in the other cities, there really were not. In there, we had to start from scratch while in here we could take advantage of the knowledge and experience of the people here. We will be way ahead by the time we started. It was a practical choice and we were also impressed by what we saw here.
For those who have already been following the news on this, actress Rachel Weisz has been spotted around town, and Edward Norton was rumored to also be in Manila, with one scene to shoot.
I personally can't wait to see Manila light up the silver screen. You just can't create that kind of look and feel on some random Hollywood back lot. The city is gritty, beautiful, and exciting, and I think the global audiences are going to be wowed by what they see. I hope this is the first of many films recognizing the special uniqueness that the Philippines has to offer.
The Bourne Legacy is set to be released this August, stay tuned!
Photographs courtesy of Universal Pictures, Amadeus Photography, & Jon San Pedro Photography.
