Not even the coronavirus pandemic could stop tough-guy actor Mickey Rourke from wrapping his latest big-screen adventure.
Warhunt–a World War II horror/fantasy headlined by Rourke–recently ended its shoot in Latvia, continuing to film through COVID-19 snafus, according to Variety. In so doing, Warhunt became the first movie to wrap during the crisis.
The film’s crew–which worked in the capital city of Riga–reportedly received permission to keep shooting, abiding by various government guidelines.
These restrictions included wearing face masks and gloves, having their temperature taken twice daily, observing social distancing (maintaining a six-foot safety zone) and disinfecting their equipment.
The filmmakers said the movie–which also stars Robert Knepper (Prison Break) and Jackson Rathbone (Twilight)–“follows an elite squad of American soldiers on a secret mission during World War II. Trapped behind enemy lines in Germany’s Black Forest, the men are confronted by a coven of witches.” That can’t be good.
Director Mauro Borelli–who has worked in the art departments of such blockbusters as Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars: The Last Jedi -called the movie “a wild ride with powerful images, but also a great metaphor about war and its evil, told with powerful, iconic characters.” Borelli co-wrote the screenplay with Reggie Keyohara III (The Recall).
Rourke seemed not to be overly concerned with the unique shooting arrangements. “I came to Riga to work and this thing (the pandemic) was so out of control, but everyone was so great,” he said.
Still, some adjustments were called for. Yu-Fai Suen, one of the film’s producers, said the actor’s itinerary had to be tweaked. “We had to rearrange the schedule for Mickey, as the country was closing its borders, and he agreed to fly early to beat the closure. We rescheduled his shoot days to accommodate this change,” he said.
Rourke, who received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance in 2009’s The Wrestler, recently starred in Nightmare Cinema.
Warhunt does not have a release date at this writing, so keep tuned to Horror News Network for updates on the film’s schedule.
