Sartaj Singh
‘The Agency’ is a globe-trotting spy thriller that follows an undercover agent as he is forced to resurface and face the past he left behind. Martian, a covert CIA agent, is called back to London by the agency, where he reunites with his daughter after six years while undergoing psychological evaluation. As a dangerous new assignment is handed to him, Martian runs into a past lover, Sami Zahir, and the two rekindle their romance amidst increasingly apparent conflicts of interest. Based on the French series, ‘The Bureau’ by Eric Rochant, the Paramount+ show is set against the backdrop of high-stakes international espionage, shifting between London’s shadowy intelligence offices, bustling markets, and picturesque European locales.
The Agency Filming Locations
‘The Agency’ is filmed in London and Watford, England; Tallinn, Estonia; and Cairo, Egypt. Under the working title, ‘The Department,’ principal photography began in late June 2024 and was wrapped up for the debut season by mid-November of the same year. Crew members took to social media to write about the marathon journey behind filming the show over five months and across three countries, expressing gratitude to their team.
London, England
The city of London in England becomes a primary filming destination for ‘The Agency,’ with exterior shooting around the city helping depict modern urban backdrops. We are treated to establishing shots of the US Embassy in London, where Martian heads before embarking on his assignment. The cuboidal building is a distinct landmark in Nine Elms overlooking the River Thames and serves as an example of cutting-edge modernist architecture. Establishing shots and background scenes feature other iconic London landmarks.
The cast members also appeared to appreciate the city and its surrounding areas, exploring the landscape over the duration of the shoot. “For five months, I roamed London on off days, and when I was called in for duty, I played with marvelous actors, directors, and a super crew! It has been epic,” wrote actress Harriet Sansom Harris on Instagram. Other similar movies and shows shot around London include ‘The Day of the Jackal,’ ‘The Diplomat,’ ‘No Time to Die,’ and ‘The Beekeeper.’
Watford, England
Filming for ‘The Agency’ also takes place in Watford, a town northwest of London, where its sets and some action setpieces are created at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. Located on Warner Drive, Leavesden, the state-of-the-art facility is pivotal to creating the backdrops and visual effects required for the action thriller show. The production makes use of the sprawling soundstage infrastructure of the facility, along with its 100-acre back lot. Movies shot at the studio include ‘Hobbs & Shaw,’ ‘Blitz,’ ‘Venom: The Last Dance,’ ‘Fast X,’ and ‘Jason Bourne.’
Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, stands in for some of the European backdrops seen in the show. For season one, the team filmed on Laagna tee, a major street in the eastern part of the city. Shooting was carried out over September 18 and September 19, 2024, and the end of Laagna tee was closed to the public for one evening and one night. While filming posed an inconvenience to the locals, the road closure was less extensive than when ‘Tenet’ was filmed at Laagna tee in 2019. The production crew also rolled cameras on Raadiku bridge, which spans the breadth of Laagna tee, perpendicular to it. Adjacent to Laagna tee, shooting took place around the Laagna mini Rimi grocery store on Vikerlase 19. Beyond the cityscape, the team also captured sequences in the wooded areas around Tallinn, even at night.
Cairo, Egypt
‘The Agency’ is also filmed in the capital city of Egypt, Cairo. The production team makes use of the city’s sprawling bazaar, intricate alleyways, and slum backdrops to depict a bustling foreign location. The juxtaposition of Cairo’s locales with the modern urban landscape of Europe provides the ideal contrast for the visual gallery of ‘The Agency’ and its espionage narrative. Cairo’s rugged locales and historical monuments attract filmmakers from across the world, and the city has hosted the production of movies like Netflix’s ‘Red Notice,’ ‘Death on the Nile,’ ‘The Spy Who Loved Me,’ and ‘McMafia.’ The city also served as a filming location for ‘The Bureau.’
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