Sartaj Singh
Helmed by directors Claudio Fäh and Carl Goldstein, ‘Sniper: Ultimate Kill,’ revolves around elite Marine sniper Brandon Beckett, who joins forces with a Colombian agent, Kate Estrada, to track down a notorious Colombian drug lord, Jesús Morales. Morales has employed a devastatingly effective sniper known as El Diablo, to bring down his enemies and gain complete control over smuggling routes to the United States. Beckett and Estrada encounter numerous challenges, the biggest of them being El Diablo’s impossible sniper shots assisted by cutting-edge technology.
However, Beckett is backed up by the legendary snipers Richard Miller and Thomas Beckett, and together they set out to extradite Morales and put an end to the terror of El Diablo. The film takes our heroes overseas to the stunning natural expanse of Colombia to fight the drug trade at its very source. And you might be wondering if the seventh installment in the ‘Sniper’ franchise was actually shot in the gateway to South America.
Where Was Sniper: Ultimate Kill Filmed?
The film crew for ‘Sniper: Ultimate Kill’ shot the movie entirely on location in Colombia, especially in and around the capital city of Bogotá. Principle photography was carried out in September and October of 2016, and the film was released on October 3, 2017. This installment is the only ‘Sniper’ film to showcase all three snipers of the series together. Actor Chad Michael Collins called the movie one of the best in the franchise and talked about Zane and Berenger working together, saying, “It was awesome, and the creative stuff they came up with between them, that was not scripted and they stepped into their roles in ways that it made this a bigger and better movie. I think ‘Sniper: Ultimate Kill’ is the best one we ever did and I think in large part due to Billy and Tom being in that mix together and making it that good.” Let’s take a closer look at the Colombian locales used for the creation of the action thriller.
Bogotá, Colombia
The film takes us on a tour of the extravagant natural splendor of Bogata along with its sprawling cityscape in Central Colombia. Bogotá’s versatile locales, such as the historic La Candelaria district with its colonial architecture and the cosmopolitan area of Zona T, provided the crew with a diverse range of settings to craft intense action scenes. Additionally, the city’s surrounding natural beauty, including nearby mountains and valleys, added depth and dimension to action sequences, making for thrilling outdoor firefights.
Behind the scenes, Tom Berenger impressed Colombian cast and crew with his charismatic persona and fluent Spanish, with actress Danay Garcia comparing him to James Bond. The cast members went to Colombia a week before filming began, to train with the weapons they would be handling. Their weapons and training were provided by the Colombian National Guard, making them comfortable with their firearms and showcasing a convincing portrayal of firefights in the film.
Known for its vibrant culture, rich heritage, and bustling streets, Bogotá serves as a promising and visually striking location for movie productions seeking a blend of urban sophistication and natural beauty to bring their narratives to life. Colombia’s capital offers a dramatic and dynamic backdrop for action films, with its diverse urban settings and picturesque landscapes. Owing to such attributes, prominent action-thriller movies and shows have been filmed in and around it, including, ‘Sound of Freedom,’ ‘Narcos,’ ‘Triple Frontier,’ ‘War,’ and ‘Mile 22.’
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