Naman Shrestha
Helmed by Pierre Morel, ‘Freelance’ is an action comedy movie that stars John Cena in the role of Mason Pettis, an ex-special forces operative who takes on a freelance gig to provide security for a journalist named Claire Wellington, years after he has had enough of his mundane desk job. Trying to get her career back on track, the washed-up journalist decides to interview a ruthless yet well-dressed dictator, Juan Venegas, of Paldonia, which is why she hired Mason. Right when Claire is about to get the interview that might possibly resurrect her career, a military coup breaks out during the interview, the unlikely trio of Mason, Claire, and Juan are forced to escape into the jungle in order to survive.
Apart from the military, they must face various other adversities and challenges in the wilderness as they help each other for survival. The high-octane action sequences are balanced out by the hilarious dialogues and scenes sprinkled throughout the movie, keeping the narrative a bit light-hearted. Moreover, the story unfolds mostly in the jungle as the characters try to survive in the wilderness, leaving the audience curious about the actual filming sites of ‘Freelance.’ If you have been wondering about the same, allow us to fill you in on all the details!
Freelance Filming Locations
‘Freelance’ was filmed in Colombia, especially in Bogotá and Tolima. According to reports, principal photography of the John Cena starrer got underway on January 17, 2022, and continued through the following three months, before getting wrapped up in April of the same year. So, without much ado, let us walk you through all the specific locations where the characters embark on an adventurous journey across the jungle in the action film!
Bogotá, Colombia
A major portion of ‘Freelance’ was taped in and around Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia situated in the southeastern part of the Bogotá savanna. John Cena and the rest of the crew members took over a number of neighborhoods and streets and turned them into film sets for the purpose of shooting. Thus, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you when you spot several local buildings and landmarks in the backdrop of some exterior shots, including La Candelaria, the Museum of Gold, Monserrate Sanctuary, the Bolívar Square, the National Museum of Colombia, and the Metropolitan and Primate Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Peter of Bogotá.
Being a vast and diverse filming destination, Bogotá is a cost-efficient option for foreign video production companies, which is the reason why it serves as an ideal shooting site for different kinds of productions, including ‘Freelance.’ Apart from this action film, the locales of Bogotá have been featured in several other film and TV projects, including ‘Triple Frontier,’ ‘Mile 22,’ ‘Sniper: Ultimate Kill,’ ‘Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe,’ ‘Blunt Force Trauma,’ and ‘Generation Y.’
Tolima, Colombia
For the purpose of shooting, the filming unit of ‘Freelance’ also traveled to the department of Tolima, which is located in the Andean region in the center-west part of Colombia. The jungle scenes where the main characters get involved in a deadly and action-packed chase against the villains were supposedly taped on location in and around the village of Vindi. The cast and crew of the action-comedy film made the most of the department’s natural landscapes, which consist of mountain ranges and lush green jungle.
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