Prizmi Tripathi
Helmed by Romain Gavras, Netflix’s ‘Sacrifice’ is an action–adventure drama movie that centers on a grieving daughter named Joan, who receives a mysterious volcanic prophecy after the passing of her mother. Driven by the responsibility to save the world, she and her devoted followers take over a high-profile black-tie charity gala attended by celebrities and billionaires. Chaos ensues when the armed radical group takes three hostages for a sacrificial ritual — the event hosts billionaire Ben Bracken and his wife, Gloria, a down-on-luck film star named Mike Tyler, and an unfortunate performer named Katie.
Joan and her radical army believe that they can save humanity by sacrificing the three people they have held captive. Meanwhile, the activists are searching for a supernatural relic with formidable powers. Featuring a talented ensemble cast of Chris Evans, Anya Taylor-Joy, Vincent Cassel, Sam Richardson, John Malkovich, and Salma Hayek, the satirical thriller movie mostly unfolds at the elite fundraising gala but also shifts course to a volcanic landscape as Joan relentlessly pursues her mission.
Sacrifice Filming Locations
‘Sacrifice’ was shot extensively in Greece, with a portion of filming taking place in Bulgaria and Iceland. Principal photography reportedly began in November 2024. The cast and crew contributed to the best of their abilities throughout the process, working diligently to wrap it up by December 30 of the same year. Despite the logistical demands of shooting in international locations and the heavy reliance on practicality, the team remained committed and efficiently brought the vision to life.
Drama, Greece
A significant portion of the thriller movie was filmed in and around Drama, a city in Macedonia in the northeastern part of Greece. Director Romain Gavras settled on an actual marble quarry as the setting for the environmental charity gala hosted by billionaire Ben Bracken and his wife, Gloria, in a mine. Located on Mount Falakro near the village of Volakas, the underground and terraced open-pit site was packed with around 200-400 extras in gala dresses. Interestingly, Charli XCX’s scintillating performance as the pop-star Mother Nature was also recorded in what is dubbed the Carrara of Greece. The pristine white background with grey or brown watercolor-esque veins lends it an ethereal quality that appears to have proved ideal for the setting.
Other Locations in Greece
Aside from Drama, the production team of ‘Sacrifice’ also ventured into other parts of Greece for the purpose of filming. To add another layer of authenticity to the backdrop, the shots set around the volcano were captured on the rim of a real volcano in Santorini rather than using a studio. Adhering to the restrictions on motor vehicles on the volcanic island, they had to resort to using donkeys to move the equipment up the slopes. Meanwhile, for weeks in the mornings, some of the cast and crew members, including Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy, would hike all the way to the volcano to tape the scenes set there.
The whole deal took over an hour, and the relentless gust of wind and smoke further exhausted them all. Romain emphasized the impact of the challenging filming conditions, noting how it added a sense of rawness to the visual landscape that would have been difficult to replicate on a soundstage. “I think this is what makes it interesting. It’s more fun as a director to bring the cast on a real active volcano, when actors are down to do stuff like that,” he told Netflix Tudum.
In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker further added, “It puts the whole team and the whole cast in an energy where we know that we are making a film that is going to be difficult but will be super satisfying.” In addition, the Peiraios 260, located at 260 Peiraios Street in the Tavros district of Athens, served as one of the filming sites. Situated near the Athens School of Fine Arts, the vibrant cultural hub is an integral stage of the Athens Epidaurus Festival and often hosts performances and concerts. Shooting was also carried out at Lavrio, a quaint coastal town in the southeastern part of Attica in the Athens metropolitan area.
Sofia, Bulgaria
Filming also took the cast and crew to Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. In particular, shooting was conducted in Prohodna Cave in the north-central part of the country. Situated near the village of Karlukovo in the Lovech region, the karst cave is reportedly the longest passage cave in Bulgaria. It is also called the Eyes of God (Oknata) because of the two giant, almond-shaped holes in the ceiling that resemble glowing eyes when direct sunlight passes through them.
Iceland
According to reports, the volcano-based scenes were originally set to be filmed in Iceland, but the decision was dropped because the production schedule was pushed to the end of the year, meaning they would have had to face the harsh, dark Icelandic winter. However, when Romain and the team were at La Croisette during the 2024 Cannes Market, they were hit by an emergency alert of a volcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula in the southwestern part of the country. Without wasting time, they dispatched drones over the region to capture real-time aerial footage of a live volcano. The footage was later added to the film as volcano inserts, enhancing the atmospheric scale of the visual landscape of the satirical thriller.
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