Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the eponymous novel written by Jeroen Olyslaegers, Netflix’s ‘Will’ is a Belgian historical drama movie set during the Second World War that focuses on a police officer named Wilfried Wils of Anvers. Trying to avoid any sort of trouble that might lead to grave consequences, Wils stays away from the violent and hateful demonstrations that engulf the town. Consequently, he meets another police officer from the occupying German side and the two find themselves torn between collaboration and resistance in the Nazi-occupied town.
Now, Wils must fight in order to survive in the town where the oppressive Nazis take over and exterminate Jews. The setting of World War II against the backdrop of Antwerp, Belgium, takes us back in time and paints a vivid picture of the genocide, leaving the viewers curious about the actual filming locations of ‘Will.’
Will Was Filmed in Belgium and Poland
‘Will’ was filmed in Belgium and Poland, especially in Antwerp and Wrocław. As per reports, principal photography for the World War II film got underway in May 2022 and continued through the next couple of months, before getting wrapped up around mid-July of the same year. So, allow us to take you through all the specific sites that served as the backdrop for the Netflix production!
Antwerp, Belgium
Since a majority of the story is based in Antwerp, the production team of ‘Will’ decided to lens several pivotal sequences on location. Situated in Belgium’s Flemish Region, the city of Antwerp is the capital of the eponymous province where the filming unit set up camp for shooting purposes. It is home to numerous culturally significant buildings and monuments, such as the Cathedral of Our Lady, the Port Authority Building, Antwerpen-Centraal railway station, the Museum aan de Stroom, and Museum Mayer van den Bergh, some of which might make an appearance in the backdrop of some important scenes.
Wrocław, Poland
For the purpose of shooting, the filming unit of the ‘Will’ also traveled to the city of Wrocław, which is situated in the southwestern region of Poland. Given the architectural diversity across the city, Wrocław can easily be turned into several other European cities such as Paris, Berlin, or Dutch cities, during the war or in the pre-war era. Thus, it made for an ideal production location for the World War II movie.
In the backdrop, you might be able to spot some popular landmarks, including the Old Town Hall of Wrocław, Wrocław Główny railway station, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Wrocław, and the Wrocław Puppet Theatre. Apart from ‘Will,’ the city of Wrocław has hosted the production of multiple film and TV projects over the years. Some of the notable ones are ‘Bridge of Spies,’ ‘The Captain,’ ‘Warsaw ’44,’ ‘A Woman in Berlin,’ ‘Germans,’ and ‘Erin.’
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