Arka Mukhopadhyay
Helmed by David Charhon, ‘The Last Mercenary’ is a French-original action thriller with a dizzying dose of comic extravaganza. The story revolves around a legendary secret agent who is compelled to go into hiding when a mission goes awry. In exchange, he makes sure that his son gets complete immunity for his entire life. However, when a menacing mafioso uses his son’s identity to get past the police barricade, the titular mercenary comes back from the grave to save his son.
Apart from being amply entertaining and packed with wall-to-wall action, the movie pays homage to the prolific career of Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme (‘Street Fighter’), who shines in the lead role. Most of the action unfolds in the urban backdrop of Paris, but if you seek to identify where the film was really shot, let us help you with your investigation.
The Last Mercenary Filming Locations
‘The Last Mercenary’ was filmed on locations in France and Ukraine, especially in the respective capital cities, Paris and Kyiv. Filming commenced in late July 2020 and wrapped up in April 2021. A major portion of the story is set in France, and the director chose to film several sequences on location. However, he took his team to Ukraine for a prolonged detour. Without further ado, let us now guide you to the specific locations where the film was shot!
Kyiv, Ukraine
The film was extensively shot in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv, specifically the interior sequences. However, the crew also ventured out into the city and in the surrounding region of Kyiv Oblast to capture some exterior shots. A major scene was filmed on location in Bortnychi, a historic neighborhood situated within the Darnytskyi District in the southern part of Kyiv.
A tense early chase sequence was filmed on Konstantinovskaya Street in the same city. According to reports, filming also took place on Promyslova Street, Sichovykh Striltsiv Street, Gogolivska Street, Elektrykiv Street, and Yaroslavska Street. The beautiful Pivdennyi Bridge (South Bridge) and the historic neighborhood of Lypky (located in the administrative Pecherskyi District) also served as a shooting site for the film.
Additionally, some scenes were filmed at Mezhyhirya Park, a picturesque park and estate located at Івана Франка, 19, in the Novi Petrivtsi village a few miles north of the city of Kyiv. The crew also filmed interior and exterior scenes at Kyiv’s Fairmont Grand Hotel, a five-star hotel located at 1 Naberezhno Khreshchatytska Street in the city.
Paris, France
A few exterior sequences were filmed on location in the French capital city of Paris. As most of the movie uses Paris as its setting, the director and his team were compelled to conduct filming of some sequences in the city. Although expensive, Paris proves to be one of the most coveted cities for cinematic productions.
From Martin Scorsese’s ‘Hugo’ to Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris,’ the city has been featured uncountable times in world cinema. However, if you are keen on taking a vacation to the city, you should be wary of the “Paris Syndrome” since your imagination may not match the reality.
Read More: Best Parisian Movies of All Time
