Sylvester Stallone is set to make Abu Dhabi his home for an unspecified amount of time later this year when the Hollywood film veteran lands in the capital to film action thriller Ex-Baghdad.
According to film sources, Stallone, who is best known as Rocky, will be joined by Jackie Chan, who is becoming something of a regular to the UAE, having filmed Kung Fu Yoga in multiple locations in Dubai back in 2015.
Ex-Baghdad follows the story of two special forces agents — Stallone and Chan — who are charged with escorting a group of Iraqi citizens down the Highway of Death to safety during the Iraq war, as the country faced bombardment from all sides.
Exact shooting dates are yet to be confirmed, though it has been suggested Stallone and the crew may be in the sandpit in September.
It appears highly likely this latest Abu Dhabi film coup may be a result of the recent tie-up between Image Nation Abu Dhabi and the China International Culture Centre, which is aimed at providing future cooperation between the film industries of the both countries.
Abu Dhabi has been the preferred film location for a number of blockbuster films in recent years, with films such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Mark Hamill; Fast Furious 7, starring Vin Diesel and Jason Statham, and the Brad Pitt-led Netflix war satire War Machine choosing to shoot here.
Stay tuned to The National for more on the Ex-Baghdad film tie-up and all the latest film news at https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-life.
