The president of the National Center of Audiovisual Media and Communication (EKOME), Panos Kouanis, spoke on the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency radio station about the upcoming production on Monday.
Banderas in Thessaloniki
Greek authorities hope that the Hollywood production taking place soon in Thessaloniki will usher in a new era of filming in the northern Greek city.
Kouanis spoke on the Banderas movie, outlining that “Many roads will be closed for the shooting. For about a month everyone (movie stars, the crew) will be in Thessaloniki.
“And then the plan, if all goes well, is that throughout the coming months and by the end of the year more movies can film in Thessaloniki,” he continued.
The production is flying in 300 actors and crew members for the production. However, local technicians and craftsmen of all specialties will be needed on set. All in all, Kouanis claims that more than a thousand people will be involved in the filming of the new Antonio Banderas movie in Thessaloniki this summer.
Kouanis elaborated on how it was decided that the movie would be filmed in Greece, and highlighted that the producers were also considering other Mediterranean nations such as Italy, Spain, and France. He also spoke about the competitive bidding process where Kouanis and other top executives fought for Thessaloniki to be chosen amongst other beautiful potential backdrops.
Greece to become a filming hub
Up to eighteen international movies will be shot in Greece in 2021, confirming the industry’s demand for the country’s nearly endless variety of stunning landscapes and monuments.
The director of the Hellenic Cinema Center, Venia Vergou, said recently that the expected revenues from foreign productions in 2021 could reach 90 million euros ($106 million).
She added that this foreign interest creates a “positive domino effect” that will help attract further productions.
Huge Hollywood movie productions such as “Knives Out 2,” which stars Greek-Filipino actor Dave Bautista and “James Bond” actor Daniel Craig are set to film in Greece this year.
A movie about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s life, titled “Greek Freak,” has also just wrapped filming in the center of Athens.
The biopic, which is being produced by streaming service Disney+, filmed scenes in the hot Athenian sun in order to accurately portray the city in which Antetokounmpo grew up.
