Brad Pitt wraps War Machine filming in Abu Dhabi
Brad Pitt has finished three weeks of filming in Abu Dhabi for his new movie War Machine, doubling the emirate city for Afghanistan.
By Nick Goundry 15 Dec 2015
Brad Pitt has finished three weeks of filming in Abu Dhabi for his new movie War Machine, doubling the emirate city for Afghanistan.
War Machine is based on a non-fiction book by American journalist Michael Hastings called The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan.
The book is based on Hastings’ experiences travelling with and interviewing Stanley McChrystal, the US general who was commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan until mid-2010.
Hastings’ initial magazine article about his experiences led to McChrystal’s resignation, and the book was published two years later in 2012.
War Machine is the latest in a series of high-profile Hollywood productions to film in Abu Dhabi that made use of the city’s 30% filming incentive, following Star Wars: The Force Awakens (pictured) and Fast & Furious 7.
“We were delighted to host Plan B Entertainment’s War Machine in the UAE, facilitating the filming across 20 different locations,” said Noura Al Kaabi, CEO of Abu Dhabi service company twofour54: “Twofour54 worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to make sure that everything went to plan for the production team during this leg of filming.”
The United Arab Emirates has had a profile boost in recent years, but Abu Dhabi has attracted more productions, mainly because of its filming rebate.
In October, Dubai secured several weeks of filming for Star Trek Beyond, organised by a team of US producers who previously brought Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol to Dubai.
Dubai is yet to offer formal production incentives but instead negotiates bespoke deals for specific shoots. Local support can range from deals on hotels and equipment hire to flights and custom fees.
For more on filming in Abu Dhabi, see our production guide.
Image: Lucasfilm
The book is based on Hastings’ experiences travelling with and interviewing Stanley McChrystal, the US general who was commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan until mid-2010.
Hastings’ initial magazine article about his experiences led to McChrystal’s resignation, and the book was published two years later in 2012.
War Machine is the latest in a series of high-profile Hollywood productions to film in Abu Dhabi that made use of the city’s 30% filming incentive, following Star Wars: The Force Awakens (pictured) and Fast & Furious 7.
“We were delighted to host Plan B Entertainment’s War Machine in the UAE, facilitating the filming across 20 different locations,” said Noura Al Kaabi, CEO of Abu Dhabi service company twofour54: “Twofour54 worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to make sure that everything went to plan for the production team during this leg of filming.”
The United Arab Emirates has had a profile boost in recent years, but Abu Dhabi has attracted more productions, mainly because of its filming rebate.
In October, Dubai secured several weeks of filming for Star Trek Beyond, organised by a team of US producers who previously brought Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol to Dubai.
Dubai is yet to offer formal production incentives but instead negotiates bespoke deals for specific shoots. Local support can range from deals on hotels and equipment hire to flights and custom fees.
For more on filming in Abu Dhabi, see our production guide.
Image: Lucasfilm
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