The cast and crew of the upcoming sequel to The Old Guard have just seen a delay in filming thanks to a sudden fire at the studio. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and damage seems to have been contained to a largely unused section of the area.
Cinecittà Studios, the iconic film studio in Rome, just suffered a bit of a loss by way of a fire breaking out. The studio was set to be used for the filming of The Old Guard 2, the sequel to Netflix's hit 2020 action flick, but this particular situation has pushed back that schedule. Cinecittà Studios is famous for housing the production of famous films like Ben Hur and La Dolce Vita, among others like the legendary Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York.
"The fire has been extinguished," assured Cinecittà Studios spokesperson Marlon Pellegrini in a statement. "There are no injuries, no poisoning, no serious material damage." The set that met its end at the hands of the surprise blaze was one depicting the city of Florence during the Renaissance. As tragic as it may sound to lose what must have been a breathtaking construct, the set itself was set to be decommissioned, which luckily meant there were few people nearby to be put in danger. Maybe the fire could be used to make the next big Italian horror movie.
According to Natalia Barbosa, the production coordinator for The Old Guard 2, it looks as though things certainly aren't as dire as they could have been. "We've lost two days of filming," she said when speaking with the AFP news agency. As far as delays due to destructive fires go, it certainly seems like it could have gone a lot worse. As it is, there's currently no word on whether the actual release of the highly-anticipated sequel will see any delays as a result.
The Old Guard saw Charlize Theron as Andy, the leader of an immortal band of mercenaries who have been alive for millennia. During the film, they discover that someone new (Nile Freeman, played by KiKi Layne) has awoken to the same gift they share. All the while, others have been watching the team with the intent of capturing them to study their extraordinary ability to self-heal, resulting in a suspenseful finale where Andy and her crew deal with betrayal and greedy businessmen as they desperately fight to keep their secret hidden. The film ends with a cliffhanger suggesting one of the original immortals, whom Andy had long assumed was lost forever, has returned, and not with necessarily good intentions.
Considering the nature of the main characters, The Old Guard 2 has any number of ways it could play out. Its recent inclusion of Uma Thurman and Henry Golding suggests plenty more fresh faces, though it's unclear whether they will be fellow immortals or not. But hopefully, this accident in the timeless Cinecittà Studios will only serve as a minor setback. Filming should commence again shortly.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter