Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens & Furious 7: Why Many Hollywood Productions Are Heading to Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is hot right now -- and we're not talking about its deserts!
Vin Diesel and his "Fast & Furious" crew headed there for "Furious 7" and J.J. Abrams, director of "Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens," is filming in the desert in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
From the U.S. to India, more and more global film crews are heading to Abu Dhabi, which is on the Persian Gulf next to Dubai, and have been enticed by the grandeur of the location with its impressive skyline and panoramic views of the city, desert and sea.
"Furious 7" shot a good chunk of its adrenaline-filled shots in Abu Dhabi, thus "making it one of the largest Hollywood productions so far to take advantage of the state-run Film Authority's push to make the emirate a media hub of the Middle East," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"The oil-rich region is vying to become a leader in high-quality film and TV production over the next few decades, luring foreign productions with competitive rebates while growing its own media industry in the process," THR adds. "The government has invested millions, if not billions, in developing an infrastructure that includes new studios, post-production facilities, vendors and trained crew."
Abrams took advantage of the Rub' al Khali desert, which is just two hours outside of the city, where he reportedly just wrapped a shoot for "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens." Other American films drawn to and filmed in Abu Dhabi include:"Deliver Us from Evil," "The Bourne Legacy" and "The Kingdom."
"Beyond Hollywood, many Bollywood productions from nearby India now film in Abu Dhabi. Unstable Arab countries in the Middle East are also moving TV productions to the emirate," THR reports. "This includes a Syrian production of one of the Arab world's most popular soap operas."
Given the draw to Abu Dhabi, hotels are getting on the action with packages inspired by the films, including Jumeirah's "Fast & Luxurious" offer, "where lucky (and affluent) guests are treated to an Aston Martin GT4 racing experience at the Yas Island racetrack and given the choice of renting a McLaren, Ferrari or Aston Martin during their stay."
However, there is one downfall, which includes false alarms experienced by people on the ground.
"Even though Abu Dhabi is a very safe place, it's the Middle East so people get alarmed when they see helicopters that close," said a representative of the hotel, THR adds. "We made sure to inform everyone ahead of time. It's a movie, a big one, and we can't tell you what it is. But please trust us, it's a planned event."
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!