Many Movie Stars in Iceland

Two foreign films and two foreign TV series are being filmed in Iceland these days, Morgunblaðið reports.  Such is the scale of those projects that there is a lack of local labor to take part in them all simultaneously, which is why the film crews are, for the most part, foreign.

The largest project, filmed recently on Mývatn lake, North Iceland, is being done by Marvel Entertainment. A great deal of secrecy surrounds the project, given the working title “Safari.” It is described as a Marvel offshoot, which refers to an offshoot of the Marvel world. Crews, reportedly counting up to a total of 200 to 300 people on the busiest days, filled up three hotels in the Mývatn area.

The production company TrueNorth was given permission to film on Mývatn lake earlier this month. The application mentioned that five sled dogs would be used and possibly man-made snow. A drone or helicopter was to be used for filming from the air.

The second foreign project is the film Luther , starring British actor Idris Elba. Filming was completed last week, including on Svínafellsjökull glacier, which is an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull. Baltasar Kormákur’s film production company, RVK Studios, assisted the camera crew here in Iceland. The film is produced by Netflix, in cooperation with the BBC.

At present, the TV series Washington Black , produced for the US streaming platform Hulu, is being filmed in Iceland. Filming has taken place in East Iceland, as well as in a studio in Reykjavík. This is a nine-episode series, based on the eponymous book by Canadian novelist Esi Edugyan. One of the leading roles is played by Welsh actor Thomas John Ellis, known for his role in the Netflix series Lucifer .

In March, filming of the TV series Retreat will begin, starring English actor Clive Owen and English actress Emma Corrin — known for portraying Princess Diana in The Crown . Filming, set for 16 days, will take place at Vök Baths in Egilsstaðir, East Iceland, as well as at the luxury hotel Deplar Farms, North Iceland, and at Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavík.

Finally, Northern Comfort , a new film with an international cast, by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, was recently filmed on Mývatn lake. The cast includes English actor Timothy Spall, Icelandic actor Sverrir Guðnason, English actress Lydia Leonard and Swiss actress Ella Rumpf.