Legendary Entertainment's The Machine begins shooting in Serbia

Legendary Entertainment’s feature film, The Machine, starring Mark Hamill and Bert Kreischer, has just started filming in Serbia this month.

Based on true events, The Machine follows Bert Kreischer’s viral stand-up comedy story about his experience on a university trip to Russia in the 1990s, where he got in trouble with local mobsters. The film picks up the story in the present day, with Kreischer and his father, played by Mark Hamill, being kidnapped by the same criminals two decades later.

The Machine will be produced by Emmy-awarded filmmaker Peter Atencio (Key & Peele, Keanu), alongside Kreischer, Legendary Entertainment’s Cale Boyter and Levity Live’s Judi Marmel, with Philip Waley as executive producer. The Machine will be associate produced by Jay Ashenfelter and co-produced by Jonathan English, head of location outfit Balkanic Media (The Outpost).

“We are so grateful for the warm welcome and unparalleled support that we’ve received from the local community as well as the many Serbian film professionals that are also serving as members of the cast and crew. We are looking forward to a very successful shoot here in Belgrade,” says Atencio.

Hamill and Kreischer have drummed up anticipation for the project by announcing their departure to Serbia to shoot the film on their social media accounts.

International productions have continued filming in Serbia under strict Covid-19 protocols, with film crews and cultural workers prioritised for vaccination and a third of the population already vaccinated. Foreign producers also benefit from a 25% cash rebate, with the Serbian government recently allocating extra funds towards the scheme.