We all know that Cape Town is being used a lot for movie shoots and ad shoots, often doubling for a city in America or elsewhere. This week sees the launch of Safe House, an action blockbuster that is set smack in the middle of the Mother City and which is getting great word of mouth already.
It stars Denzel Washington as a rogue CIA agent who, after evading capture for a decade, is sent to a safe house in Cape Town, where he is guarded by Ryan Reynolds.
Of course everything goes wrong, and from the very start of the movie it’s chases and shootouts. And, of course, lots of great Cape Town scenery.
The movie is already being compared to the Bourne series because it’s not only as fast as a whip, but it’s smart too, with the actors also including Vera Farmiga and Brendon Gleeson.
The young Swedish director, Daniel Espinosa, spent much of his time growing up in Africa, in Mozambique especially, and he knows South Africa well. “For me,” he said in an interview, “it was like coming home.”
Watch the trailer:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IfQY4fNcnw