Hollywood comes to Cyprus with Clive Owen thriller

Copper Island has delivered on its promise to bring high-profile film productions to Cyprus, with Academy Award nominee and Hollywood A-list star Clive Owen now on the island to shoot Scorpion, a high-stakes action thriller produced and financed by the Limassol-based company. Owen, known for Closer, Children of Men and Gemini Man, leads a cast that also includes Alex Pettyfer, known for Magic Mike, The Butler and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, as well as Reda Elazouar, whose credits include Sex Education and The Family Plan. The cast is further strengthened by Ronan Summers, known for Guardians of the Galaxy, Jake Ryan, known for War Machine, Mark Rhino Smith, known for Creed, Joey Ansah, known for The Bourne Ultimatum, Alex Cooke, known for Blacklight, and Luke Bouchier, known for The Enforcer. Filming on Scorpion began in Cyprus on July 6 and will conclude in Bulgaria at the end of the month. According to Copper Island, the production has one of the largest per-day budgets for a film produced in Cyprus, placing it among the most significant international film projects to be made locally. For the company, the decision to film Scorpion in Cyprus carries wider significance. It shows, Copper Island said, that international productions starring top-tier talent can be produced on the island, while also paving the way for more higher-budget international films in the future. The production also comes in the middle of an exciting year for Copper Island, whose slate now spans recent premieres and worldwide releases involving some of the biggest names in international cinema. These include The Leader, which recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, as well as the worldwide release of Dead Man’s Wire, directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Bill Skarsgård, Al Pacino and Colman Domingo. The company is also linked to Eden, directed by Ron Howard and starring Jude Law, Ana de Armas and Sydney Sweeney. In addition, Copper Island’s Matt Murphie is an executive producer on the upcoming Anxious People, starring Angelina Jolie. At the same time, the company has also supported local productions, including financing and creative development on Apart, by Stelana Kliris, which is now seeking international distribution, and The Well, by Mario Piperides, which is currently completing post-production at Copper Island’s Limassol facilities. Academy Award® nominee Clive Owen and Matt Murphie, Founder of Copper Island (Credit Copper Island) Company founder Matt Murphie said the team was “delighted to be producing Scorpion in Cyprus”, adding that “we’d like to thank the Cyprus Film Commission for its support and the exceptional local crew helping bring this project to the screen.” Owen also praised the experience of filming on the island, saying that “Shooting Scorpion in Cyprus was a great experience.” He added that “Copper Island created an outstanding production environment, the local crew were incredibly professional with a great attitude, and the island offers an amazing variety of locations. I hope I get the opportunity to come back and shoot more projects there.” Making the production in Cyprus was made possible in part through collaboration with the Cyprus Film Commission, whose support continues to make the island a viable base for productions of this scale. The film itself follows Jason, played by Reda Elazouar, a young police officer taking on his first assignment with an elite tactical unit of Afghanistan war veterans. What begins as a nighttime raid on a remote farmhouse quickly turns into a deadly trap. Cut off from all communication and sealed inside the building, the squad is confronted by an ominous voice issuing an ultimatum: every thirty minutes, someone dies unless one of them confesses to what really happened during a classified operation years earlier. As the countdown ticks down, trust inside the squad collapses. Paranoia spreads, survival becomes the only law, and brothers-in-arms turn on one another. Trapped among men he once idolised, Jason realises they were never heroes, only survivors of a truth none of them can outrun. The screenplay was written by Richard Hughes and Bennett Fisher, while the film is produced by Copper Island’s Matt Murphie, David Mansfield and Luke Bouchier. Looking ahead, WestEnd Films is handling international sales and will present first footage to buyers at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. Beyond Scorpion, Copper Island is active in the development, production and post-production of film projects with international reach. Headquartered in Limassol, with a significant presence in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe and Australia, the company has built an extensive international network of partners, producers and distributors, while making substantial investments in international productions. Behind-the-scenes moments from the filming of Scorpion in Cyprus (Credit Copper Island) The company operates as a full-service film studio based in Cyprus, offering services, talent and facilities covering all aspects of the filmmaking process. Its services include film financing, facilitation, production, post-production, acquisitions and locations. What sets Copper Island apart, according to the company, is its combination of acute business and financial acumen, coupled with an innate understanding of the creative filmmaking process and an international network of talent. That international reach has already brought the company into contact with acclaimed directors Ron Howard, Gus Van Sant and Simon West, along with world-renowned actors including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Jude Law, Bill Skarsgård, Matthew Goode, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl, Shia LaBeouf and Colman Domingo. The company’s name is also closely tied to Cyprus. Inspired by copper, the metal historically and culturally associated with the island, it symbolises Copper Island’s growing connection with the country it now calls home. It also reflects the company’s creative mission and its recognition of Cyprus as the location chosen for the next phase of its journey. For filmmakers, Cyprus offers a wide range of landscapes, from beaches and ancient ruins to villages and urban areas. Combined with more than 300 days of sunshine and a position at the crossroads of Europe and the Middle East, the island’s strategic location makes it accessible for international crews, enhancing its appeal for productions seeking both visual range and logistical advantages.