Liam Neeson is returning to Victoria to film his next action-thriller, The Mongoose, at locations across Melbourne and regional Victoria — including Castlemaine!
The film crew is expected to arrive in Castlemaine on February 19 for three days of shooting.
Castlemaine will double as a town Arkansas, USA, and the scenes being shot will involve a fugitive being chased into a country town by police cars.
The sequences will be filmed at the Castlemaine Service Station on the corner of the Midland Highway and Maclise Street. There will also be filming on Frederick, Lyttleton, Kennedy, Walker and Parker Streets and Downes Road.
Neeson stars as Ryan ‘Fang’ Flanagan, a war hero who, accused of a crime he didn’t commit and with nothing to lose, leads police on an epic televised cross-country car chase. Helped by members of his former Special Forces Army battalion, he is closely monitored by a fascinated public cheering for his safe getaway.
Highly experienced stunt drivers will be driving vehicles on the opposite side of the road and there will be choreographed stunt sequences filmed with vehicles impacting objects and other vehicles.
Traffic controllers will be on site to lock down areas and close roads during filming. There will be camera drones, tracking vehicles, and a unit base nearby for wardrobe, makeup and catering.
The Mongoose was attracted to Victoria through VicScreen’s Victorian Screen Rebate; and also received support from the federal government’s location offset.
The production will engage an estimated 150 local businesses, including specialist screen industry businesses to accommodation providers, retailers and hospitality and create 453 jobs for Victorian screen workers. It is estimated that the film will inject more than $19 million into the Victorian economy.
Victorian Minister for Creative Industries, Colin Brooks, said that to see major producers and stars returning time and time again was testament to our spectacular locations, exceptional crews and world-class facilities.
“The Mongoose is part of a strong pipeline of local and international productions that will power our screen industry in 2025, creating jobs, boosting local businesses and showcasing Victorian screen talent to the world,” he said.
