'The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard' Was Filmed in More Than a Few Scene-Stealing Locations

Is it really an action movie if there aren't beautiful beaches, green hillsides, and mountainous regions to drive around in between explosions and shootouts?

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek, balances action and suspense with gorgeous locations. A sequel to the original Hitman's Bodyguard from 2017, this hilarious sequel focuses on Ryan's character Michael Bryce as a "retired" bodyguard, only to get dragged back into a world of guarding.

So, where was The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard filmed? Here's what we know about these gorgeous filming locations.

To capture the scale of Michael Bryce's vacation pre-retirement, film producers Matt O'Toole and Paul Ritchie spent most of their time filming in locations around Croatia. According to Aminess, a hotel and campsite location finder located in Croatia, the film shot scenes in Istria, Rijeka, Karlovac, Zagreb, and Pisarovina, and on the island of Biševo.

Stancija Kabola, a stone house with a winery, stands in for a Tuscan villa in the film. Another scene featuring Salma and Samuel's characters driving a van to escape helicopters takes place over Mirna Bridge. Reportedly special safety measures were utilized with the help of local authorities.

The tiny town of Motovun also made an appearance in The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, and its green, rolling hills were a great stand-in for the Italian countryside. One of the EU conference scenes was shot within Hotel Aminess Maestral Novigrad 4. The film crew was so pleased with the hotel that they sent a note of appreciation to the managers for allowing them to film there.

Scenes were also filmed on the streets of Rovinj, which appears Italian in architecture because it was briefly a part of the Republic of Venice many years ago. A small lighthouse and a cliff that also make their way into the film are from the town of Rovinj as well. The Blue Grotto, a natural sea cave named for its spectacularly colored water, makes its way into the film, although the Grotto is located on the small island of Biševo.

Although much of the film has Croatia standing in for the Italian countryside, there were several scenes shot in other European locations. For example, per Atlas of Wonders, the interior of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Papadopoulos (Antonio Banderas)'s mansion is the Victoria Hall of Woolrich Town Hall near London. The Triple A-Rated Bodyguard of the Year Awards scene was also filmed in London at the Natural History Museum.

Filming reportedly took place beginning in March 2019 and finished in mid-April of the same year, according to Ryan Reynolds' Instagram. Although it seems like filming took place in only a short amount of time, they were able to finish before the coronavirus pandemic. The film's release date was delayed twice but arrived in theaters on June 16, 2021.

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard is now available for streaming on HBO Max.