The Expendables 2: Airport Location Secrets Revealed

The Expendables 2 is an American action film released in 2012, starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, and many more big names. The movie features a climactic airport scene, shot at Krumovo Airport in Bulgaria, which brings together some of the biggest action stars of the 1980s, including Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis, and Norris. This scene has been described as one of the best in the entire Expendables franchise, with its gunfights, explosions, and car chases throughout the terminal.

The airport scene was filmed at Bulgaria's second-largest airport

The airport scene in *The Expendables 2* was filmed at Bulgaria's second-largest airport, located in Plovdiv. This scene was one of the film's larger set pieces and included gunfights, explosions, and car chases throughout the terminal. It was also one of the most complex digital environments in the film, shot in three entirely different locations and requiring digital enhancements to the vehicles and the airport itself.

The scene involved the film's stars, including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. In the scene, the Expendables intercept Vilain and his men at the airport as he prepares to leave by plane, transporting plutonium. This leads to an action-packed battle, with Stallone's character, Barney, ultimately defeating and killing Vilain in hand-to-hand combat.

The airport scene is considered one of the best in the *Expendables* series, bringing together some of the biggest action stars of the 1980s. It also featured impressive stunts, although one stuntman, Kun Liu, was killed, and another, Nuo Sun, was critically injured during a separate stunt involving a staged explosion on a rubber boat.

The filming of *The Expendables 2* lasted 14 weeks, with a budget of $100 million. The production involved extensive digital effects, including removing snow and trees from the Bulgarian terrain and replacing them with tropical flora for the opening sequence. This particular airport scene, however, was filmed at a different location and then digitally modified to create the desired environment.

The scene was action-packed, featuring many 1980s action stars

The 2012 American action film, Expendables 2, is the second instalment in The Expendables film series. The film, directed by Simon West, is based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto, and Richard Wenk. The story follows the Expendables team as they undertake a mission that turns into a quest for revenge against rival mercenary Jean Vilain, who murders one of their own and threatens the world with a deadly weapon.

The scene in question, the airport scene, is one of the best action scenes in the entire Expendables series. It is action-packed, featuring many 1980s action stars, including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and Liam Hemsworth. The scene was shot at Krumovo Airport, the second-largest airport in Bulgaria, located in Plovdiv. It included gunfights, explosions, and car chases throughout the terminal.

The airport scene is a climactic moment in the film, where the Expendables team intercepts Vilain and his men at the airport as he prepares to leave by plane, transporting plutonium. The team wages battle against Vilain, the leader of the Sangs terrorist group, and his men. Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis, and Norris take centre stage in the scene, showcase their abilities and fighting skills. The scene is a homage to the 1980s, an era when Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Norris, and Willis were some of the biggest action stars in the world, starring in iconic films such as "Rocky", "Rambo", "The Terminator", and "Die Hard".

The airport scene in Expendables 2 is notable for its complex digital environment, shot in three entirely different locations and combined with digital effects. The scene required digital enhancements to vehicles and the surrounding terrain to modify the winter Bulgarian landscape to represent its intended location.

The scene was digital and filmed on Chroma screens in Sofia

The 2012 American action film, *The Expendables 2*, starred an ensemble cast of largely action film actors, including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film is packed with action sequences, including a climactic airport scene. This scene was largely digital and was filmed on Chroma screens in the middle of Sofia, Bulgaria.

The scene in question sees the Expendables intercept the antagonist, Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme), and his men at an airport as he prepares to leave by plane, transporting plutonium. The scene includes gunfights, explosions, and car chases throughout the terminal. It also features a final battle between Barney (Sylvester Stallone) and Vilain, which is considered one of the best one-on-one fight scenes in the entire series.

The airport scene was filmed at Bulgaria's second-largest airport in Plovdiv, the country's second-largest city. The production of this scene involved a tragic incident. On October 27, 2011, while filming at the Ognyanovo Reservoir near Sofia, stuntman Kun Liu was killed, and another stuntman, Nuo Sun, was critically injured in a staged explosion.

The use of Chroma screens in the airport scene allowed for digital matte paintings to be inserted later, modifying the winter Bulgarian terrain to represent its intended location. This digital enhancement technique was also applied to vehicles in the scene. The airport sequence was part of a larger effort in the film to create complex digital environments, with the finale being shot in three entirely different locations.

The filming of *The Expendables 2* in Bulgaria also presented challenges beyond the tragic accident. For example, the opening sequence, shot entirely in Bulgaria during the winter, was meant to take place in tropical South Asia. This discrepancy required digital effects to replace snow and deciduous trees with tropical flora, involving over 340 shots. Additionally, scheduling conflicts with Jet Li resulted in additional complexities, requiring interior sets to be shipped to Hong Kong for filming.

The Expendables intercept Jean Vilain at the airport

The Expendables 2 sees the return of Sylvester Stallone's Barney Ross, alongside an ensemble cast of largely action film stars. The film is an action-packed revenge story, with the Expendables taking on rival mercenary Jean Vilain, who has murdered one of their team and threatens the world with a deadly weapon.

The film's finale takes place in an airport, with the Expendables intercepting Vilain as he attempts to transport plutonium and leave by plane. The airport scene was shot at Bulgaria's second-largest airport in Plovdiv, and included gunfights, explosions, and car chases throughout the terminal. It was a complex digital environment, shot in three entirely different locations.

As the Expendables intercept Vilain, a big fight breaks out, with Christmas decapitating Hector, and Barney and Vilain engaging in a hand-to-hand fight. Barney defeats and stabs Vilain, killing him.

After the airport battle, the remaining team members, including Church, Maggie, Booker, and Trench, leave in a helicopter. Barney is given an old Antonov An-2 biplane by Church, and the Expendables depart, making a final toast to their fallen comrade, Billy.

The scene included gunfights, explosions, and car chases

The Expendables 2 is an American action film released in 2012, starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, and many more big names in the world of action films. The movie is the sequel to The Expendables (2010) and is the second instalment in The Expendables film series.

The scene in question, which takes place during the climax of the film, includes a big battle between the Expendables team and the movie's antagonist, Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme), the leader of the Sangs terrorist group. The team intercepts Vilain and his men at an airport in Bulgaria as he is preparing to leave by plane, transporting plutonium. This scene features non-stop action, including gunfights, explosions, and car chases throughout the terminal. It is a highlight of the film, bringing together all the legendary action stars of the 1980s, showcasing their abilities.

The airport set for this scene was Bulgaria's second-largest airport, located in Plovdiv, the country's second-largest city. The filming of this scene, in particular, lasted 14 weeks, starting on September 29, 2011, with a budget of $100 million. Unfortunately, during the filming of one of the film's larger set pieces, a stuntman, Kun Liu, was killed, and another, Nuo Sun, was critically injured in a staged explosion.

The Expendables 2 airport scene is significant not only for its action but also for bringing together some of the biggest action stars of the 1980s. The scene centres around the trio of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis, with supporting roles from other cast members. This assembly of stars has been dubbed the "1980s Avengers" and is considered the main reason why The Expendables 2 is often regarded as the best movie in the franchise.

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