Freelance is a 2023 action-comedy film that takes viewers on an adventurous ride through the Colombian jungle with its stunning filming locations.
Starring John Cena, Alison Brie, and Juan Pablo Raba in the lead roles, the American film is about a former US Army Special Forces who was discharged after a failed mission to assassinate the Paldonian dictator Juan Venegas and today, he is fighting to save the same dictator, who was once his target.
The film is directed by Pierre Morel from a script of Jacob Lentz and produced by Renee Tab, Chris Milburn, Christopher Tuffin, Steve Richards, and Jacob Lentz under Endurance Media in association with Sentient Entertainment, AGC Studios, Signature Films, Wideangle Films, Sentinent Pictures, and Yorkshire Film Services II.
Where was Freelance movie filmed?
Freelance was filmed in and around Bogotá, the vibrant capital city of Colombia inside South America, according to the report of Colombia Film Commission. Principal photography for the film began in January 2022 and lasted for three months across several Colombian locations before wrapping in April 2022.
Sentient Entertainment, the studio in-charge of the production shared the clapperboard when the first shot was taken on Jan 17, 2022.
The film crew transformed various neighborhoods and streets of Bogota into cinematic sets to capture the city’s unique blend of modern architecture and historical landmarks.
Iconic Bogotá landmarks like the Museum of Gold, Monserrate Sanctuary, and the Metropolitan Cathedral can be spotted in the backdrop of several exterior shots.
Freelancer Shooting Locations
Bogotá, Colombia
A major part of the filming took place in and around the capital city of Bogotá by turning the localities into temporary filming sets. The project obtained the CINA incentive, according to a report of PR Log.
TheCenaHub, a fanpage dedicated to John Cena shared some clips during the filming of movie in Feb 2022 and marked Bogota, Colombia as their location.
Also, they can be heard speaking spanish in the background but I don’t recommend to turn up the volume while watching those clips because the music is too loud.
The production crew took over various neighborhoods and streets in the city, including La Candelaria, located in the historic heart of Bogotá, the historic locality provides a picturesque backdrop for several scenes.
Alison Brie shared a bts pic in March 2022 with a crew member Lorena Suárez, when the shooting of Freelance (2023) was ongoing in the middle of The Jungle.
Brie shared another pic with after a few days around the same location. She wrote in the caption, “Colombian BFF 💕 #freelancemovie” while tagging the crew member in her Instagram post.
Many important scenes in the jungle were taken with the help of drones. Cena also posted a picture of his hand on the filming set in March.
Bolívar Square is a political and cultural center of Bogotá that provides a grand backdrop for several scenes. The square’s historical significance and lively atmosphere added extra charm to the film.
Vindi, Tolima
The lush green jungle, with its towering trees and dense foliage, creates a sense of danger and suspense as the trio navigate through the treacherous terrain.
Ana Maria Urrea, the costume designer of the film shared a beautiful pic of her with all the crew members involved in the production of Freelance movie. She tagged the pic location in Vindi.
The town was used to capture the steamy scene where John Cena, Alison Brie, and Juan Pablo are seen topless.
Also, the three leads can be seen running for their lives in the same village when those crazy rebels are chasing them.
Julianne Arrieta, who portrays Avery in the Freelance movie also shared a high-resolution pic of her on Instagram in April 2022. She also tagged the capital of Colombia as her location.
As a diverse and cost-efficient destination, Colombia has hosted several other major productions like “Sound of Freedom (2023),” “Triple Frontier (2019),” “American Made” and “Narcos (2015-2017).”
Freelance (2023 film) Behind the Scenes
Mélida Saviz, who stars as TV news anchor in the Freelance film, shared some bts photos while her shots were getting recorded.
She was so excited to see herself on big screens for the first time that she screamed while her name rolled out in the ending credits of the Freelance film.
Just like John Cena, Alison Brie has a separate fanbase too. One such fandom shared a behind-the-scene clip when Claire Wellington was getting her makeup done.
Colombia Film Commission shared a small talk with the film producer Steve Richards, where he revealed that he’s been working for the project since last five years.
They planned to film in South Africa with another actor, nearly four years ago but that didn’t happen.
Then, they landed John Cena in the house and started looking for a suitable location for the shooting of movie and ended up falling in love with Colombia, a country in South America.
It’s not easy to prepare the same setting as Hollywood in Colombia but WideAngle Films have started doing it, the wrote while posting a few raw photos of the movie on their Instagram.
Who’s in the cast of Freelance?
John Cena as Mason Pettits
John Cena is an American actor, professional wrestler, and television presenter.
He is best known for his sixteen-year tenure with WWE, where he is currently tied with Ric Flair for the most world championship reigns at sixteen.
Anyone who has ever heard of WWE, must heard of this macho man and all of that, because of his gentleman attitude and kindness towards everyone.
In the Freelance film, he’s starring as a former special forces operative who reluctantly takes on a freelance gig to protect a washed-up journalist.
Alison Brie as Claire Wellington
Alison Brie is an American actress, writer, and producer, known for her role as Annie Edison on the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2015).
In the movie, she is portraying the role of Claire, a washed-up journalist who is desperate to get the scoop of a lifetime by interviewing the president of Paldonia.
Juan Pablo Raba as Venegas/President
Juan Pablo Raba is a Colombian actor, who is best known for his roles in the The 33 (2015 film) and Narcos (2015–2017). In the Freelance movie, he’s starring as the ruthless dictator of Paldonia.
Other cast members of the movie includes:
- Christian Slater as Sebastian Earle
- Alice Eve as Jenny Pettits
- Mélida Saviz as Televisa News Anchor
- Marton Csokas as Colonel Jan Koehorst
- Nelson Camayo as Chief’s son-in-Law
- Matt Moody as Drill Instructor #1
- Charley Jones as Jeff
- Sebastian Eslava as Jorge Vásquez (as Sebastián Eslava)
- Molly McCann as Casey / daughter
- Daniel Toro Moreno as Jorge’s Male Aide
- Julianne Arrieta as Avery Alderson
- Roberto Cano as Eduardo Lavato
- Felipe Andrés Echavarría as Scott
- John Calhoun as Skinny Travis
- Fiona Horsey as Female Senior Partner
- Michel Farji Honlein as Man in Tuxedo
- Mauricio Cujar as General Martínez
- Diego Vásquez as Village Chief
- Gamal Dillard as Bank Teller
- Joshua Cook as Managing Director
- Tomaso Tarli as Mediaset News Anchor
- Daniel Toro as Rojas (Jorge’s Aide)
- Yusuf Tangarife as Gi-Gi Love (as Yusuf Felipe Tangarife Angulo)
- Pablo Daniel Rodriguez as Televisión Pública Noticia Anchor
Where to watch Freelance movie?
Freelance movie is Now Playing In Theaters Worldwide and also available to purchase on Digital Platforms like Apple TV, VUDU, Microsoft Store, Amazon, Redbox, and Spectrum.
