Empire City Filming Begins in Melbourne with Butler

Production begins this month in Melbourne, Australia, on Empire City, a high-stakes action thriller starring Gerard Butler as a firefighter leading a rescue during a hostage crisis in New York City, with Hayley Atwell co-starring as his police officer wife.

The film, directed by Michael Matthews and written by Brian Tucker and S. Craig Zahler, centers on Rhett, played by Butler, and his squad as they battle through the landmark Clybourn Building to free captives amid the unfolding emergency. Atwell portrays Dani, Rhett's wife and a New York Police Department officer who joins the effort to save the hostages. Producers selected Melbourne as the primary filming location after evaluating sites worldwide, citing the city's versatile urban landscapes, skilled local crew, and supportive infrastructure. Shooting will take place across Melbourne streets and at Docklands Studios, with set designs transforming the Victorian capital into the bustling streets of the Big Apple.

Marc Butan, chief executive of MadRiver Pictures and a lead producer, highlighted the decision-making process. "We really just landed on local producer Paul Currie and his team," Butan said. "The facilities here, the...