Written by Tom Deehan on Feb 5, 2016. Posted in On Location / Production News

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to start filming in Atlanta

The upcoming sequel to Marvel Studios’ sci-fi superhero film Guardians of the Galaxy is to begin filming on location in Atlanta, Georgia on February 11^th. The announcement comes from Director James Gunn’s Facebook page after he uploaded a picture showing the film’s main cast in rehearsals.

2014s Guardians of the Galaxy follows a group of misfits who are forced to work together after a common goal puts them at the heart of an intergalactic war. The film’s cast includes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista, all of whom are set to return for the film’s sequel.

Via his Instagram account, actor Chris Pratt explained: “feels good to be back in action on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! I can't even tell you how excited I am.”

Despite being one of Marvel’s lesser known properties, Guardians of the Galaxy opened to immense critical and financial success. The film earned over USD774 million globally, making it one of the most profitable superhero films to date. The film was shot almost entirely at Longcross and Shepperton Studios in the UK.

Marvel Studios have a history of shooting their high budget films at studio spaces within the UK, a choice that can be attributed to the 25% tax rebate that is available for productions that incur a minimum spend of 10% in the country.

The most recent production to take up residence at Pinewood Studios in London is the upcoming fantasy film Doctor Strange, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role.

The decision to film Vol. 2 in Atlanta isn’t particularly surprising given how popular the city has become as a filming location. The state of Georgia offers an attractive incentive of up to 30% in tax credits, which has been distributed to a number of high profile productions including The Walking Dead, Captain America: Civil War, and Bad Neighbours 2.