Panama going Hollywood!  The New Trend: Movie making in Panama

A new migratory species has found safe haven in Panama: film makers! After a new law was passed a few years ago that reimburses movie producers for about 15 percent of their movie making costs, shooting in Panama has become the new big thing.  This luring law has already attracted quite a number of films to be shot in Panama, and with big names such as Benicio del Toro and Robert de Niro having already released movies shot in Panama, it’s clear:  movie making in Panama is on the rise!

Recent Movies Made in Panama

Making movies in Panama has not been super popular in the the past, yet it’s had its share so far.  There have been a few films of international fame that were shot in this little country, and in recent years Panama’s name has hit the marquis in productions such as: “The Tailor of Panama” with Pierce Brosnan, filmed in 2001, and the 22^nd James Bond film “Quantum of Solace” was filmed here in Panama in 2008. 

Any country likes to have its name promoted along big movie hits due to the great exposure opportunity.  People might choose to visit such country as a result of having seen it on the movie screen!  More tourists mean more dollars, not accounting for the millions of bucks that movie making leaves behind in the hosting country.  Movie making is profitable and Panama has made a strategic move! Other movies that had chosen Panama as their movie set have been:

• Basic (2003) with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson
• Contraband (the most recent, from 2012) with Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale
• Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), starring Herbie! A Walt Disney Movie Classic
• Nitro Circus: The Movie (2012), based on the MTV series with the same name

Panama going Hollywood!

In the last few years, Panama has been busy as the filming set for several big international movie productions, among which “Hands of Stone”, set to be released in October of 2015, the story of national boxing legend and Panamanian pride Roberto Duran.  The homegrown theme and the Panamanian people’s wish to have the film shot in Panama was not short of some controversy; the movie was scheduled to be filmed in Puerto Rico, yet the Panamanian government as a matter of national pride and to bring the project back home “lured” the production company with a “small” 3-million subsidy loan!  To the people of Panama it was just not right to have the story of national hero Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran filmed elsewhere – and they TKO’d the rival!  Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez played the role of Roberto Duran.

Another movie recently filmed in Panama is “Escobar”, starring Benicio del Toro, about the life of late Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. While filming, the Hollywood star was spotted daily the streets of Panama City’s Old Quarters, Casco Viejo, giving the locals a bit of a rush as you might imagine!  Want to follow in heartthrob Benicio del Toro’s footsteps?  Be sure to hit Casco Viejo in Panama during your visit to Panama City.

Reality Shows in Panama: A Glimpse Into Panama

Some U.S. TV shows have also chosen Panama as their filming set, like Travel Channel’s hit Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”, which filmed in Panama City.  You can check out the full episode where he walked down the streets of Panama City, visited the Miraflores Locks and the Panama Canal and, finally, immersed himself in the Embera territory.  You can also get a sneak peak of his Panama travel guide.  The beauty of Panama is that you don’t have to travel all the way out to track down Anthony Bourdain’s footsteps and have a taste of the delicious food shown during his TV show; if you sign up for a Panama City Tour you can visit the city’s famous Fish Market and indulge in some fabulous local cuisine!

In fact, since Donald Trump has his own Trump Tower hotel there, it is not a suprise that Reality Shows in Panama are taking off.  For those who are a bit more into action, reality television ‘s Dwayne “THE ROCK ” Johnson’s crew originally came to Panama City to film just a portion of their reality series “The Hero”.  Originally set to take place in multiple locations in Central America and Asia, the film crew fell in love with the diversity that Panama had to offer and filmed the entire series in and around the Panama Canal region in 2013.  Check out The Hero Trailer for some spectacular scenes of Panama that are sure to make your heart rate shoot up and maybe give you goose bumps!! Seriously, crazy!!

And not to miss out on the next big thing, Dancing with the Stars even created a Panama Edition of their hit show and has so far aired 3 seasons and is currently airing the 4^th  with 6 couples yet to be eliminated!! Dancing with the Stars Panama Edition is being filmed every Friday at 8:30 p.m. (You might want to keep this in mind if travelling by any chance around the old Balboa area in Panama City as you might get a bit stuck in traffic!)  You can see signs all over the Theatre promoting tickets to watch the “stars” dance, which by the way you can get at https://www.tvn-2.com/tag/dancing_with_the_stars/ in case you’ll be in town during this year’s season!

Big Bucks!

The bottom line is that movie productions leave behind millions of dollars in DIRECT spending, not to mention all the free publicity Panama gets when the movies it hosts are promoted internationally.

If the trend goes on, Panama might become the new capital of movie making south of the U.S. border.  Keep your antennas up and Hollywood’s future productions in your radar, who knows?  Maybe you’ll come across Leonardo DiCaprio on your next trip to tropical Panama!