Havoc: New Netflix film starring Tom Hardy filmed at Swansea University

Netflix’s latest blockbuster thriller, Havoc, has been released, starring British icon Tom Hardy.

While Havoc unfolds in a fictional American metropolis, shooting took place across South Wales, notably on Swansea University’s Bay Campus.

Directed by Gareth Evans, best known for The Raid and Gangs of London, Havoc details the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong, starring BAFTA Winner Tom Hardy in the lead role.

Born in Hirwaun, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Gareth was persistent in bringing work to South Wales. Despite the creative challenge of transforming Welsh streets into a believable US setting, he was determined to base the production at home.

Among the most prominent filming locations was Swansea University, where exterior scenes were shot on the Bay Campus.

via Google Maps

Brangwyn Hall, a venue in the city, also became the outside of an American police precinct.

Additional scenes included a fishing shack set built in the Merythr Mawr countryside.

Gareth Evans told BBC News: “I started going around, like, Swansea, Port Talbot, Cardiff and Newport, looking for any little bit of architecture that I could find that might pass as a little bit Americana.

“And so we took a look, and we thought if we can get 30 per cent or 40 per cent real in camera, then the VFX (visual effects) can take care of the rest.”

via Google Maps

Havoc is the largest feature film ever to be shot entirely in Wales, with post-production also completed in Cardiff, according to Netflix and Creative Wales.

Netflix productions shot in Wales, which also include fan-favourite Sex Education, have generated more than £200m for the UK economy since 2020.

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Jack Sargeant, Wales’ minister for culture, said these productions had delivered “significant economic and reputational benefits”.

He stated: “We are immensely proud of our Welsh creative industries, which employ over 35,000 talented individuals, and the world-class infrastructure we have in place for film and TV productions.”

Critics have responded with mixed but intrigued reactions. The Hollywood Reporter praised the production’s craftsmanship, noting:  “The fact that the environments were mostly constructed at a studio in Cardiff suggests there’s lots of ace craftspeople hiding out in Wales.”

Others were less convinced by the setting’s authenticity. Vulture film critic, Alison Willmore, wrote: “Havoc takes place in a grimy American metropolis that’s part Chicago, part Detroit, and part Gotham City. This is by design, though I’m also not convinced the production could have aimed for geographic specificity if it wanted to.”

“The idea of a location that embodies the mash-up of influences Evans is drawing on, from 90s Hong Kong action to Michael Mann, may sound cool. But the actual effect is that of a world set in Grand Theft Auto, a backdrop that doesn’t feel like a living, breathing place so much as a set of locations that its characters bounce between on missions.”

However, for Evans and many in the Welsh community, Havoc is a milestone in carving out Wales’ place on the global film map.

Featured image via Google Maps and YouTube