WWII horror-fantasy 'WarHunt' with Mickey Rourke becomes one of first movies to wrap amid coronavirus

With almost every Hollywood project on hold during the current health crisis, there is one small beacon of hope for the entertainment industry. That would be WarHunt, a WWII horror-fantasy flick that, according to Variety, continued to shoot and actually wrapped in the era of Covid-19.

Starring Mickey Rourke (Iron Man 2), Robert Knepper (Prison Break), and Jackson Rathbone (Twilight), the Overlord-esque film centers on a group of elite Allied soldiers trapped deep behind enemy lines in Germany's Black Forest. The covert mission becomes even more dangerous when the team is beset upon by a coven of witches.

Mauro Borrelli, an art department vet of the Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars franchises, directed from a script he co-wrote with Reggie Keyohara III (The Recall).

Check out some first look images in the posts below:

Production on the movie was allowed to continue in Riga, the capital city of Latvia, so long as the crew adhered to strict government guidelines meant to prevent a spread of the virus. These measures included: wearing gloves and masks, taking temperatures twice a day, sanitizing equipment, and, that old standby, social distancing.

"There were additional procedures on set, but it quickly became the norm and everyone got on with it," producer Yu-Fai Suen (also managing director at Pinewood Studios) told Variety. “For makeup, each actor had a dedicated kit, so makeup artists used only the same brushes, makeup etc. on the same actor. All makeup artists, of course, wore face masks when applying makeup."

As strange it might seem, this will most likely become the norm for film and television shoots until a coronavirus vaccine is discovered and/or humanity develops a strong herd immunity against the disease. If everyone involved with WarHunt walks away healthy (and we certainly hope they do), then the project will serve as a shining example of how to run a safe set in the midst of a global pandemic.

“It was surreal at the beginning, but the cast and crew quickly adjusted to the masks and other precautions, so we ended up even more focused and efficient," Borrelli added to Variety.

WarHunt doesn't have a release date yet.