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SAS: Who Dares Wins reveals extraordinary filming location in Wadi Rum
By Israa Radaydeh, Jordan News
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The southern desert of Wadi Rum was the key location for shooting the seventh season of the British TV
series SAS: WHO Dares Wins, filmed under rough condition in the desert terrain,
and aired on Channel 4 with a team of special forces instructors.اضافة اعلان
Wadi Rum’s dramatic rock formation of sandstone and granite and its wide-open sandy plains have made it an iconic filming location, has been a world wild destination for filming.
It is located in the southern region of Jordan; not far from the border of Saudi Arabia and north of the Red Sea resort of Aqaba on the Red Sea. By car from Amman, it could take between 4 and 5.5 hours to get there.
Several films were shot in Wadi Rum, also known as the “Valley of the Moon”. Its unique rock formations and rose-red desert sand have and continue to attract filmmakers and tourists to the area. Dune, the epic science fiction film; Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019); and Disney’s Aladdin (2019) were filmed in several locations in Wadi Rum and the surrounding desert.
The Royal Film Commission (RFC) and The Imaginarium Films, along with Jordanian producer Rula Nasser, and the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, provided logistics to the latest British television series.
The first episode, which was screened locally at Taj Cinema, revealed the remarkable preparations which the locals provided, with the presence of the Jordanian and foreign crew along with RFC members.
SAS: Who Dares Wins sees 20 recruits put through their paces by Channel 4’s team of former special forces instructors. With the SAS instructors Ant Middleton — who has been replaced by former US marine Rudy Reyes — is joined by ex US Navy SEAL Remi Adeleke, Billy Billingham, and Jason ‘Foxy’ Fox.
The seventh season setup a SAS military base in Wadi Rum. Previous seasons were filmed in different locations, such as the Scottish island of Raasay and the Andes, or Andean Mountains of Central Chile.
Jason Fox, a former British Royal Marines commando and special forces sergeant, said the show included non-military recruits whose mental and physical abilities are put to the test.
“The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to change the filming location, and Jordan was the perfect choice because of its infrastructure and reputation,” he told Jordan News.
“Filming in Jordan is different and challenging due to the topography”, including Wadi Rum’s unique rock formation.
Ex-US Marine Recon Rudy heads up a new team, including ex-US Navy SEAL Remi, and returning stars Billy Billingham and Jason Fox, as they test the physical and psychological resilience of their recruits.
New American Season
“Jordan will also be the location of the new American version of SAS: Who Dares Wins,” said the series’ director, Rob Fisher.
“I’ve been scouting the location for quite long enough to know it will be the perfect location, the 10th episode started shooing already with 16–18 American celebrities, and it will be the first American series from the British one,” he said.
“Wadi Rum has become one of the favorite locations for filmmakers and producers to film in,” Fisher said. “It has become known for its exotic landscape: strong red colors and monumental sandstone cliffs and valleys provide stunning scenery concentrated over a relatively small area.”
The RFC plays a great role to help filmmakers come to Jordan, providing all possible assistance, including logistics and qualified local crews. Production firms are offered a cash rebate of 10 to 25 percent for a minimum of $1 million spent in Jordan, in addition to tax exemptions on equipment imported for filming.
Mohannad Al-Bakri, a managing director of the RFC, said: “It is a turning point for Jordan to become an attractive filming destination not only for films, but also for big TV productions such as the popular British TV program SAS: Who Dares Wins, which filmed season seven in 2021 and spent some $2.39 million in the country.”
“Jordan facilitated the shoot in different locations across Wadi Rum, including the French Fortress, and in Aqaba. We are grateful for the support of the Jordan Armed Forces, which assisted with filming on set and provided the needed military equipment, costumes and props,” Bakri added.
He explained that filming TV productions in the country offers a new experience and a different skillset to the local crew. Around 60 Jordanians worked on set for this project.
Read more Entertainment
Jordan News
Wadi Rum’s dramatic rock formation of sandstone and granite and its wide-open sandy plains have made it an iconic filming location, has been a world wild destination for filming.
It is located in the southern region of Jordan; not far from the border of Saudi Arabia and north of the Red Sea resort of Aqaba on the Red Sea. By car from Amman, it could take between 4 and 5.5 hours to get there.
Several films were shot in Wadi Rum, also known as the “Valley of the Moon”. Its unique rock formations and rose-red desert sand have and continue to attract filmmakers and tourists to the area. Dune, the epic science fiction film; Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019); and Disney’s Aladdin (2019) were filmed in several locations in Wadi Rum and the surrounding desert.
The Royal Film Commission (RFC) and The Imaginarium Films, along with Jordanian producer Rula Nasser, and the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, provided logistics to the latest British television series.
The first episode, which was screened locally at Taj Cinema, revealed the remarkable preparations which the locals provided, with the presence of the Jordanian and foreign crew along with RFC members.
SAS: Who Dares Wins sees 20 recruits put through their paces by Channel 4’s team of former special forces instructors. With the SAS instructors Ant Middleton — who has been replaced by former US marine Rudy Reyes — is joined by ex US Navy SEAL Remi Adeleke, Billy Billingham, and Jason ‘Foxy’ Fox.
Wadi Rum also called the “Valley of the Moon”, has a dramatic rock formation of sandstone and granite and its wide-open sandy plains have made it an iconic filming location, has been a world wild destination for filming.The location is very challenging, presenting tougher conditions and intense pressure for the 12 recruits. For example, contestants are required to cross a ravine by balancing on a rope suspended 5m above the ground.
The seventh season setup a SAS military base in Wadi Rum. Previous seasons were filmed in different locations, such as the Scottish island of Raasay and the Andes, or Andean Mountains of Central Chile.
Jason Fox, a former British Royal Marines commando and special forces sergeant, said the show included non-military recruits whose mental and physical abilities are put to the test.
“The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to change the filming location, and Jordan was the perfect choice because of its infrastructure and reputation,” he told Jordan News.
“Filming in Jordan is different and challenging due to the topography”, including Wadi Rum’s unique rock formation.
Ex-US Marine Recon Rudy heads up a new team, including ex-US Navy SEAL Remi, and returning stars Billy Billingham and Jason Fox, as they test the physical and psychological resilience of their recruits.
New American Season
“Jordan will also be the location of the new American version of SAS: Who Dares Wins,” said the series’ director, Rob Fisher.
“I’ve been scouting the location for quite long enough to know it will be the perfect location, the 10th episode started shooing already with 16–18 American celebrities, and it will be the first American series from the British one,” he said.
“Wadi Rum has become one of the favorite locations for filmmakers and producers to film in,” Fisher said. “It has become known for its exotic landscape: strong red colors and monumental sandstone cliffs and valleys provide stunning scenery concentrated over a relatively small area.”
The RFC plays a great role to help filmmakers come to Jordan, providing all possible assistance, including logistics and qualified local crews. Production firms are offered a cash rebate of 10 to 25 percent for a minimum of $1 million spent in Jordan, in addition to tax exemptions on equipment imported for filming.
Mohannad Al-Bakri, a managing director of the RFC, said: “It is a turning point for Jordan to become an attractive filming destination not only for films, but also for big TV productions such as the popular British TV program SAS: Who Dares Wins, which filmed season seven in 2021 and spent some $2.39 million in the country.”
“Jordan facilitated the shoot in different locations across Wadi Rum, including the French Fortress, and in Aqaba. We are grateful for the support of the Jordan Armed Forces, which assisted with filming on set and provided the needed military equipment, costumes and props,” Bakri added.
He explained that filming TV productions in the country offers a new experience and a different skillset to the local crew. Around 60 Jordanians worked on set for this project.
Read more Entertainment
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