Filming in Croatia: What Recent Productions Show
A British period drama in Opatija. A Doug Liman thriller in Zagreb, a Netflix finale in Dubrovnik
Oct 19, 2026
Croatia is known for Dubrovnik and the coast. Its recent productions show a wider range: period doubles, city doubles, and island worlds, often within a few hours' drive of each other.
Most people know Croatia from Dubrovnik. Game of Thrones made the walled city famous, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi followed it there.
The productions filming in Croatia now use more of the country. Here's what's been shooting recently, and what each one used Croatia for.
The Forsytes, season 3: Opatija as the French Riviera
The third season of The Forsytes, the adaptation of John Galsworthy's novels, filmed in Croatia in May and June 2026. British producer Mammoth Screen worked with Croatia's MP Film Production.
Opatija stood in for the French Riviera of the late 19th century. The shoot also covered the Kvarner region, Istria and Zagreb.
The production was reported to generate over 4,200 overnight stays and employ around 300 local extras and film workers. It qualified for Croatia's cash rebate.
The point for producers: Opatija's villas, parks and seafront were built in the same era and style as the Riviera's. The period is already there.
Snake Island: Zagreb as a city at war
In August 2026, Adrien Brody and Sean Penn were filming in central Zagreb for Snake Island, a thriller directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow).
The production shot at the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel and dressed parts of Mihanovićeva Street with sandbags, barricades and extras in uniform. After Zagreb, the unit moved to the coast and wrapped in Pula in early September. Croatia accounted for 19 shooting days.
Zagreb's Austro-Hungarian streets and grand hotels give a production a credible Central European city. That makes it a practical double for Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Munich and others.
A track record that goes back
These productions join a longer list. Croatia has hosted:
- Game of Thrones (HBO): Dubrovnik, Split, Šibenik and more
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Dubrovnik
- Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: the island of Vis, standing in for a Greek island
- Succession: part of season two
- Robin Hood (2018)
- The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021)
- Ballerina
What Croatia offers productions
Locations that double. Istria's hills for the Italian countryside. Coastal towns for the Riviera, Italy or Spain. Zagreb for Vienna, Prague or Munich.
A 25% cash rebate, plus 5% in less-developed regions, run by HAVC on a first-come, first-served basis. Advertising is not eligible. Commercials still shoot here for the locations and crews. We serviced Waterdrop's "House of Hydration" spot in Croatia, directed by Alex Brown through Unit9 Films.
Experienced, English-speaking crews. When a production needs more scale, we bring in crew and equipment from our Hungary base.
Easy access. EU member state, direct flights into Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik, and a motorway linking the capital to the coast.
Planning a shoot in Croatia
Recent productions used Croatia as the French Riviera, and as a Central European city under siege. That range is the reason to look at it.
We service productions across Croatia, alongside our operations in Hungary and Bulgaria. For an overview for Croatia specifically, visit our Croatia page.