Because nothing says “method acting” like literally hiking up an active volcano every morning for your day job, Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy spent their Sacrifice movie shoot in Santorini basically tempting fate. Director Romain Gavras (Athena) somehow convinced these A-listers that the best way to film his satirical thriller was to actually climb a semi-active volcano. Daily. For ten weeks.
Volcano Madness
“You’re just looking around at the majesty of the world,” Evans told Variety about those panoramic volcano views. “It’s easy to completely lose yourself, as you would if there weren’t a film crew capturing your every move.” The Sacrifice movie follows Evans as a washed-up movie star experiencing existential crisis when Taylor-Joy’s eco-terrorist cult leader decides he’s perfect sacrifice material to prevent volcanic eruption.
Written by Gavras and Succession scribe Will Arbery, this Iconoclast production filmed across Greece, Bulgaria, and Iceland from November 2024 to December 2024. The premise? Taylor-Joy’s Joan leads mystical disciples who hijack a charity gala, kidnapping Evans, Vincent Cassel (the world’s richest man), and Ambika Mod (unlucky bystander) for their prophecy-fulfilling sacrifice mission.
Real Danger
Taylor-Joy admitted the Sacrifice movie script arrived during her climate anxiety phase. “I was becoming a real bummer at parties,” she revealed at TIFF. “And the script came by and I realized, like, ‘Oh, this is what you do with big feelings. You go away and you make art about it.'” The Queen’s Gambit star texted Gavras volcano and falling emojis the day after their meeting—clearly the subtlest way to say “I’m in.”
The cast also includes Salma Hayek, John Malkovich, Charli XCX, and Sam Richardson. Brendan Fraser was originally cast but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, with Vincent Cassel replacing him. Because apparently even Fraser draws the line at volcano climbing.
Practical Filmmaking
Gavras insisted on practical locations over VFX, which meant donkeys transported equipment up the volcano since vehicles weren’t permitted. “Robert and I would review the budget and think, ‘That’s a hefty sum for donkeys!'” producer Jacob Perlin recalled. The crew filmed in marble quarries with 400 extras for charity gala sequences, while Charli XCX flew in for two days to perform as “Mother Nature.”
The Sacrifice movie world premiered at Toronto International Film Festival September 6, 2025, with CAA Media Finance and Rocket Science handling distribution. Co-financed by Mid March Media and Film4, with additional backing from Gucci, Head Gear Films, and Onassis Culture, this Greek-UK co-production proves independent filmmaking still embraces genuine risk-taking over safe studio formulas.