In February 2022, a hostage situation unfolded at an Apple Store location in Amsterdam when a gunman demanded a $227 million ransom in cryptocurrency. The hostage and other Apple Store visitors escaped the situation safely, while the gunman died from injuries sustained when he was hit by a police vehicle.
Netflix subsequently announced its plans to create a thriller based on the situation, called iHostage, which debuted this week.
As part of the production of iHostage, Netflix recreated the Amsterdam Apple Store from scratch – and has shared a behind-the-scenes video of what that process entailed.
In a video posted to YouTube this week, iHostage director Bobby Boermans shared the process of creating the Apple Store for the film. The development consisted of recreating the Apple Store in front of a large screen, where they digitally recreated the entire world outside of the Apple Store.
“Filming in an actual Apple Store wasn’t possible, so we reconstructed an authetic Apple Store to the actual scale. The floor space is the exact same size as the retail store. I don’t think this technique has been used on such a large scale in the Netherlands before, but it’s clearly the future. If we’ve done this right, the viewer won’t even notice.”
Here’s Netflix’s description of the movie:
iHostage is a gripping thriller inspired by the shocking 2022 hostage crisis at Amsterdam’s Apple Store. The film follows a Bulgarian man caught in a life-threatening ordeal as an armed assailant holds the building’s occupants hostage. Through the eyes of the attacker, the hostages, and the first responders, iHostage delivers a tense and emotional tale of courage, survival, and the lasting impact of terror.
You can watch the behind-the-scenes video below and a trailer for iHostage. The film is available to watch on Netflix and has already hit the top of the charts.
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