The real city where Havoc was filmed: A filming locations guide
Posted by Ra Moon
Set in a fictional American metropolis, Havoc was surprisingly filmed in Cardiff and Swansea in South Wales, United Kingdom.
Although the city remains unnamed in the film, you may recognize elements reminiscent of major urban centers like Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York.
Starring Tom Hardy as a corrupt detective named Patrick Walker, the film is an homage to the criminal underworld of John Woo’s movies, blended with the brutal violence of the John Wick and Extraction films.
Here is our spoiler-free guide to all the filming locations of Havoc, listed in order of their first appearance.
Although the city remains unnamed in the film, you may recognize elements reminiscent of major urban centers like Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York.
Starring Tom Hardy as a corrupt detective named Patrick Walker, the film is an homage to the criminal underworld of John Woo’s movies, blended with the brutal violence of the John Wick and Extraction films.
Here is our spoiler-free guide to all the filming locations of Havoc, listed in order of their first appearance.
Where was Havoc filmed?
Walker’s father’s cabin was filmed in Candleston Woods, a 100-acre woodland area that’s part of the Merthyr Mawr Estate in South Wales.
A photo of the location, labelled as 'hidden forest structures,' can be found on the website of the Between the Trees Festival.
The Havoc city
As WalesOnline reported, the gritty convenience store where Walker did his last-minute Christmas shopping was filmed at a Swansea pub called Kon Tiki.
Primarily shot in 2021, Havoc's release was delayed multiple times due to cast scheduling conflicts, extensive reshoots, and the 2023 Hollywood strikes.
Director Gareth Evans also took extra time to refine the action and post-production, for a polished final release.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
The scene where Walker meets the city's mayor, Lawrence Beaumont (played by Forest Whitaker), was filmed at Brangwyn Hall in Swansea's Guildhall.
This concert venue, opened in 1934, features the monumental pipe organ seen in the background of the scene.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Nigel Davies - Map
Only one scene was technically filmed in the USA: an establishing shot of the snow-covered Havoc city, using stock footage from Philadelphia.
The camera flies over the Vine Street Expressway, with the Franklin Institute visible on the right.
Image courtesy of Google Maps
The bridge in the background of Raul’s scrapyard gives the impression that we’re in another American city: Los Angeles.
The graphic designers took inspiration from the Cesar E. Chavez Avenue Viaduct, built in 1926 and known for its Beaux-Arts and Art Deco elements.
However, these scenes were all filmed at the industrial Port of Cardiff.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Effelarr - Maps: Port of Cardiff / Viaduct
The exterior of the police department was filmed at Swansea Guildhall, which also houses Brangwyn Hall.
Completed in 1934, the complex has been used in several film and television productions, including episodes of Doctor Who and Sherlock.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
But once Walker walks through the door, the interior was filmed at a different location: the Pierhead Building in Cardiff.
This striking red-brick landmark, built in 1897 as the headquarters of a industrial company, now serves as a public exhibition and event space for the Welsh Parliament.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament - Map
The ambush scene was created using extensive CGI. As director Evans explained to Timeout, everything on the left is real, while everything on the right was pure VFX.
Though it’s hard to spot, the entire sequence was filmed on Afan Way at Swansea University Bay Campus.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
The Medusa Club’s street, with elevated trains curving around buildings and rumbling over intersections, evokes the Loop in downtown Chicago.
However, the entire exterior sequence was filmed on Bute Street in Cardiff, with the entrance located in Cory’s Building. Hard to tell, isn’t it?
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
Director Evans also told Slashfilm that the entire nightclub was built from scratch at Seren Stiwdios, formerly known as Pinewood Studios Wales.
This sequence was one of the most challenging due to its multi-level setting, intense fight choreography, complex camera work, and the need for realism.
It took about three weeks to shoot and pushed Tom Hardy physically, especially in the heavy summer heat
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
Baglan Bay Train Station near Port Talbot was used to film the scenes set in the railroad yard.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
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Ra Moon
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