Liam Neeson is behind the wheel again. The Mongoose opens in cinemas on October 30, 2026 – a cross-country car chase thriller filmed almost entirely in Victoria, Australia, standing in for the American South and Southwest. It is Neeson’s third film in Victoria in four years.
The Mongoose is directed by Mark Vanselow – Neeson’s long-time stunt double making his feature directorial debut – and written by Thompson Evans. Produced by Code Entertainment and The Solution, with Al Corley and Bart Rosenblatt producing. Amazon sealed a major distribution deal at the Cannes Market. Neeson plays Ryan “Fang” Flanagan – a decorated war hero accused of a crime he did not commit, who leads police on an epic televised cross-country car chase from Kentucky to the American Southwest. His former Special Forces battalion may offer support. The cast includes Marisa Tomei, Ving Rhames and Michael Chiklis.
Principal photography took place across Melbourne and regional Victoria from early 2025, with the Victorian Screen Rebate and the Federal Government’s Location Offset supporting the production. On screen, Victoria’s diverse locations double for Kentucky, Arkansas, Afghanistan and even the Gulf of Mexico coast in Texas.
Melbourne and Bacchus Marsh Aerodrome
Within the Melbourne metropolitan area, filming took place across the CBD, North Melbourne, Kensington and Moorabbin – the city’s combination of industrial, residential and urban environments built the American city and suburban environments for the movie.
The Bacchus Marsh Aerodrome – approximately 55 kilometres west of Melbourne – served as a primary filming location, its flat rural Victorian landscape transformed into the American Southwest. Neeson performed his own action stunts on site alongside Ving Rhames for high-octane helicopter and vehicle sequences. Director Vanselow, producers Al Corley and Bart Rosenblatt and representatives from VicScreen visited the production here.
