Film Fact: Bulgaria

With all those ageing action stars vying for attention, and given that it was mostly filmed at the Nu Boyana Film studio in Sofia, “The Expendables 2” might have been a prime contender for Bulgaria's annual Golden Chest Awards. However, as no Bulgarian action stars were cast, it wouldn't have been eligible. Though the production did aim to please: Nu Boyana re-furbished an 114-metre bridge from left over concrete columns in the Osam River, AND generously announced the bridge would remain standing as a gift to Bulgaria (cheaper than tearing it down, right?). Meanwhile, a stuntman died during production, and environmentalists were upset that an excessive number of dead bats were found in the Devetashka Cave after production wrapped. The target audience were too busy salivating over local talent like Antoaneta Yordanova to be know about bats, dead stuntmen or how to find Bulgaria on a map.