Brad Pitt expected on Hydra for filming

According to the mayor of the island, George Koukoudakis, who announced the news on Thursday, January 29, on "Happy Day", the Hollywood star is set to be in Hydra in late February to mid-March.

Initially, the mayor of Hydra stressed that the island has a historical past as a location for film productions, saying: "We know that the filming of this international production entitled "The Riders" will take place in late February to mid-March. We have information that Brad Pitt will come to the island, from information that has reached us. We are particularly happy because the first Hollywood production in Greece, Sophia Loren – The Child and the Dolphin, was filmed on our island in 1957. It is no coincidence that the unique natural directing environment that Hydra offers was chosen again.”

He then added that they expect a few hundred people from the film production to come to Hydra and commented that a meeting will soon be held with the film’s representatives to determine what help and support the Municipality will provide. As the mayor said: “We are expecting a few hundred people from the production. A meeting will soon be held with the film’s representatives to determine the Municipality’s contribution, because as you understand, we are a small island and we want to facilitate the production with the means and good will we have, as Hydra loves culture.”

The upcoming film is an adaptation of Tim Whedon's novel "The Riders." It is directed by Edward Berger, with a screenplay by David Kaganich, and produced by Scott Free, Plan B, and A24. Pitt will star, while the cast includes Julianne Nicholson and Coco Greenstone. Filming will take place on location in Europe.

The book's plot

In the book's plot, Fred Scully, an Australian who has settled in Ireland, renovates an old farmhouse with the intention of starting a new life in Europe with his wife Jennifer and their young daughter, Billie. When Jennifer travels back to Australia to liquidate their fortune, everything seems to be going smoothly.

However, her return does not go as expected. Only Billy arrives home, traumatized and in shock, without her mother. Jennifer has disappeared, without explanation or trace. Scully, refusing to accept abandonment, embarks on a journey through various European countries in search of his wife. This journey gradually turns into an internal descent: the search for Jennifer reveals cracks in the marriage itself, in Scully's personality and in the image he had of himself and his family.