Apex on Netflix Was Filmed in Some of Australia’s Most Brutal Landscapes — and It Shows Every Frame

When a survival thriller promises raw, visceral tension, the setting needs to earn every second of it. Netflix’s Apex — now streaming globally — didn’t build a fake jungle on a soundstage. Director Baltasar Kormákur took cast and crew deep into the genuinely unforgiving wilds of New South Wales, and the result is one of 2026’s most visually arresting action films.

Here’s everything you need to know about where and how Apex was made.

What Is Apex About?

Apex is a 2026 survival action thriller directed by Baltasar Kormákur and written by Jeremy Robbins. It stars Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana. The story follows a rock climber who, grieving after the death of her partner, finds herself being hunted by a serial killer in the Australian wilderness as she battles to survive — not just physically, but emotionally. Wikipedia

Theron herself described it as a story about survival, not just physically but emotionally, and about finding out what you’re made of. Netflix Tudum

Apex Production at a Glance

Where Was Apex Filmed?

Blue Mountains National Park — The Heart of the Film

Apex’s main location shooting took place in the Blue Mountains National Park, a few hours from Sydney. Well known for its dramatic sandstone cliffs, thick forests, and cave systems, it served as the backdrop for several major sequences. Some scenes pushed the production to genuine extremes — the cast and crew filmed pivotal sequences in caves that they could only access by swimming in and then hiking barefoot over rough terrain.

New South Wales — A Landscape That Acts

Most of Apex was shot across different parts of New South Wales, including Glenbrook Gorge and Royal National Park, with Sydney serving as the main base of operations. The diverse natural features of the region allowed filmmakers to create a visually dynamic and ever-changing setting that mirrors the characters’ escalating difficulties.

Ausfilm International confirmed on Instagram that the film was also partly filmed at Disney Studios Australia, where controlled studio sets complemented the extensive location work.

Norway — The Opening Scene

Trollveggen in Western Norway — reportedly Europe’s tallest vertical rock face and a location previously used in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning — was used for the film’s dramatic opening climbing sequences. PRIMETIMER

Why Australia? Kormákur Explains

Director Kormákur, who has previously shot in extreme environments for Everest and Adrift, praised New South Wales extensively, saying the unrivalled landscape, studio facilities, and talented crews were a significant boon to the production. He also acknowledged the support of the NSW government and the Australian Government’s Location Offset.

The choice paid off. The Blue Mountains — a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site covering over one million hectares of ancient sandstone plateaus, deep gorges, and eucalypt forest — gives Apex a scale and authenticity that no studio set could replicate.

For more streaming film reviews, Netflix originals coverage, and entertainment updates, check out our Hollywood and OTT section on Technosports and our best Netflix films to watch in 2026.

FAQs