Sean Penn and Adrien Brody star in new thriller Snake Island about Ukrainian divers
Sean Penn (photo: Getty Images)
Sean Penn and Adrien Brody are filming the new political action thriller Snake Island in Croatia. The film is directed by Doug Liman and is being shot in central Zagreb, including around the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel and Mihanovićeva Street, according to Danas.
Where and how Snake Island is being filmed
Filming began in July, with the production transforming parts of central Zagreb into a movie set.
Barricades and sandbags were installed around the streets, while extras in Ukrainian military uniforms were used as part of the film's scenery.
Adrien Brody and Sean Penn were both spotted at the set near the Esplanade Hotel, along with director Doug Liman. The Croatian production is expected to involve 19 filming days, with the crew also moving to the coast near Pula.
What is the film about?
Snake Island is a political thriller inspired by the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The story follows a covert team of Ukrainian divers on a dangerous mission against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
The real-life circumstances surrounding the Nord Stream explosions remain the subject of international investigations and competing theories, so the film presents a fictionalized interpretation rather than an established account of what happened.
There is currently no announced release date for Snake Island.
Sean Penn and Adrien Brody on set in Croatia! Snake Island is new thriller by Doug Lyman on the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline during the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict. pic.twitter.com/drs5vi9mbQ
— Leslie (@mademoiselleles) August 10, 2026
What Snake Island will be about
The film is reportedly inspired by the September 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
At the center of the story is a covert team of Ukrainian divers, whose alleged involvement in the explosions has been investigated. However, the real circumstances and responsibility for the sabotage remain disputed and subject to ongoing investigations, so the movie should be viewed as a fictionalized interpretation rather than a definitive account of the events.
The film is directed by Doug Liman, known for The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Edge of Tomorrow. A release date has not yet been announced.
How Sean Penn and Adrien Brody have supported Ukraine
Both lead actors have previously expressed public support for Ukraine. Adrien Brody, in particular, recorded a video message for Ukrainians in March 2023, saying that he stood with people who had been experiencing the war for a long time.
Snake Island is currently being filmed in Croatia, with Penn and Brody recently spotted on set in Zagreb.
Since the full-scale Russian invasion began, Sean Penn has visited Ukraine several times. The actor has met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian military personnel and worked on a documentary about the war.
In March 2026, Penn returned to Kyiv. He even skipped the Oscars ceremony to travel to Ukraine, where he received his third Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in One Battle After Another.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sean Penn (photo: instagram.com/zelenskyy_official)
