The 2026 movie Mayday is an action, adventure, comedy, and thriller film directed and written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. The movie stars Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Marcin Dorociński, Maria Bakalova, and David Morse.
The story follows a U.S. Navy pilot whose secret mission over Soviet territory goes wrong. He crash-lands in the Russian wilderness and must find a way to survive. Along the way, he meets a former KGB agent, and the two form an unexpected friendship.
Here is everything you need to know about the filming locations, filming dates, story, cast, and trailer of Mayday.
Mayday follows Lieutenant Troy Kelly, an American pilot sent on a secret mission over Soviet airspace during the Cold War. When his mission goes wrong, Troy is forced to eject from his aircraft and becomes stranded behind enemy lines.
He is later found by Nikolai Ustinov, a former KGB agent. The two men come from very different sides of the Cold War, but they soon have to work together to survive. Their journey mixes action, danger, and comedy as they look for a way to safety.
Mayday was released on September 4, 2026, by Apple TV.
Table of Contents
When and Where Was Mayday Filmed?
| Film Name | Mayday |
|---|---|
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Comedy, Thriller |
| Filming Locations | Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Budapest, Hungary |
| Filming Dates | March 11, 2024 – June 19, 2024 |
| Cinematography by | Barry Peterson |
| Release Date | September 4, 2026 |
According to the IMDB, The filming of Mayday took place mainly in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Budapest, Hungary. The production also used studio facilities at Korda Studios in Hungary.
Principal photography began in Montreal on March 4, 2024, under the working title Blackbird. The main Montreal shoot wrapped on May 8, while the final stage of filming took place in Budapest. Production records list the wider filming period as running into June 2024.
Although the story is set partly in Soviet Russia during the Cold War, the filmmakers did not need to film in Russia. Montreal and Hungarian locations were used to recreate the look of 1980s Soviet locations.
📍Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Montreal was one of the main filming locations for Mayday. The city provided streets, buildings, outdoor areas, and production spaces that could be changed to look like locations from the Cold War era.
The filmmakers used Montreal to create parts of the Soviet setting seen in the movie. The city’s architecture and surrounding landscapes helped the production create a believable Eastern European look without filming in Russia. Some interior scenes were also created as controlled sets, giving the crew more freedom with lighting and camera work.
Montreal also served as an important production base during the early part of filming.
📍Budapest, Hungary
Budapest was another major filming location for Mayday. The city offered large streets, historic buildings, and impressive public spaces that could be dressed to look like Cold War-era Soviet locations.
One of the most notable sequences was filmed around Heroes’ Square, which was transformed to represent Moscow’s Red Square. The production used military vehicles, period decorations, and a large number of extras to create the scale of a Soviet military event.
Budapest helped the filmmakers give the movie a much larger international feel while keeping the production in a location that could be carefully controlled.
📍 Korda Studios, Hungary
Korda Studios in Hungary was also used during the filming of Mayday. The studio gave the production a controlled space for scenes that were difficult to film on real streets or in public locations.
Some of the movie’s interior environments were created as sets. This included locations connected to Nikolai Ustinov’s cabin and other important parts of the story.
Using a studio allowed the filmmakers to control the lighting, camera movement, set design, and action. It also helped the production recreate the look of the 1980s without having to find a real location for every scene.
Location 4: Heroes’ Square, Budapest
Heroes’ Square became one of the most interesting real-world locations used for Mayday. The famous Budapest landmark was changed to look like Red Square in Moscow during the Cold War.
The production brought in military vehicles and many extras to create a large May Day parade sequence. The location’s grand architecture helped give the scene the scale needed for the story.
The transformation shows how the movie used real places and production design to make modern Budapest look like Soviet-era Moscow.
📍Dunaújváros, Hungary
Additional filming took place in Dunaújváros, Hungary. The city’s industrial look was useful for the movie’s action scenes and helped the production create another version of a Soviet-era setting.
The production used parts of the city for large action sequences, including scenes involving military vehicles. The location gave the filmmakers enough space to stage these scenes in a practical way.
📍 Salgótarján, Hungary
Salgótarján was also used for additional action filming. Hungarian locations such as this helped the production create the look of Soviet territory while avoiding the need to shoot in Russia.
These locations added more variety to the movie’s visual style and helped make the fictional journey through Soviet territory feel larger.
📍Southern France
Some aerial material for Mayday was also captured in southern France. These shots helped create the movie’s flying sequences.
The production combined real aerial photography, physical aircraft elements, studio work, and visual effects to make the flight scenes feel more realistic.
Mayday Behind the Scenes
To make Mayday look like a Cold War story set in Soviet Russia, the filmmakers used a mix of real locations, studio sets, practical vehicles, and visual effects.
The production had to make modern locations look as though they belonged to the 1980s. This meant changing streets with period vehicles, signs, costumes, military equipment, and other details.
The aircraft scenes also required special work. Physical cockpit sections and aircraft replicas were used so the actors could perform inside a more realistic environment. These shots were then combined with aerial footage and visual effects.
The Budapest filming was especially large in scale. Heroes’ Square was transformed for a major Soviet military sequence, showing how much work went into making the movie’s fictional world look authentic.
Is There Any Trailer Available for Mayday?
Yes. The official trailer for Mayday was released by Apple TV on YouTube on July 14, 2026. The trailer introduces Ryan Reynolds as U.S. Navy pilot Troy Kelly and Kenneth Branagh as Nikolai Ustinov.
Watch the official trailer:–
Mayday was released on September 4, 2026, by Apple TV.
FAQs
Q1: Where was Mayday filmed?
A1: Mayday was mainly filmed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and Budapest, Hungary. The production also used Korda Studios and other Hungarian locations for different scenes.
Q2: Was Mayday filmed in Russia?
A2: No. Although Mayday is set partly in Soviet Russia, the movie was filmed mainly in Canada and Hungary. Additional aerial work was also done in southern France.
Q3: What scenes were filmed in Budapest?
A3: Budapest was used for several large-scale Soviet-era scenes. Heroes’ Square was transformed to look like Moscow’s Red Square for a major military and May Day parade sequence.
Q4: When did filming for Mayday begin?
A4: Principal photography for Mayday began in Montreal on March 4, 2024, under the working title Blackbird. The final stage of filming took place in Budapest.
Q5: When did Mayday filming end?
A5: The production information lists filming dates from March 11, 2024, to June 19, 2024. The main Montreal shoot wrapped earlier, with additional work taking place afterward.
Q6: Who stars in Mayday?
A6: Mayday stars Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Marcin Dorociński, Maria Bakalova, and David Morse.
Q7: Who directed Mayday?
A7: Mayday was directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who also wrote the screenplay.
Q8: Can you visit the Mayday filming locations?
A8: Some of the real filming locations in Montreal and Budapest are public places and can be visited. However, studio locations such as Korda Studios may have visitor restrictions, so it is best to check access rules before planning a visit.
Mayday used filming locations in Canada and Hungary to create its Cold War-era Soviet setting. Montreal provided a major production base, while Budapest and other Hungarian locations helped recreate the look of Soviet cities and large military scenes.
Korda Studios added controlled interior spaces, while additional aerial work helped bring the movie’s flight sequences to life. The result is a film that takes place across a much larger world than its actual filming locations suggest.
With Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh leading the cast, Mayday combines action, adventure, comedy, and Cold War survival elements. The movie was released on September 4, 2026, on Apple TV.
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