Find Out Where Netflix’s New Holiday Movie 'Operation Christmas Drop' Was Filmed
If you haven't watched Operation Christmas Drop on Netflix yet...what are you waiting for?!
The streaming service's latest holiday movie is cheesy, romantic, and predictable in all the best ways. It tells the story of a Scrooge-like congressional aide named Erica (Kat Graham), who decides to skip her family's Christmas celebration. Instead, she observes the annual military operation that delivers donations and supplies to remote islands in need. This may sound like a festive job, but the real reason for her visit to the Andersen Air Force Base is to find a way to shut it down. Erica's mission is thwarted after she meets Captain Andrew Jantz (Alexander Ludwig), who helps her appreciate the year-round magic of his adopted home. (Spoiler alert: They fall in love!)
While the romance in Operation Christmas Drop is fictional, the Air Force tradition the movie was named after is totally real—and so is the location where it was filmed.
"There is no way to build an Air Force base for a movie—you just have to move onto one," director Martin Wood said in a statement to Stars and Stripes.
So, if you were wondering whether those sandy beaches and crystal clear waters actually exist—the answer is yes! Nearly the entire movie was shot on location at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, making it one of the first major Hollywood productions to film there.
The best part? Netflix got the whole island involved! Military spouses and other residents were hired to work as set decorators, production assistants, and extras, while the authentic Chamorro Village shown in the film was built by a local Chamorro chief. Producers even included Andersen service members' homes and businesses in the movie, like the base's beachside bar where sparks fly between Erica and Andrew.
Operation Christmas Drop's cast and crew were also allowed to use Air Force aircraft to film, and the Navy provided two helicopters and two ships "to portray an air-to-air sequence of travel to a distant island." How's that for authentic?!
"There is nothing faked and no green screen in Operation Christmas Drop," said producer Steve McGlothen. "If you see it, it actually happened."
Wow! 😎
