Image Courtesy of Disney+

MASTERY FILMS – FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY

A Shop for Killers 2: Another Korean Film Production in Thailand! Our role and the Film Production Services on the shoot for the critically acclaimed Disney+ Korean Series

When Disney+ greenlit the second season of A Shop for Killers, one of the platform's most-watched Korean originals, the team from Korea needed a top-tier production services partner in Thailand that could, not only ensure the success of their Korean Film Production in Thailand, but also deliver gritty, high-stakes locations, manage complex stunt sequences, and support a crew and cast of 60–80 people from Korea, all without missing a beat. We were very fortunate to be chosen as the Thailand Film Production Company to be a part of this journey.

As the line producer on the Thailand leg of the Korean Series, I was there from the first location scout to the final wrap day. Here's how it all came together.

As with all our international productions, Mastery Films provided full production services for the Thailand portion of A Shop for Killers 2. We handled everything from location scouting, film and location permits, work permits for the foreign crew, accommodations, craft and catering, art department, casting, wardrobe, and equipment including camera, lighting and grip. We also provided local stunts, action choreography, special effects, and rigging for the shoot. Given the nature of A Shop for Killers, these aspects were no small part of the job! As this was not our first rodeo, we were well equipped and prepared to handle the challenges of yet another Korean production filming in Thailand.

Korean Film Productions in Thailand have been our specialty, with the key crew in our production understanding the way the Korean film industry, crews, and cast operate. Our core team for the Thailand Unit included:

• Andrew Millet – Line Producer
• Ai Chanyanuch – Production Manager
• Ace Nawalakul – Production Coordinator
• Lenah Chantakarn – Production Designer

All our team was fortunate to have worked on previous on Koreans Productions in Thailand such as King the Land (Netflix, 2023), Love in the Big City Series (Netflix, 2024), Price of Confession (Netflix, 2025), Made In Korea (Disney+, 2025), and Typhoon Family (Netflix, 2025).

Overall though, we found the Korean Team to be extremely nice, accommodating, and friendly. The director and screenwriter of the series in particular, Lee Kwon, was a joy to work with. He was concise, organized and very friendly both on set, and in other settings as well which really brought a lot of positive energy to the project. What made this shoot particularly interesting for our team was that it represented the final shooting sequence of the entire Season 2 production—not chronologically in the story, but the last block of filming the Korean team completed. That meant we were wrapping up a long production cycle for them. There was pressure to finish strong, keep costs in check, and maintain the quality standard the show had set throughout. Happy to say, we managed to do all three!

A Shop for Killers 2 expands the geographical and thematic footprint of their mercenary underworld, which gives us a clear creative brief: gritty, dark, dangerous, and nothing remotely modern or glamorous. Building that world in Thailand started with the right locations, but it didn't end there. The thematics of the shoot extended to all creative departments including the Art Department, Cast, Wardrobe, SFX, etc.

Let’s get into the details:

Let’s first talk about the two main items to check off the to-do-list that were needed for this shoot—or any other international film production in Thailand for that matter.

One of the first things we did, and this is something that all shoots need when operating in Thailand, is to obtain a film permit through the Thailand Film Office (TFO). Thailand Film Permits can seem like a daunting task, but the reality of it is that it’s a seamless experience if you have a top film production company managing this for you. In fact, apart from the logistical and human resource infrastructures present, Thailand is regularly chosen as the filming destination for major international productions from all around the world due to its relatively smooth film permitting process, especially in comparison to the other countries in the region. 

Once you have your film permit, this opens the door for you to get work permits for your crew from abroad as well as any location permits you might need from other government agencies such as the National Parks Department, the Royal Forest Department, or street shooting permits with the relevant local authorities. You can learn more about this on the Thailand Film Office website. 

Apart from your Thailand Film Permit, the second most crucial thing to secure before anything is your Thailand Filming locations because, let’s face it: locations are everything when deciding where to film. This project was no exception. The filming locations in Thailand we presented for the shoot were deliberately chosen by the Director to serve the show's action-thriller aesthetic—raw, gritty, textured, and real. The director wasn't looking for anything polished or modern. He wanted places that felt lived-in, rough around the edges, and cinematically rich.

We’ll begin with the Bangkok Filming Locations. The shoot began with a single day of filming in Bangkok that included:

Image Courtesy of Disney+

What was the scale and structure of the film crew Mastery Films assembled for this Korean Film Production in Thailand? How did it affect the overall quality of the film production services?

On this Korean Film Production in Thailand, we were working with approximately 200 local crew members at peak across all departments for the film production services. The art department was quite sizable on this Korean Series by necessity as we were simultaneously setting locations, dressing them, and wrapping others, often in parallel. You can't afford to have the art team working sequentially when you're moving through multiple locations in a tight timeframe.

Aside from the variety of location and casting options available in Thailand, one thing that makes this place such a great shooting location is the Film Crews in Thailand. With Thailand being a magnet for film production from around the world, Thai Crews are incredibly experienced working with all the top film production companies in Thailand. They are internationally minded professionals who adapt quickly to the culture, methodology and requirements of other crews from different countries and different mindsets. One direct example I can think of is that Korean shoots tend to involve last-minute changes, improvisation on the day, and a fast pace. Our crews can handle that without blinking. 

When there are 3 languages simultaneously streaming throughout your shoot, Thai, Korean, and English, Communication is everything, this is another thing that will make or break your production. The way to run bilingual production efficiently is to have translators across every department—and the Korean producers on A Shop for Killers 2 understood this from the start. There were enough translators embedded throughout the crew that information flowed smoothly between the Korean team and our local departments. 

Another set of substantial departments were the camera, lighting and grip departments. Managing the logistics of that many people, vehicles, and pieces of equipment across jungle locations, city streets, and rural settings required meticulous planning and communication. We also had the standard large-scale transportation and production infrastructure: motorhomes, toilet trucks, cranes, and other significant transport requirements. Parking and basecamp space is always a challenge when you're operating at this scale, particularly in jungle settings where road access is limited and space is at a premium. 

A Shop for Killers is a show built on action, and Season 2 didn't hold back. The Thailand sequences included fight scenes, for example, there is a stunt where a character is thrown from a window—complete with a glass-shattering SFX sequence. The key to making action sequences work safely is preparation. Our stunt team was always briefed the day before on exactly what was required. The director was collaborative and realistic—he understood the resources we had on hand and didn't ask for what wasn't achievable. Every sequence was choreographed and pre-planned in close coordination between the Korean and Thai AD Departments, the stunt departments, and the SFX team.

We also provided prosthetics for one of the more visceral scenes—a fight in which a character's arm is severed. The prosthetics team did excellent work, and it's the kind of specialised service that not every production company can offer locally. Being able to supply that in-house meant the Korean team didn't have to source it separately.

As with any production involving stunts of this nature, we had a set medic on standby at all times, along with an ambulance on standby on all days where there was any action or higher than average risk of injury. Production insurance covering this level of risk was also essential—when you're breaking glass, running stunt sequences, and working with SFX, having the right coverage isn't optional. I'm pleased to say the entire stunt and action programme was completed without any major injuries.

The casting department also played a critical role. The extras and supporting cast needed to embody the aesthetic and thematic aspects of the shoot that the director desired. Getting the right people on set, in the right look, was essential to making the mercenary world feel credible.

In terms of the principal cast, I'll say this: Lee Dong-wook was an absolute pleasure to work with. He's a low-maintenance professional in the best possible sense. He knew what he needed, he communicated it clearly, and he was patient and collaborative throughout the shoot. With only the standard requirements being requested, he never made the production harder than it needed to be. Great guy!