Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy film at an active volcano for their action-adventure comedy Sacrifice

Chris Evans stars in the new action-adventure comedy Sacrifice, which was filmed on the slopes of an active volcano. The film pairs Evans with Anya Taylor-Joy under the direction of Romain Gavras. The project blends large-scale set pieces with comedy and had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025.

The production took place in Greece, where much of the shoot unfolded around volcanic island settings. Evans and Taylor-Joy also served as executive producers on the film.

The premise of Sacrifice combines action with satire. Evans plays Mike, a movie star facing a crisis after his father’s death. He is drawn into the orbit of Joan, a radical cult leader played by Taylor-Joy, who believes he must be sacrificed to stop a volcanic eruption.

The film uses the volcano as both a backdrop and the central theme. Filming lasted ten weeks across Greece and Bulgaria, with scenes shot in caves, caverns, and atop volcanic slopes. The film is scheduled to release in the United States on October 10, 2025, following its film festival debut.

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Chris Evans films on location at a volcano in Greece

Chris Evans attends the premiere of Sacrifice during TIFF 2025 (Image via Getty)

The filming of Sacrifice took place on the island of Santorini in Greece. Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy reportedly began many of their days hiking up the side of the volcano before shooting.

Evans described the experience and view to Variety on September 6, 2025.

“You’re just looking around at the majesty of the world. It’s easy to completely lose yourself, as you would if there weren’t a film crew capturing your every move,” he said.

Taylor-Joy explained that filming outdoors eased her anxieties, telling the outlet that being surrounded by natural landscapes gave her peace and perspective.

The volcano was not only a dramatic location but also central to the film’s allegory. Evans described it as representing transformation and surrender.

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Chris Evans leads the cast in Sacrifice

(L-R) Yung Lean, Jade Croot, Sam Richardson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Walak, and Chris Evans attend the premiere of Sacrifice during TIFF 2025 (Image via Getty)

Chris Evans plays Mike, a Hollywood actor caught between ego and survival. His role is shaped by themes of identity and transformation. Anya Taylor-Joy portrays Joan, whose belief system drives the story forward.

Evans told Variety in the September 6 interview that Mike was outwardly successful but destabilized after his father’s death, which left him unrecognizable to himself. Taylor-Joy explained that the script helped her channel her climate change anxieties into art as a way of release.

The ensemble cast of Sacrifice includes Vincent Cassel as the billionaire host, Salma Hayek Pinault as his wife, Sam Richardson as Mike’s agent, and John Malkovich as Joan’s father. Charli XCX and Ambika Mod also appear in a performance sequence centered on climate change. Shooting on location allowed Gavras to stage both intimate and large-scale moments with the cast.

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Sacrifice premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025. Both Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy reflected on the project as transformative. The U.S. release date is set for October 10, 2025, with international rollout to follow.