When the producers of the shark thriller “The Black Demon” decided to make a sequel, doing it in Colombia was a no-brainer. Mucho Más Media, directed by Javier Chapa, had already filmed three other films in the country with the local production company Jaguar Bite.

The first movie they filmed in Colombia, the golf drama “The Long Game,” was set in Texas, the second, “Rosario,” in New York, and the third, the biopic “Jenni,” in Long Beach, California. “That says a lot right there,” Chapa says.

He credits his “The Black Demon” production designer, Carlos Osorio, a Colombian, for introducing him to Jaguar Bite. “We connected quickly with [Jaguar Bite execs] Simón Beltrán and JP Solano, and the rest of the Jaguar Bite team. And after that, it made a lot of sense to keep doing it.”

“Not only are they incredible partners, but over time we have developed a real relationship with them. They have also become great friends and there is a deep level of trust between us. That’s why we really keep coming back.”

In the sequel, “The Black Demon: Atlantis,” the Megalodon returns “faster, fiercer and deadlier than ever” to a fortress-like prison island known as Atlantis, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It follows Jerry Simms (played by Jack Kesy), an undercover DEA agent who enters the maximum security prison after a fellow agent goes missing while investigating a series of inmate deaths. These are linked to Diego Núñez (Harold Torres), the prison’s most feared convict, whose cult influence is fueled by rumors of ancient powers.

As mutilated bodies pile up and rumors of blood rituals spread, the prison descends into chaos. With only Chato (Julio César Cedillo) as an ally, a tormented inmate who knows the darkest secrets of Atlantis, Jerry must fight to survive when the legendary Black Demon rises from the depths, transforming the prison into a brutal nightmare.

Making “The Black Demon: Atlantis” involved building a giant water tank in a warehouse and involved seven weeks of preparation and a 27-day shoot, which wrapped on July 1. All of this was done in Bogotá, which at 8,600 feet makes it the third highest capital in the world.

“There was a set in a TransMilenio [underground facility] and another in a warehouse. We built several sets, both small and large, so it was really a combination of different sets and practical locations. The director opted for a very brutalist look and Carlos [Osorio]along with our location manager and art director, they found some great locations that matched the sets we were building. From there we reverse engineered everything. Carlos and his right-hand man, Charlie, also created some great artwork, so we had a pretty good idea of ​​what this prison scene in the middle of the ocean would look like.”

The sequel is the directorial debut of Colombian Carmen Cabana, a cinematographer whose notable credits include the series “Resident Evil,” “Ms. Marvel” and Mucho Más Media’s “Narcos” and “Rosario.” The rest of the crew, including the department heads, were also Colombians.

“She’s a very accomplished and talented cinematographer. We had been trying to find something to do together. And she’s a big lover of the horror genre and loves shark movies, so when the opportunity came up, she was the first person that came to mind.” Chapa relates.

“We have an incredible relationship with Carmen, based on friendship and a lot of trust. It is also very important for us to give first-time filmmakers an opportunity, especially Latinos.”

“Every film has its challenges; you can always use more days. On this one, the biggest challenge was obviously the amount of water work. There were a lot of stunts and special effects, so when you put all those variables together, you’re faced with something that can be quite challenging. Then there were the practical considerations, like keeping the water tanks warm for the cast and crew.”

Dealing with altitude sickness wasn’t too big of a problem. They drank a lot of coca tea, as suggested, and acclimatized fairly quickly, he says.

“It’s been a great shoot overall. The biggest thing for us was safety, obviously, especially when you’re working in these conditions with water, special effects and stunts. We had an incredible security team, and Jaguar does a great job of hiring local crews that really understand production planning and safety needs and how to ensure our cast and crew are safe on these sets.”

“Buyers really want good things, fast and cheaper, so Colombia becomes a very compelling proposition; the numbers really are clear. But the most important thing is that human capital makes a lot of sense in Colombia. The teams on both sides of the camera are incredible, and the craftsmen there are really talented. And you know, as they say in my place in Texas, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

“Colombia has a lot of texture, it has real atmospheres that don’t feel generic and that’s important for a movie like this because you’re really trying to build a world. It’s not just a shark in the water, it’s a prison, it’s mythology, it’s danger… a whole environment that really needs to feel alive.”

The producers alongside Chapa are Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier and Caleb Ward. Robert Muñoz, Kristopher Wynne, Beltrán and Solano are executive producers.

Highland Film Group is handling worldwide sales and the plan is for a theatrical release before hitting a streaming platform. The original is streaming on Prime Video, where it held the number one spot for its first week.