Director Peter Berg recently discussed the production difficulties he encountered while filming “The Mosquito Bowl,” a war drama based on Buzz Bissinger’s book about four college football players who serve in the Marines during World War II. The film stars Tom Francis, Nicholas Galitzine, Ray Nicholson and Bill Skarsgård as the four leads and was shot on location in Queensland, Australia.
Berg recounted how a particular scene involving actor Ray Nicholson and a parrot in the jungle became his most challenging moment on set. The scene was inspired by an anecdote from Bissinger’s source material, in which one of the characters sends his parents photographs of a parrot perched on his shoulder. To bring this detail to the screen, Berg’s team had to locate a suitable bird in a remote part of Australia.
Producer Alex Gayner took charge of finding the parrot, allowing Berg to continue directing other scenes. When the bird finally arrived on set the following day, it came accompanied by four professional handlers who maintained strict control over the animal and its safety. Berg explained that the handlers took charge during filming, directing Nicholson through silent hand signals to avoid disturbing the parrot. However, when Berg called for the cameras to roll, the supposedly clipped parrot took flight and disappeared into a nearby 100-foot tree.
Berg recalled his immediate panic, joking about potential headlines accusing him of losing the animal. The production team spent several hours retrieving the bird from the tree before securing it with a string attached to its leg, allowing the scene to finally be completed. Despite the complications, Berg praised Nicholson’s professionalism throughout the ordeal.
“The Mosquito Bowl” is currently in theaters and will debut on Netflix on Nov. 25.
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