What Movies Were Filmed in Morocco?
For more than a century, Morocco has been one of the world's most popular filming destinations. The country's diverse landscapes, historic architecture, warm light, and experienced film crews have att
What Movies Were Filmed in Morocco? The Ultimate Guide to the Hollywood of Africa
Have you ever watched a famous Hollywood movie with huge desert landscapes, ancient cities, or impressive mountain scenery and wondered where it was filmed?
There is a good chance that some of those scenes were filmed in Morocco.
For more than a century, Morocco has been one of the world's most popular filming destinations. The country's diverse landscapes, historic architecture, warm light, and experienced film crews have attracted many famous directors and production companies.
From the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains to ancient kasbahs, historic medinas, and Atlantic coastal cities, Morocco has been used as the setting for many famous films and TV series. On screen, Moroccan locations have represented places such as ancient Rome, Egypt, Jerusalem, Somalia, and other parts of the world.
Some of the biggest names in cinema, including Ridley Scott, Martin Scorsese, and Christopher Nolan, have filmed productions in Morocco.
In this guide, you will discover some of the most famous movies filmed in Morocco, the best Morocco movie locations you can visit, and why Ouarzazate is known as the Hollywood of Africa.
Why Is Morocco So Popular for Movie Directors?
Why do Hollywood filmmakers choose Morocco instead of building computer-generated (CGI) sets or filming elsewhere?
- Incredible Natural Light: Morocco enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine each year. The warm, golden desert light gives films a rich, cinematic look that can be difficult to recreate in a studio.
- Diverse Landscapes: Within a few hours' drive, filmmakers can travel from the snow-capped Atlas Mountains to the golden dunes of the Sahara Desert, lush palm oases, and Atlantic Ocean beaches.
- Preserved Ancient Architecture: Morocco is home to centuries-old fortified villages (kasbahs), clay towers, and maze-like medinas that look like real historical film sets.
- Atlas Film Studios: Located in Ouarzazate, this is the largest movie studio in the world by land area (over 320,000 square meters). It provides permanent film sets, modern equipment, and highly skilled local craftspeople.
- Experienced Local Crews: Moroccan film crews are well known in the movie industry for building large, realistic sets using plaster, wood, and clay in a short time.
Master Table: Famous Movies & Series Filmed in Morocco
Here is a quick overview of the most famous Hollywood blockbusters and television shows shot in Morocco:
| Movie / Show Title | Release Year | Filming Locations in Morocco | Setting Represented on Screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gladiator & Gladiator II | 2000 / 2024 | Ait Benhaddou & Ouarzazate | Ancient Roman province of Zucchabar |
| Game of Thrones (TV Show) | 2013 (Season 3) | Essaouira & Ait Benhaddou | Astapor (Slaver's Bay) & Yunkai |
| The Mummy | 1999 | Erfoud (Sahara) & Marrakech | Hamunaptra (City of the Dead) & Cairo |
| Inception | 2010 | Tangier (Grand Socco Medina) | Mombasa, Kenya |
| John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | 2019 | Essaouira & Merzouga Dunes | Casablanca Continental & Sahara Desert |
| Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation | 2015 | Casablanca, Rabat & Marrakech | High-speed car and motorbike chase |
| Kingdom of Heaven | 2005 | Ouarzazate & Atlas Studios | 12th-century Jerusalem |
| Black Hawk Down | 2001 | Salé & Rabat | Mogadishu, Somalia (1993 Battle) |
| Spectre (James Bond 007) | 2015 | Tangier & Erfoud Desert | Blofeld's secret desert crater lair |
| Lawrence of Arabia | 1962 | Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate & Agadir | Arabian Desert during World War I |
| American Sniper | 2014 | Rabat & Salé | War-torn Iraqi cities |
| Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time | 2010 | Marrakech, Oukaimeden & Merzouga | Ancient mythical Persia |
Detailed Breakdown of Top Movies Shot in Morocco
Let us take a closer look at some of the most famous movies and TV series ever filmed across Morocco.
1. Gladiator (2000) and Gladiator II (2024)
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Stars: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington
- Filming Location: Ait Benhaddou & Ouarzazate
When Ridley Scott needed an authentic, sun-baked arena for the first Gladiator movie, his production team built a full Roman gladiator arena out of local clay just outside the ancient fortified village of Ait Benhaddou. This is where Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) is bought as a slave and fights his first arena battles.
More than twenty years later, Ridley Scott returned to Ouarzazate to film Gladiator II (2024), once again turning the red-earth valleys of southern Morocco into the Roman Empire.
2. Game of Thrones (HBO Series)
- Creators: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
- Stars: Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage
- Filming Locations: Essaouira & Ait Benhaddou
In Season 3 of the world-famous HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, Morocco served as a key filming location across Essos:
- Essaouira (Astapor): The historic ocean wall of Essaouira (Skala de la Ville) stood in for the slave-trading city of Astapor. This is where Daenerys Targaryen buys the Unsullied army and orders her dragon to unleash fire on the slave master with the command "Dracarys!"
- Ait Benhaddou (Yunkai): The red-clay village was used as the Yellow City of Yunkai, which Daenerys liberates in the Season 3 finale.
3. The Mummy (1999)
- Director: Stephen Sommers
- Stars: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz
- Filming Location: Erfoud (Sahara Desert) & Marrakech
Although the movie is set in Egypt, The Mummy was almost entirely filmed in Morocco. The crew could not shoot in Egypt due to political and safety concerns at the time.
The lost city of Hamunaptra (The City of the Dead) was built inside an extinct volcanic crater near the desert town of Erfoud, close to the Merzouga sand dunes. The production team faced real desert sandstorms, extreme 50°C heat, and deadly snakes during filming.
4. Inception (2010)
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy
- Filming Location: Tangier (Grand Socco & Medina)
In Christopher Nolan's mind-bending sci-fi hit Inception, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) travels to Mombasa, Kenya, to hire an identity forger named Eames (Tom Hardy).
In reality, these chase scenes were filmed through the winding, colorful alleys and tea houses of the Grand Socco in Tangier. Leonardo DiCaprio sprints through crowded Moroccan markets while avoiding mysterious agents in one of the film's best action sequences.
5. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
- Director: Chad Stahelski
- Stars: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry
- Filming Locations: Essaouira & Erg Chebbi Dunes (Merzouga)
In the third chapter of the John Wick franchise, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) travels to Morocco to find Sofia (Halle Berry) and meet "The Elder," the head of the High Table.
The dramatic shootout scene took place inside the ancient medina of Essaouira. Afterward, John Wick is seen walking through the towering golden sand dunes of Merzouga in the Sahara Desert until he collapses from dehydration.
6. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
- Director: Christopher McQuarrie
- Stars: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson
- Filming Locations: Casablanca, Rabat & Marrakech
Tom Cruise is famous for doing his own stunts, and he brought his adrenaline-packed action to Morocco in Rogue Nation.
The film features a heart-pounding car and BMW motorcycle chase through the narrow streets of the Kasbah of the Udayas in Rabat, along the Atlantic coast, and across the modern highways outside Marrakech. The historic Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is also featured prominently.
7. Black Hawk Down (2001) & American Sniper (2014)
- Directors: Ridley Scott / Clint Eastwood
- Stars: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor / Bradley Cooper
- Filming Location: Salé & Rabat
Because modern film crews cannot shoot war movies in active conflict zones, Morocco regularly doubles as the Middle East and East Africa:
- In Black Hawk Down, the coastal city of Salé was transformed into 1993 Mogadishu, Somalia.
- In American Sniper, Clint Eastwood transformed neighborhoods in Rabat and Salé into war-torn Iraqi city streets.
Top 5 Famous Movie Locations You Can Visit in Morocco
If you love cinema and are planning a trip to Morocco, here are the top 5 movie spots you must add to your travel itinerary:
| Movie Location | Famous Films & Shows Shot Here |
|---|---|
| 1. Ait Benhaddou | Gladiator, Game of Thrones, The Mummy, Lawrence of Arabia |
| 2. Atlas Film Studios | Kingdom of Heaven, Cleopatra, Ben-Hur, Kundun |
| 3. Essaouira Ramparts | Game of Thrones (Astapor), John Wick: Chapter 3, Othello |
| 4. Tangier Old Medina | Inception, The Bourne Ultimatum, Spectre (007) |
| 5. Erg Chebbi Dunes (Merzouga) | The Mummy, Star Wars, Spectre (007) |
1. Ait Benhaddou (Near Ouarzazate)
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is made from red earth and straw. It is one of the most photographed film locations in Morocco. You can walk across the riverbed, climb to the top of the granary tower, and explore the same archways where Maximus Decimus fought his battles.
2. Atlas Film Studios (Ouarzazate)
Known as the Hollywood of Morocco, Atlas Film Studios sits just 5 km outside Ouarzazate. For a small entry ticket of about €8 (80 MAD), a local guide can take you through massive preserved film sets, including:
- Ancient Egyptian palaces with giant Pharaoh statues
- Roman fighting arenas
- Medieval biblical castles
- Tibetan temples built for Martin Scorsese's Kundun
3. The Sea Ramparts of Essaouira
Walk along the historic stone ramparts (Skala de la Ville) with their collection of antique bronze Spanish cannons. Look out over the crashing Atlantic waves and stand where Daenerys Targaryen stood in Game of Thrones.
4. The Narrow Alleys of Tangier
Wander through the Grand Socco and Petit Socco in Tangier. Visit the historic cafés where international spies, artists, and movie directors once drank mint tea. You can retrace Jason Bourne's footsteps from The Bourne Ultimatum or follow Cobb's chase in Inception.
5. Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes (Merzouga)
Ride a camel into the 150-meter-high golden sand dunes of the Sahara Desert. This vast, ocean-like landscape has served as a backdrop for many desert adventure films, science fiction movies, and spy blockbusters.
Practical Guide: Visiting Film Sets in Morocco
| Location | Closest City | Entry Fee (Approx.) | Best Time to Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ait Benhaddou | Ouarzazate (30 mins) | Free (Optional local guide €10) | Early morning or sunset |
| Atlas Film Studios | Ouarzazate (5 km) | €8 / 80 MAD per person | Year-round (Open daily 8:30 AM – 6 PM) |
| CLA Studios (Kingdom of Heaven set) | Ouarzazate | €10 / 100 MAD per person | Morning before midday heat |
| Essaouira Skala Ramparts | Essaouira | €5 / 50 MAD per person | 1 hour before sunset |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Was the classic 1942 movie Casablanca filmed in Morocco?
No! Despite its famous name, the classic 1942 romance movie Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, was filmed almost entirely inside Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, California. Humphrey Bogart never set foot in Morocco during filming. However, in 2004, a real-life replica of "Rick's Café" was built in Casablanca, Morocco, where tourists can enjoy live jazz music and dinner today.
What is the "Hollywood of Africa"?
Ouarzazate is nicknamed the Hollywood of Africa (or "Ouallywood"). It is a desert town located at the edge of the Sahara Desert in southern Morocco, famous for hosting Atlas Studios and dozens of major international film productions.
Can regular tourists visit Atlas Film Studios?
Yes! Atlas Film Studios is open to the public. You can take a 45-minute guided walking tour with an English-speaking guide who will show you the real sets from Gladiator, The Mummy, Cleopatra, and Kingdom of Heaven.
Were Star Wars movies filmed in Morocco?
While neighboring Tunisia was the main filming location for the desert planet Tatooine in the original Star Wars films, parts of the Star Wars franchise and surrounding sci-fi productions have filmed desert and canyon scenes in Morocco's Sahara region near Erfoud and Merzouga.
Final Thoughts: Experience Movie Magic in Morocco
Morocco is not just a holiday destination—it is a living, breathing movie set.
Whether you want to explore the fortress walls of Gladiator at Ait Benhaddou, stand where Daenerys unleashed her dragons in Game of Thrones at Essaouira, or ride a camel across the desert like Lawrence of Arabia, Morocco lets you step into the world of your favorite films.
If you are planning your next trip, make sure to add Ouarzazate, Ait Benhaddou, and Essaouira to your Moroccan itinerary for an unforgettable Hollywood adventure Contact us!
