Lights, Camera, Action! Visit Ouarzawood, the world’s largest film set in Morocco

Whether you loved or hated Gladiator II you can’t fail to be impressed by Ridley Scott’s efforts at recreating ancient Rome and the world of the Gladiators.

If you’re shooting a feature film with sandals, armour and shields (and we’re including Game of Thrones and the imaginary kingdom of Westeros in that), then there’s a good chance those scenes were shot in Morocco. 

The famous hilltop fort and village of Aït Benhaddou has been the backdrop to many of these movies, along with plenty of local ancient Kasbahs. However, it’s the Atlas Film Studios that are most famous as being at the centre of Morocco’s Hollywood – better known as ‘Ouarzawood’!

Some of Team Epic were lucky enough to visit the studios, which is the largest film set in the world. Here we toured the world, stepping into ancient Egypt, medieval Morocco, and even Asia.

We went to better understand the space and the unique experiences we could create for special clients. The charismatic and very photogenic Abderazzak showed us around. Let’s a take a look behind-the-scenes through the eyes of Epic’s Sara!

How to get to Ouarzazate & where to stay

The studios are just 5 kilometres (3 miles) from downtown Ouarzazate, a city that is also a popular stop on the way to the Sahara Desert. You can now fly there direct from the UK, or get a hopper flight from Marrakech or Casablanca. 

We stayed at Kasbah Tamsna, a stylish retreat that has Japanese touches because one of the owners is Japanese. They bring another level of style, care and consideration to the usually warm welcome characteristic of Morocco.

Read next… Looking back and looking ahead with Epic’s Founder Charlie Shepherd

Entering the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ set

Our guide Abderazzak opened a huge set of wooden doors to reveal a very real feeling ‘fortress’. As you wander through you can find yourself in an ancient market square, complete with dried fish hanging from make-shift stalls, and step into a wooden amphitheatre where you imagine ancient slaves and animals being paraded for fights. This is the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ set and the start of our adventure in Ouarzawood!

Egyptian halls to labyrinths… the perfect place for private events

You’re able to climb up to the different levels of the fortress and imagine fighting off a marauding enemy. On the outside of the fortress, you can see the catapult used in Gladiator.

It’s here on the ramparts that Epic has arranged private dining in the past – for exclusive clients who want to do something private and a bit different. That’s the beauty of connecting with Epic, we go beyond the ordinary and can set up custom one-of-a-kind experiences for your group.

Moving on to the studios themselves. Our tour of Atlas Film Studios took us through Egyptian halls with hieroglyphic columns, into a huge Egyptian forum with thrones, and then a labyrinth of ancient alleyways and townscapes. There have been music festivals at the site – and you can imagine how much fun that must be! 

If you have a big event coming up, we can privatise the spaces for events. Music is no problem as the studios aren’t near local housing. Themed private dining is also possible in these other spaces, which you can imagine being extremely evocative at night with flaming torches and tables nestled at the feet of awe-inspiring statues or around thrones.

Live like your favourite movie stars 

In these studios films such as Jewel of the Nile, and James Bond’s The Living Daylights as well as Prison Break have been filmed – you can even climb over army trucks and pretend you are on an escape mission.

Here at the studios, you are walking in the footsteps of Russel Crowe, Samuel L Jackson, Jean Claude VanDamme, Nicole Kidman, Brad Pitt and many others who have stayed locally during bouts of filming. With Christmas approaching, for those who celebrate, you might be interested in the shooting of Mary has been filmed here for Netflix, featuring Anthony Hopkins as Herod.

Stars seem to love Morocco, after filming Rock the Kasbah Bill Murray once said: “Morocco is the greatest. I should be getting money from the Moroccans because I’m telling everyone that it’s a wonderful place to go.”

Read next… The Best Morocco Books, Films, Blogs and Podcasts

Morocco’s film industry is thriving

Morocco is bristling with creativity, and beyond the famous film studios of Ouarzazate the streets of Marrakesh and Tangier have been used in the filming of Inception, Mission Impossible and Homeland.

Now the Marrakech Film Festival is also a destination for stars such as Monica Belucci this year, Robert Redford in previous years. You can catch art house local language films with English subtitles and attend talks by the directors.

The glamour and ancient history of Morocco make it a fabulous film destination, and there are many opportunities to get involved. Epic can even book you a videographer to bring those movie dreams to life, or you can simply enjoy visiting sets or a film festival to feel some of the buzz of the film industry.

For more information on privatisation options or to weave Ouarzawood into your Morocco your itinerary, contact us at info@epic.travel

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