Netflix’s Damsel has been a fantastical hit since its release on 8 March, and viewers have been left enchanted by the maximalist medieval kingdom.
The sci-fi adventure stars Millie Bobby Brown as Elodie, a damsel set to marry the prince of the Kingdom of Aurea to save her own. Alas, the happily ever after goes awry when her charming prince (actor Nick Robinson) and his family attempt to sacrifice Elodie to a fire-breathing dragon.
Filming for the fantasy land was split between on-site sets and sound stages, with Damsel director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, exploring a feminist twist on the ‘damsel in distress’ trope that’s studded with castles, caves, dragons and magic.
Troubadour Meridian Water Studios brought the cave systems to life
(John Wilson/Netflix)
Much of the film was shot in the Troubadour Meridian Water Studios in Enfield. Several sound stages of fake rock in the 155,073 square foot film production plot, combined with visual effects, brought the cave sequences between Elodie and the dragon to life.
Castle interiors in the style of Portuguese post-gothic Manueline architecture in the Kingdom of Aurea and the protagonist’s home kingdom were also filmed in the London studios. Bobby Brown said in a post-production interview: “Everything felt real. We filmed in these warehouses in London. And when you walked in, you truly felt immersed. There was no faking it. There’s no green screen.”
From and English castle to Portuguese wine country, here are the real-life destinations you can actually visit for a slice of the subversive fairy tale world.
England
Raby Castle, County Durham
Raby Castle, the exterior of the Brayford stronghold
(Getty Images)
The unnamed Faraway Land where Lord Brayford’s castle lies was shot at the 14th-century Raby Castle in County Durham.
Exteriors of medieval towers, terraces and embattled walls set the scene for Elodie’s father (played by Ray Winstone) and stepmother’s (Angela Bassett) stronghold home.
Portugal
Primarily filmed in Portugal, production designer Patrick Tatopoulos said that the exterior shots were “less dark than what we’re used to seeing. It’s warmer and more flamboyant than the gloomy castles that are typically used for fantasy stories with dragons. And that was the trick: Aurea needed to be a very pleasant place to be on the outside.”
It’s no wonder the patchwork…
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