Where Was Netflix’s Damsel Filmed?

Netflix’s Damsel brought a fantastical kingdom and an intricate cave system to life, and this required a variety of unique filming locations. The 2024 film, which stars Millie Bobby Brown as Princess Elodie, is everything you’d want in a fantasy, complete with extravagant castles and breathtaking mountain ranges. It took a mix of cleverly constructed sound stages and on-location filming sites to transport Elodie to her world of queens, princes, and dragons, and Damsel pulled out all the stops to make this happen.

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later and Intruders), Netflix’s Damsel tells the story of a young woman who believes she will marry a handsome prince to save her kingdom but is sacrificed to a vengeful dragon. Determined to survive, Elodie must maneuver the cave system the fantastical creature calls home, using any means possible to fight back and escape. Damsel is a twist on the typical “damsel in distress” trope. While Elodie’s story diverts from the typical fairytale, its filming locations in London and Portugal make it look every bit like a fantasy.

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Troubadour Meridian Water Studios, London

The cave scenes of Damsel were filmed on stages at several studios in London.

Though the fantasy-cliche-twisting Damsel used on-site filming locations when possible, it would have been impossible to bring many scenes to life without the use of sound stages and VFX. For this reason, the Troubadour Meridian Water Studios in London were used. According to the studio’s official website, this location boasts “three studios totaling 65,000 square feet of state-of-the-art film production space,” which made it perfect for Fresnadillo’s team to construct sets that would serve as the interior of Kingdom of Aurea’s grand castle scenes, Elodie’s own home kingdom, and the expansive cave system.

The caves that become the battlefield between Elodie and the dragon in Damsel were all practically designed (via Netflix), with minimal green screens utilized. Instead, star Brown had to climb into these tight quarters and noted that the cave sets created in the London studios “felt so real” and that she “loved them as an actor, but hated them as Elodie.” Ultimately, this was precisely the goal of Fresnadillo and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos, cinematographer Larry Fong, and VFX Supervisor Nigel Denton-Howes.

All Other Damsel Scenes Were Filmed In Locations Around Portugal

Aside from the caves and castle interiors, Damsel used as many practical filming locations as possible. Though typical fantasy kingdoms seen in movies are dark and medieval, Frasnadillo wanted the Kingdom of Aurea—the home of the royal family Elodie was meant to marry into—to feel bright and extravagant. The castle was modeled after Manueline architecture, a post-gothic style unique to Portugal. So, to make the scenes set here organic, the crew filmed in various cities and mountain ranges throughout this beautiful country.

Batalha, Portugal

The beautiful real-world castle of Batalha, Portugal, Capillas imperfectas, was used in Damsel, and its likely that this city’s famed Batalha Monestary was used as well for some beautiful external shots. Batalha is also known for a cave system called the Coin Caves, which may have been utilized in the Netflix film as well.

Tomar, Portugal

Another filming location listed for Damsel is Tomar, Portugal, which is also known for its Manueline castles and convents. This city has a beautiful river that runs near a bright and colorful town, making it the perfect backdrop for Elodie as she enters the Kingdom of Aurea.

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Sortelha, Portugal

Sortelha, Portugal features a beautiful village, but it’s the surrounding mountain ranges that were used as a filming location for Damsel. The cave system the dragon calls home in Damsel has its openings up in the mountains surrounding Aurea. Therefore, as Elodie is led to her fate, she is taken through the breathtaking ranges. Even before this, the mountains of Netflix’s 2024 fantasy were an important feature since Elodie noticed lights flickering near the peaks, which was the first hint that everything in this elegant kingdom wasn’t as it seemed.

Serra da Estrela, Portugal

While the mountain ranges of Sortelha, Portugal, were perfect for making Aurea seem luxurious and safe, the snowy peaks of Serra da Estrela did the exact opposite for Elodie’s home kingdom. Though breathtaking in its own right, this mountain range made it immediately clear that, despite being high-born, Brown’s character in Damsel never had it easy. Survival at her home had been tough, making Elodie a uniquely capable opponent for the dragon of Aurea. Though only a few scenes were filmed in Serra da Estrela, this is where we meet Damsel‘s princess, perfectly setting the tone for the Netflix film’s protagonist.

Source: Netflix

Damsel

A dutiful damsel agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt. Thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon, she must rely on her wits and will to survive

Director

Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Release Date

March 8, 2024

Writers

Dan Mazeau