Lonely Planet, the new Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth movie now streaming on Netflix, has nothing to do with the travel book series and website of the same name. That said, travel is an important part of this new swoon-worthy romance. And you better believe that, like the many other recent Netflix destination romances, Lonely Planet was filmed on location.
Written and directed by Susannah Grant (also known for penning Oscar-nominated script for Erin Brockovich), Lonely Planet stars Dern as a successful novelist named Katherine Loewe, who attends a prestigious writer’s retreat in Morocco and falls into a romantic entanglement with a younger man, Owen Brophy, played by Hunger Games hunk Liam Hemsworth. Lonely Planet is the latest entry in the recent surge of older women/younger men romances, and it’s just as sizzling as its desert location.
But just because Lonely Planet takes place in Morocco doesn’t mean it was filmed in Morocco. Those Hollywood types have been known to have a few tricks up their sleeve for this kind of thing. Read on to learn more about the Lonely Planet filming locations.
Where was the Lonely Planet movie filmed?
Lonely Planet was, for the most part, filmed on location in Morocco. Why do you think Laura Dern wanted to do the movie? Netflix sent that Academy Award-winner on an all-expenses paid vacation to North Africa, and she absolutely deserved it.
According to a fan photo of Hemsworth on set, one specific location in Morocco was Chefchaouen, a city in the mountains in the northwest region of the country, which is famous for its beautiful blue buildings. (“What if you don’t like blue?” Dern quips at one point in the movie.) That said, some scenes were also filmed in Los Angeles—like the scene where Hemsworth and Dern take a walk along the shore, which was actually filmed on Malibu Beach in Los Angeles, California.
In an interview for the Lonely Planet press notes, Dern revealed it wasn’t all fun and games, of course, when it comes to filming under the hot Moroccan sun.
“Morocco is an extraordinary place filled with remarkable people, history, and culture,” Dern said. “We had an extremely memorable journey, not always easy amidst the pandemic and the heat, but absolutely unforgettable how people came together to get this movie made.”
Hemsworth agreed with his co-star, and said in his own interview for the press notes that the best part of filming in Morocco was “undoubtedly the stunning, diverse landscapes — everything from vibrant markets to serene deserts, which brought an authenticity to the film’s atmosphere. The local culture and hospitality also added a rich layer to our time there, making the entire experience even more special. Morocco’s beauty and charm enhanced the romantic and adventurous spirit of the story we were telling.”
I know where I want my next vacation to be!
