The strong potential of Moroccan film studios highlighted in the United States
Hibapress
The American newspaper The News-Herald highlighted, on Tuesday, the strong potential of Moroccan film studios, noting that the Kingdom offers natural landscapes which include “the snow-capped Atlas mountains, the imposing dunes and the desert against a backdrop of striking blue sky.”
In 1962, scenes from the cult film “Lawrence of Arabia” were filmed near Ouarzazate, recalls the daily in an article by Janet Podolak.
“Twenty years later, the construction of Atlas Studios boosted the region’s economy and brought global attention to its landscapes” with the production of the sequel to “Romancing the Stone” and “The Jewel of the Nile,” with Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny Devito.
Then came the filming of “The Living Daylights” (1986), the 15th James Bond film, with Timothy Dalton, continued the journalist, noting that “the jobs of extras, translators, stuntmen and technicians favored the development and encouraged the arrival of new residents in the region.”
The author of the article also returned to the filming in these studios in 1998 of the hit film “Gladiator”, with Russell Crowe, “The Mummy” (1999), with Brendan Fraser and “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra “.
International stars such as Samuel L. Jackson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ben Kingsley, Nicole Kidman, Brad Pitt, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Leonardo Di Caprio are among the distinguished visitors who have fallen in love with the region, underlined the journalist.
The studio sets take visitors on a journey through time, where ancient Egypt, a Tibetan monastery and Roman battle scenes intertwine, says Podolak, who emphasizes that the beauty of the sets was behind the success of several films including “Kingdom of Heaven” (2005) by director Ridley Scott, without forgetting legendary scenes from the “Game of Thrones” series.
Moreover, continues the journalist, several scenes from “Gladiator II”, which will be released next November, were filmed in these studios.
The American media also highlighted the beauty of the Marrakech region and the richness of Morocco’s ancestral cultural heritage, noting that “the heritage of the Moroccan tale remains alive.”
