Netflix's new romantic drama movie Lonely Planet, starring Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth, was set primarily in Marrakesh, Morocco, but the movie was filmed in a few different locations. In Lonely Planet, Dern plays Katherine Loewe, a famous writer who attends a writing retreat in Morocco to work on her book and overcome her writer's block. On the trip, she meets Hemsworth's Owen Brophy, a man who is about 20 years her junior based on Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth's age gap.
✕ Remove Ads
Owen is on the trip with yet another member of Lonely Planet's cast and characters, his girlfriend Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers), an up-and-coming writer with whom he is in an unhappy relationship. These circumstances end up serving as the perfect catalyst for Katherine and Owen's romantic connection, which is the main focus of the movie. Given how key Morocco was to the story, it makes sense that Lonely Planet filmed on location in several cities in Morocco, although some filming was done in the United States as well.
Chefchaouen Was A Key Setting In The Movie
✕ Remove Ads
One of the most easily recognizable locations in Lonely Planet was Chefchaouen, a city in northwest Morocco known for its stunning blue buildings. As with many locations for Lonely Planet, the actors really did film on location in Chefchaouen, meaning that the scenes depicting Katherine and Owen surrounded by walls of blue were authentic. In fact, in an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Liam Hemsworth identified this "Blue City" as one that stood out to him in particular.
As with many locations for Lonely Planet, the actors really did film on location in Chefchaouen.
According to Hemsworth, the actors spent several days in Chefchaouen, as they did with other locations, allowing them to connect with and immerse themselves in the environment. This was no doubt particularly important in Chefchaouen, as that ended up being a key setting for Katherine and Owen. It was here that the couple really began to develop their feelings for one another. Given the beauty that surrounded them in this city, it's little surprise the actors found such a natural chemistry.
✕ Remove Ads
Related
Lonely Planet: Why Laura Dern's Character Titles Her Book "The Swing Route"
Here's why Katherine names her new book "The Swing Route" at the end of Lonely Planet, Netflix's romantic drama starring Laura Dern & Liam Hemsworth.
Marrakesh Was Another Major Moroccan Location In Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet was predominantly filmed in Morocco, which included a number of cities and other locations. One of the most prominent locations used for filming, in addition to Chefchaouen, was Marrakesh. Marrakesh is a major city in Morocco, both in terms of size and in terms of importance. Marrakesh is known for being a hub of economics and culture with its many souks, or marketplaces, and incredible palaces and architecture.
✕ Remove Ads
In Lonely Planet, this location served as the backdrop for various scenes in the movie, particularly earlier on when Katherine and Owen are exploring the area—separately and together. This was yet another one of the locations Hemsworth specifically recalled in his conversation with Screen Rant, identifying it as a busy city juxtaposed with some of the more remote filming locations. Notably, there were other locations in Morocco used in Lonely Planet, as indicated by Hemsworth, but Chefchaouen and Marrakesh were two of the most significant.
Additional filming locations in Morocco include parts of the Sahara Desert and Casablanca, although those are somewhat less clearly defined in the movie. There are also parts of Lonely Planet in which Katherine and Owen travel the Moroccan landscape without knowing precisely where they are, such as when there is an issue with their car and they must detour to the driver's home. Nevertheless, it seems most if not all scenes set in Morocco were in fact filmed on location.
✕ Remove Ads
Related
Lonely Planet Soundtrack Guide: All 3 Songs Explained
Unlike other romantic dramas, Lonely Planet's soundtrack contains just a handful of needle drops, but they are well worth listening to after the film.
Los Angeles Provided A Filming Location For Certain Scenes
Although nearly all filming for Lonely Planet happened in Morocco, some of the movie was filmed in Los Angeles, California. Presumably, these were the scenes that were seen in the Lonely Planet ending, which, in the movie, were set in New York City. At the end of the movie, after going their separate ways in Morocco, Katherine and Owen encountered one another in a New York bar. In classic romance movie fashion, Katherine went running out into the street to follow Owen after he left the bar. Presumably, both the bar and the street scenes were filmed in Los Angeles.
✕ Remove Ads
Other than those scenes, it seems Lonely Planet was almost entirely filmed on location in Morocco. That certainly carried over to the movie, which had beautiful sets and seemed to genuinely pull from the surrounding environment. It's also clear that these filming choices impacted the actors for the better, particularly Dern and Hemsworth, who were able to truly experience the cities in which key scenes were set, adding to their performance. Ultimately, the choice to film Lonely Planet primarily on location added to the movie's authenticity and beauty.

Your Rating
Rate Now 0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
6/10
12 7.4/10
Lonely Planet (2024)
R
Romance
Drama
Lonely Planet follows the interconnected lives of several individuals as they navigate personal struggles and search for meaning in a contemporary urban setting. The film explores themes of isolation and connection in a rapidly changing world.
- Director
- Susannah Grant
- Release Date
- October 11, 2024
- Writers
- Susannah Grant
- Cast
- Laura Dern , Liam Hemsworth , Diana Silvers , Bellina Logan , Sami Fekkak , Gustav Dyekjær Giese , Rachida Brakni , Younès Boucif , Francesco Martino , Ben Youcef , Quintin Mims , Adriano Giannini , Shosha Goren , Heeba Shah , Jean-Erns Marie-Louise , Michelle Greenidge , Guo Tao , Muhammad Abdullah Arabi , Yahya Et Tonia , Naoufal Sabri
- Character(s)
- Katherine Loewe , Owen Brophy , Lily Kemp , Patricia , Hamid , Gunnar Norgaard , Fatema Benzakour , Rafih Abdo , Luca , Beverage Cart Salesman , Sebastian , Ugo Jaconelli , Ada Dohan , Jesminder Malik , Fabien Durosier , Philippa Guscott , Peng Zhao , Deepak , Aziz , Sisi
- Runtime
- 96 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Romance