Beyond the Screen: Exploring the Real-World Backdrops of Netflix’s Hit Damsel

Netflix keeps offering many new movies, and now Netflix has released its new action fantasy film “Damsel,” in which Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown plays the lead role of Elodie.

If you have seen Netflix‘s Damsel then you would definitely want to know about its filming locations because excellent and breathtaking locations and VFX have been used in the film.

We’ve already covered all the filming locations of Damsel and when and where Damsel was Filmed, but today, in this article, we are mentioning the places in Portugal that were used for the Netflix film, where you can visit.

Without further ado, let’s dive beyond the screen into the world of Damsel and discover the real-world background of Netflix’s hit Damsel.

Exploring the Real-World Backdrops of Netflix’s Hit Damsel

Here’s the setting behind the Kingdom of Aurea featured in Millie Bobby Brown’s new adventure tale Damsel. Damsel has become a hit Netflix film after its release on 8 March 2024.

The audience has been mesmerized by the maximalist medieval kingdom shown in the film. Stranger Things season 4 star Millie Bobby Brown as Elodie is willing to marry the prince of the Aurea kingdom to save her life, but this is all a well-thought-out conspiracy.

Filming for Damsel’s Fantasy Land was divided between on-site sets and sound stages. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, director of the film Damsel, has shown a world of castles, caves, dragons, and magic in the film.

For most of the filming of Damsel, the film crew shot at the Troubadour Meridian Water Studios in Enfield. The production team used multiple sound stages and visual effects of fake rock in the 155,073-square-foot filming facility to bring the cave scenes between Elodie and the dragon to life.

You will be surprised to know that the palace interiors shown in the Portuguese Post-Gothic Manueline architecture style of the Aurea Empire and the hero’s home kingdom were actually shot in London studios.

As per independent reports, in a post-production interview, Millie Bobby said:-

“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 the scenes from English castle to Portuguese wine country,shown in the film, the Doctor is a real-life destination to the Portuguese wine country where you skate to see a piece of the world of “Damsel”.

Raby Castle, Deer Park & The Plotters’ Forest, England, UK

Address: Staindrop, Darlington DL2 3AH, United Kingdom

The unnamed Faraway Land shown in the film, where Lord Brayford’s castle is located, was actually filmed at the 14th-century Raby Castle.

The exterior of the castle’s medieval towers, terraces, and embattled walls serve as the setting for the fortress home of Elodie’s father and stepmother.

Portugal

During the filming of Damsel in Portugal, production designer Patrick Tatopoulos talked about the ocean scenery, saying:-

“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.”

The patchwork of blue azulejos spread across the southern European country created the exterior scenes for the film.

Batalha:

IMDB lists Batalha in Portugal as a top filming location for Damsel, The real-world ornate palace Capillas Imperfectus Batalha Monastery was used for many of the exterior scenes of The Damsel.

Tomar:

When Elodie enters the Aurea kingdom, it is actually a colorful Tomar maze of rivers, palaces, and monasteries.

The Castle grounds and wedding frames are set within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Covent of Christ stronghold, which served as the headquarters of the Knights Templar in the 12th century.

Serra da Estrela:

The snowy mountain ranges of the Serra da Estrela provide a backdrop to the harsh conditions outside Elodie’s high-born but poor home.

The place where we meet the princess-to-be is Serra da Estrella, a Hiker hotspot, and the entrance to the Dragon’s Lair Vaale Drishyon Ko was filmed on Mount Pico, Portugal’s highest mountain.

Douro Valley:

In northeastern Portugal, the Douro Valley provided the perfect backdrop for the action-packed scenes from the mythological world, with its sloping vineyards in the film.

The World Heritage Area on the Douro River contains valleys, ancient forests and wildlife habitats.

Sortelha:

The mountains surrounding the Renaissance village of Sortelha provide the setting for the film Damsel, where Elodie is ultimately led through those peaks to the dragon’s lair, and from here, Princess Aurea represents the surrounding lands.

Damsel is also available to watch on Netflix’s Official Site.

Stay tuned with us for information on similar interesting filming locations.