A reckless princess, a dragon and breathtaking settings.
This is the winning recipe for Netflix's latest hit,
The Lady and the Dragon
(or
Damsel
), which pits Princess Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown, notably seen in
Stranger Things
and
Elona Holmes
) against a spitting monster. of fire.
Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo for a budget estimated at around $70 million, this fantasy film was released on the American platform on March 8.
And in just one week, it had already garnered 35.3 million views, ranking first in nearly 80 countries.
And while rumors of a sequel are already circulating, fantasy fans can relive the emblematic scenes of
Damsel
by going to the film's shooting locations, as is the practice of set-jetting (or film tourism).
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Filming of
The Lady and the Dragon
took place between February and July 2022 with, as the main exterior setting, a country very popular with French tourists: Portugal.
The architecture and charming little villages of Carnation Country appealed to the film team.
In
Batalha
(central region, near Leiria and less than 100 km from Lisbon), it is in particular the Capillas Imperfectas and the Batalha Monastery, both listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which shine in the film.
From central Portugal to the Douro
Some scenes were also filmed not far away in
Tomar
, famous for its Templar monuments.
The natural landscapes that the country offers also managed to catch the eye of the director – and more particularly the mountain ranges of Sortelha and Serra
da Estrela
.
Last Portuguese natural setting used: the very picturesque
Douro valley
, which crisscrosses the north of the country.
All these places were not chosen at random: they are supposed to reflect a bright and extravagant kingdom, as the director wanted.
And Portugal is not the only country to have hosted the filming of
The Lady and the Dragon
.
England also received Millie Bobby Brown and the film crew.
In addition to the studio shots in
London
, many scenes took place there.
This is particularly the case for those taking place in the castle of Lord Brayford, the father of Princess Elodie.
They were filmed in Raby Castle, County
Durham
.
And we understand why: this 14th century castle, with its medieval towers, lent itself perfectly to the spirit of the film.
A large part of the scenes shot in the studio
What about the sublime caves in which part of the fights between Elodie and the dragon take place?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to find them as is in nature, these scenes having been filmed in a studio.
The film, which is aimed at an audience of adolescents and young adults, is, moreover, resolutely in tune with the times.
If the scenario is not the most original – a princess devoted to her people seeks to save them by marrying a prince from another kingdom, before realizing that she has at the same time been sacrificed to a dragon –
Damsel
is undoubtedly a film about female empowerment.
Moreover, the protagonist sets the scene from the start, emphasizing that “
the stories of princesses in danger waiting for the arrival of a valiant knight to save them are too numerous to count.
This story is not one of them
.”
Released on March 8, International Women's Day, it had been awaited for more than a year and a half, delayed by the Hollywood screenwriters' strike.