Naman Shrestha
Created by Jill Girling and Lori Mather, ‘Spellbound’ is a tween fantasy series that revolves around Cece Parker Jones, a 15-year-old free-spirited teenager who begins a new chapter of her life after moving to the beautiful city of Paris in France from a small town in the United States. She is thrilled to finally realize her dream of attaining training at Paris Opera Ballet School, the best ballet school in the world. The students are soon informed that due to an administrative error, they have to reaudition to earn their place at the school.
The challenge doesn’t affect Cece’s spirit, and she employs perseverance and steely determination to prevent being rejected and sent back to her homeland. However, the teenager’s mission is marred by a family secret. While hanging out at her Aunt Ginger’s W Apothecary, Cece stumbles upon a magical book of family spells and learns that she is not just an ordinary teenager but a witch who happens to be the last living descendant of the highest order of powerful witches who refer to themselves as the Wizens! Upon discovering that, Cece casts a spell that goes awry and unleashes the Mystics, the nemesis of the Wizens.
Cece must now strike a balance between learning to use her magic for the good of the world and training to achieve her goals at the elite ballet school, all while building her friendships and romantic relationships as well as tackling her adversaries. The Hulu original is a delectable blend of magic and ballet and serves as a successor to the time-travel-themed dramedy series, ‘Find Me in Paris.’ If the stunning and hair-raising visuals of Cece’s magical world make you wonder where the show is filmed, you’re at the right place.
Spellbound Filming Locations
‘Spellbound’ is filmed in France and Belgium, particularly in Paris and Brussels. According to reports, principal photography for the debut season of the fantasy series commenced on August 1, 2022, and wrapped up in mid-December of the same year. Keeping up with the filming pattern, the production of season 2 began sometime in mid-August 2023. So, without much ado, allow us to walk you through all the specific locations that appear in the Hulu series!
Paris, France
Just like its predecessor, ‘Find Me in Paris,’ ‘Spellbound’ is extensively set as well as filmed in Paris. Specifically, the shooting of the fantasy show takes place at the Palais Garnier in association with the Opera and ballet company Opera National de Paris. Also known as Opéra Garnier, Palais Garnier is one of the most renowned opera houses in the world. Designed by Charles Garnier, it is situated at the Place de l’Opéra in the ninth arrondissement of the capital city, right at the corner of Scribe and Auber streets.
Opened in 1875, the 1,979-seat grand establishment is an eclectic blend of Baroque Revival and Beaux-Arts architectural style. Therefore, it is not surprising that the production team of ‘Spellbound’ chose Palais Garnier as the shooting site. From the prestigious auditorium to the public areas, the cast and crew utilize several parts of the famous opera house for filming. Over the years, the site has served as the filming site for various projects, such as ‘Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles,’ ‘Marathon Man,’ ‘Marie Antoinette,’ ‘War and Remembrance,’ as well as ‘Find Me in Paris.’
Brussels, Belgium
Apart from Paris, the cast and crew members of ‘Spellbound’ take the production to the Belgian region of Brussels as well. Situated in the northcentral part of Belgium, Brussels is popular for its historical and architectural landmarks, including the Grand-Place/Grote Markt, the Town Hall, Mont des Arts/Kunstberg area, Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, and the Royal Palace of Brussels. Thus, you should not be surprised if you spot any of these landmarks in the backdrop of a few scenes.
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