Dhruv Trivedi
Amazon Prime’s ‘The Wheel of Time’ is a fantasy series that follows Moiraine, a member of a powerful group of wizards, as she embarks on a worldwide journey. Convinced that one of her companions is the reincarnation of the legendary “Dragon,” she hopes to identify the powerful being prophesied to hold the fate of the world in their hand. Based on Robert Jordan’s novel series of the same name, it brings together a complex plot and grand visuals that one would expect from an epic fantasy series.
The show features several breathtaking backdrops that range from magical lands to desolate plains and from grand castles to ancient villages. So just where does the show get its glamorous visuals? Here are all the filming locations used to bring ‘The Wheel of Time’ to life.
The Wheel of Time Filming Locations
‘The Wheel of Time’ is set in an ancient land, and filming takes place predominantly in the Czech Republic. The production crew also uses a few locations in neighboring Croatia and Slovenia. The island of Tenerife, part of the Spanish Canary Islands, is also seemingly used for filming a few scenes, and there are unconfirmed reports that Morocco will stand in for the Aiel Waste in season 2.
Principal photography on season 1 reportedly began on September 16, 2019, but was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Work then resumed in April 2021 and wrapped up by May 2021. As of July 19, 2021, lensing on season 2 of the fantasy series had begun and is said to continue through February 2022. Now let’s check out the show’s specific filming locations.
Prague, Czech Republic
The show’s production is based in Prague, Czech Republic, and filming takes place extensively on location as well as in the studio. So vast is the scale of the fantasy show’s production that an exclusive studio, named Jordan Studios (after the author of the sourcebooks), was reportedly set up in Prague’s Letňany district. Since the filming of the show is shrouded in secrecy, the studio, built inside a converted 32,000 square meter truck factory, helps the production remain clandestine.
Multiple outdoor locations are also used for lensing. One such location is a quarry, about 20 miles outside of Prague, where a detailed fake town (called the Two Rivers) was built and subsequently burnt down for filming multiple scenes. With a reported budget of over $10 million per episode, the production is a detailed and complex affair involving hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of cast and crew members.
Other Locations in the Czech Republic
Dolský mlýn (or Dolský mill) is a quaint and picturesque ruin at the confluence of the Kamenice and Jetřichovická Bělá rivers in the Kamenice river valley. The vintage structure stands in for Perrin and Egwene’s camp and is located less than a mile from the village of Kamenická Stráň in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park in northwestern Czech Republic.
The production also seemingly uses the Upper Water Gate in the town of Terezín in the Litoměřice District in Northern Czech Republic. Nearby, the Ploskovice Castle, located at Ploskovice 1 in the village of Ploskovice, also stands in as an imposing backdrop in multiple scenes of the show.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
The production crew also spends time filming on location in the city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, which is known for its old quarters. The well-preserved buildings found in Dubrovnik’s Old Town are no strangers to the silver screen and have stood in as imposing backdrops multiple times, most famously in the epic fantasy series ‘Game of Thrones.’
Bovec, Slovenia
The mountainous town of Bovec in northwestern Slovenia also hosts the production crew, and the gorgeous natural landscape lends a breathtaking backdrop to the show. Getting equipment to some of the filming locations is reportedly quite a challenge, with materials being transported in ATVs (and by hand!) since the terrain makes it impossible for trucks to reach the locations. Filming also takes place in and around the nearby village of Soča.
Interestingly, the locations are selected keeping in mind the visual effects that will be added in post-production. Hence, a lot of location scouting and even selecting what time filming will occur is reportedly done in consultation with the visual effects department. As with most other fantasy adaptations to screen, CGI is extensively used to give the fantasy show its signature epic visuals.
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