Naman Shrestha
Created by Amaya Muruzabal, Amazon Prime’s ‘Red Queen’ is a Spanish-Mexican thriller series that focuses on the adventures of the most intelligent person in the world with an IQ of 242 — Antonia Scott. An integral part of a secret and experimental police project, Antonia joins forces with a Basque gay police officer named Jon Gutiérrez. After seeing murder at her home and the kidnapping of a wealthy heiress, Antonia and Jon work together as she becomes a part of a game.
Featuring stellar performances from a talented ensemble cast, comprising Vicky Luengo, Hovik Keuchkerian, Celia Freijeiro, Nacho Fresneda, and José Ángel Egido. Due to the gripping plot and mesmerizing visuals in the backdrop through each episode of ‘Red Queen,’ originally titled ‘Reina Roja,’ viewers are bound to question the authenticity of the story as well as the filming locations where the action unfolds.
Red Queen is Filmed in Spain
The entirety of the production of ‘Red Queen’ is carried out in the beautiful country of Spain, located on the extreme southwestern edge of Europe. The inaugural season of the thriller series was filmed over a period of nearly six months, commencing on August 16, 2022, and concluding in late January 2023. From the looks of it, the cast and crew had a lot of fun and created lasting memories while producing the first-ever installment of the Amazon Prime production.
Madrid, Spain
Madrid, the capital city of Spain, is a major shooting site for the show. For the purpose of filming, the production team visits several areas in the vibrant city and utilizes multiple locations that serve as appropriate backdrops that support the creation of the gritty criminal world of the intense detective series. In particular, the taping of several sequences takes place in and around the railway stations of Chamartín, Noviciado, and Goya, named after Spanish printmaker Francisco Goya.
In addition, a few scenes are lensed at Chamberi station, also known as a ghost station, as it was officially shut down in 1966. It now works as an entrance museum but trains continue to pass through the defunct station and if you pay close attention, you can still catch a glimpse when the train rushes between Bilbao and Iglesia.
Toledo, Spain
A portion of ‘Red Queen’ is also recorded in the historical city of Toledo in the southcentral part of Spain. Located over 42 miles from Madrid, the ancient city lies in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha and is a pure representation of Spanish culture. Often referred to as the City of the Three Cultures, the monuments in the area reflect the cultural diversity and influence resulting from the contribution of the Christians, Muslims, and Jew populations that have inhabited the land over the decades. Its yesteryear layout and rich history are some of the reasons it is ideal for serving as a shooting site for the thriller series.
Red Queen is Based on the Eponymous Novel
‘Red Queen’ is an adaptation of Spanish journalist and author Juan Gómez-Jurado’s bestselling novel of the same name. The 2022 award-winning book is the first part of the serial killer thriller trilogy that has been developed for the screen by Amaya Muruzábal and Salvador Perpiñá. While the storylines of the show and the book are seemingly figments of the creative and realistic imaginations of the writers, certain characters are direct inspirations from specific sources.
Talking about the inspiration for Antonia Scott’s character in ‘Red Queen’ with Hindustan Times, Juan Gómez-Jurado revealed that the characters of Antonia and Jon were derived from Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. He explained, “Antonia is that idealistic being, she does not hesitate to face the windmills, because she believes in a better world. Jon, on the other hand, is that pragmatist who has a dreamer hidden inside of him. They are very layered characters and I intentionally kept their sketches subtle because usually these things go unnoticed in a thriller and we go at full speed. But each and every word I’ve used to describe them has been chosen carefully.”
As far as the process of researching for the creation of the book was concerned, Juan reportedly referred to the forensic work of the Spanish police. He also said that for a particular chapter, he got in touch with some experts in bomb disposal. Besides that, he refused to provide more details to not give away any spoilers. While the fact that ‘Red Queen’ is a work of fiction remains, it is worth mentioning that the works of Juan’s favorite authors, including Patricia Highsmith, Dumas, Follett, Arthur Conan Doyle, Gillian Flynn, and Aravind Adiga, serve as inspiration for him to weave the intriguing tales of crime thrillers.
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