Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the 1969 novel titled ‘Hallowe’en Party’ by Agatha Christie, ‘A Haunting in Venice’ is a supernatural murder mystery movie that stars Kenneth Branagh as he reprises the role of Hercule Poirot for the third time. Set in an eerie and post-World War II Venice, the narrative follows the retired Poirot whose peaceful life in exile in the world’s most glamorous city gets abrupted when he is called to attend a seance. Reluctantly, he reaches the doors of a decaying and haunted palazzo and takes part in the seance.
Things get even more complicated when one of the guests is murdered inside the palazzo. Now, the legendary detective must live up to his reputation and find out the killer before it’s too late. The Kenneth Branagh directorial takes place in Venice in the 1950s and is visually captured in a dark manner in order to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. The constant appearance of the picturesque canals and palazzos makes the viewers curious about the actual filming sites of ‘A Haunting in Venice.’
A Haunting in Venice Filming Locations
‘A Haunting in Venice’ was filmed in Italy and England, primarily in Venice and Buckinghamshire. Reports suggest that the production for the mystery thriller movie got underway on Halloween Day, that is, on October 31, 2022, which is fitting as it is based on the novel titled ‘Hallowe’en Party,’ as mentioned above. After about three months of shooting, principal photography got wrapped up in early 2023. So, without wasting any time, let’s follow Hercule Poirot in his quest to find the murderer in yet another whodunnit as we get a detailed account of all the specific locations that feature in the movie!
Venice, Italy
Since the story is based in Venice, the production team decided to lens most of ‘A Haunting in Venice’ on location in the City of Water. During the production process, the cast and crew were spotted in different streets and neighborhoods of the city by many onlookers and passersby as they transformed Venice into the setting of post-World War II Venice. Thanks to all the historical and culturally significant architecture still intact, it made it easier for them.
For instance, Campiello dei Miracoli in Campo Santa Maria Nova, Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio, and Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello served as a few prominent production locations for ‘A Haunting in Venice.’ Several pivotal exterior sequences were also taped around Rio della Canonica, various other areas of the Venice canals, the Venetian Lagoon, St. Mark’s Clocktower on Plaza San Marco, Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, as well as the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.
The filming unit of ‘A Haunting in Venice’ also set up camp in and around Scala Contarini del Bovolo, Palazzo Malipiero at Campo San Samuele in Sestiere San Marco, Santa Maria dei Miracoli on Campiello dei Miracoli, and Palazzo Pisani a Santo Stefano at Campiello Pisani, 2809, all situated in the city of Venice.
Buckinghamshire, England
A significant portion of ‘A Haunting in Venice’ was also taped in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire, which is located in South East England. To be specific, the director and his team utilized the facilities of the Pinewood Studios on Pinewood Road in Slough, Iver. The film studio complex houses the legendary 007 stage and an additional 30 stages that include the permanently-filled Underwater Stage, three TV studios, a massive backlot area, and thousands of square feet of production office and workshop area. With all these amenities packed inside the Pinewood Studios, it makes for one of the most sought-after filming sites for many filmmakers.
In a September 2023 interview with Firstpost, the production designer, John Paul Kelly, shared some intricate details about recreating the Venice of 1947 in the studio. He explained, “I went to Venice and realized very quickly we would need to build a palazzo, so we worked on that very quickly because there’s a time frame that needs to be followed to build the sets. We all did a lot of research together and I went away, came back, and had six weeks to design the sets that we built across various stages. We also constructed a miniature of the palazzo from the outside at 1/3rd scale.”
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