Morocco served as the primary filming location for the newly released Netflix film «Mary», a 2024 epic biblical drama directed by D.J. Caruso, from a screenplay by Timothy Michael Hayes. Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, one of Britain's most recognizable and prolific actors, the movie tells the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, portrayed by Israeli actress Noa Cohen. To represent Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where the events unfold, the producers selected Morocco. Filming took place in early 2024 across the North African kingdom. «We chose Morocco as our primary location and traveled across the country to capture its sprawling deserts and ancient, abandoned villages over 700 years old», the director stated in a press release. In Morocco, the production team had to recreate key settings, including King Herod's Second Temple, a pivotal element of the storyline. «We used an old museum as the interior base and constructed a practical exterior to anchor our scenes», Caruso explained. For Jerusalem, producers economized by repurposing a set originally built by Ridley Scott for his 2005 film «Kingdom of Heaven», which was also shot in Morocco, specifically in Ouarzazate—often referred to as the country's «Little Hollywood». As for Bethlehem, Chefchaouen, located in northern Morocco, stood in for its iconic blue-washed buildings and mountain backdrop. Filming in Morocco concluded in April, and the movie was released on December 6.
