‘Warrior Nun’ Was Filmed in One of Europe’s Most Beautiful Regions
Warrior Nun is the latest series to hit Netflix, and it’s introducing viewers to a whole new fantasy world filled. The show’s rich backdrop is like a character unto itself. So naturally, fans are curious to know where Warrior Nun was actually filmed.
‘Warrior Nun’ is based on a comic book
Netflix’s Warrior Nun is loosely based on Ben Dunn’s 1993 manga comic, Warrior Nun Areala. But the original story did not feature the character Ava Silva (Alba Baptista). It was actually centered on Sister Shannon (Melina Matthews), who was killed off in the first episode of the Netflix series.
In the comics, Sister Shannon is an orphan who lives with a foster family in Japan as a child, and later attends a Catholic school in New York City. She eventually gets warrior training in Vatican City and then returns to New York to start battling the demons let loose.
The Netflix series takes place in Spain
Unlike the comics, the Warrior Nun keeps its story in Europe, utilizing the old history and architecture of the Catholic churches of the region. And just like its setting, the show’s cast is also quite international.
Despite her brilliant American accent, Alba Baptista, who plays the lead as Ava, is actually from Portugal. The actor has been in a number of Spanish and Portuguese TV shows and films over the years.
Where was ‘Warrior’ Nun filmed?
For the most part, Warrior Nun was filmed in Andalusia, Spain. According to Atlas of Wonders, the pool Ava is seen jumping in is actually the Marbella Club Hotel. And the training hall for the Order of the Cruciform Sword is the Alcazaba, a14th century Moorish fort.
The medieval castle seen in flashbacks is Codova’s Almodóvar del Río Castle, the same castle used to depict Casterly Rock and Highgarden in Game of Thrones. St. Michael’s Orphanage exteriors are Malaga’s La Térmica Cultural Center, and the interior temple scenes were shot in the San Juan de Dios Church in Antequera.
Why the show took the story to Spain
While the original comic book story took place in New York, Warrior Nun takes place entirely in Spain. And according to showrunner Simon Barry, he decided to feature this European setting because of its rich religious architecture and history.
“I knew early on, with the mythology for the show that we were developing in the writing room, particularly, we needed a sense of history and a sense of Christian history because we were tying in the origins of the halo to the Crusades,” Barry told CBR. “And, also, because this show is a little bit irreverent and kind of out-there, I wanted a place that would feel grounded.”
“And the thing about Spain is there’s such history in every direction with the churches and castles and landscape, and it just felt right that we ground the show — because the show is so out-there, by grounding the show’s stakes to good and evil and connecting it to Christian mythology — that there would be a need to make the setting feel a little bit more real and not new,” he continued. “I think the age and the history that’s always kind of there in the visuals really helped the show feel a little bit more rooted.”
