Morocco’s Ouarzazate is one of the most attractive locations for Hollywood directors filming historical and epic stories. Ridley Scott’s recent creation “Gladiator II,” along with countless other blockbuster films, have had sets built there. Now, the Moroccan government has taken a major initiative to build a film city centered around Ouarzazate. A massive, world-class film production hub is being built there, named the “International Cinema City.”
Construction of this flagship project, under Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, officially began on June 27. The vast cinema city is being built on 24 acres of land at the main entrance to Ouarzazate. The Moroccan government is investing 240 million Moroccan dirhams in the project.
Situated between the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert, this cinema city will essentially function as a “one-stop shop” — meaning everything needed for a film or series, from pre-production through shooting, VFX and release, will be available under one roof.
The cinema city will feature multiple world-class sound stages, editing and screening rooms. Dedicated space is also being set aside for the use of artificial intelligence and modern immersive technology in filmmaking. Special training centers will help develop local crew and new talent in various technical and visual-effects skills, along with modern hotel facilities to house domestic and foreign shooting crews.
As film production costs in Hollywood continue to rise, major studios and streaming platforms there are increasingly turning to countries like Morocco in search of lower-cost, high-quality facilities. Morocco’s government is seizing this opportunity by offering international filmmakers a 30% cash rebate, full VAT exemption, discounts of up to 80% on shooting equipment rental, and special discounts on hotel bookings.
In recent years, Ouarzazate has hosted filming for the Indiana Jones franchise’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” a sequel to Nicolas Cage’s “Lord of War,” the French historical epic “De Gaulle: Resistance,” and many other notable films. Beyond that, parts of the globally acclaimed series “Game of Thrones” and history-making projects like Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” also had sets built there.
According to information from the Moroccan government, foreign projects filmed in Morocco brought in roughly $130 million in foreign investment in 2025. Once the new cinema city becomes operational, this investment is expected to multiply many times over in the future.
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