Netflix’s new romance film The Royal Treatment is 2022’s answer to The Princess Switch, and honestly, we’re here for it.
The film follows a Manhatten hairdresser, Izzy (Laura Marano), whose salon is struggling, so when the charming Prince Thomas of Lavinia stumbles upon her salon, she agrees to give him a $500 haircut. The spark between the pair is undeniable, but there’s a hurdle: Thomas is engaged to be married.
He subsequently asks Izzy to travel to Lavinia to work at the wedding, and she jumps at the opportunity. You can imagine what happens next—the pair grow closer, causing tensions between the future king and his royal family.
It’s as predictable a romance film as ever, and the streets of Manhatten and ‘Lavinia’ light up the screen. The only thing is, the movie wasn’t filmed anywhere near these places (in fact, Lavinia isn’t a real place at all).
Here, we look at where The Royal Treatment was really filmed.
Where was The Royal Treatment filmed?
The royal treatment was actually largely filmed in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Yep, we were just as surprised as you to learn that the film, which seemed worlds away from the Oceanic country, managed to convincingly make use of the landscape the local area presented.
To start with, the castle scenes were filmed at Dunedin’s Larnach Castle, a stunning piece of architecture on the ridge of the Otago Peninsula. It was designed by Robert Lawson in 1884, and has since become a common tourist attraction in the South Island city. It also boasts a sprawling garden filled with trees, fountains and florals.
To add, the film’s scenes from inside the castle weren’t actually captured at Larnach Castle. They were actually filmed in Olveston House, another historic residence in the city of Dunedin.
It was previously owned by a wealthy heiress, but per her will following her death in 1966, she gifted the residence to the City of Dunedin.
As for all the bustling New York City scenes in the film, the set was actually based on Dunedin’s Vogel Street, which was designed to look like a street in Manhatten.
Located just off one of Dunedin’s, main strips, filming would’ve no doubt disturbed the peace a little—but that said, it’s incredible to see what this beautiful real-life city has to offer on the big screen.
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