The Canary Islands have hosted numerous Hollywood productions over the years. With its magnificent and varied nature, the Spanish archipelago offers many unique filming locations. It has now been confirmed that the new Star Wars film adaptation will return to the Canary Island of Fuerteventura.
Hollywood productions often choose the Canary Islands for its climate and its volcanic landscape of rolling dunes and spectacular gorges. In June 2017, the filming of Han Solo: A Star Wars Story (Disney) took place in Fuerteventura’s Pecenescal Valley.
The next instalment of the Star Wars film series returns to Fuerteventura
The Cabildo on the island of Fuerteventura has now confirmed that Disney could return for the next instalment of the new Star Wars film series. The island’s desert landscape will be the chosen location for filming in 2023. And it’s not the first time. Parts of Solo: A Star Wars Story, released in May 2018, were also filmed on the island.
The Irish holiday favourite Fuertuventura has 90 miles of beaches, deserts and volcanic landscapes, making it the perfect backdrop for the film adaptation.
2022 – a record year for filming in the Spanish archipelago
The year 2022 was particularly favourable for the Canarian film industry, as shown by the data collected by Canary Island Film. That year, 164 productions were shot on the islands, including films, series, documentaries, short films and animations, representing an investment of €224 million across the archipelago, 128% more than the previous year. This had a direct impact on the labour market, contributing to 15 300 jobs. It should be noted that even during the pandemic that paralysed the world in 2020, the Canary Islands hosted 80 productions from around the world.
Other Hollywood productions in the Canary Islands
The United States, along with Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Luxembourg and Spain, are just some of the source countries that have decided to film in the Canary Islands.
Filming will soon begin on the second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The series, based on Tolkien’s fairytale world, has chosen the island of Tenerife as one of the filming locations. Filming will take place in the Teide National Park, making it one of the destinations we will see in the next season of this Amazon Prime series. The series is expected to be released in 2024.
The Canary Islands have always been a popular destination for international filming. The film The Mother, released in 2022 and starring Jennifer López, Gael García Bernal and Joseph Fiennes, was filmed in Gran Canaria and other Hollywood productions such as Fast and Furious 6, the Netflix series The Witcher, Rambo V and Black Mirror have been filmed in the Canary Islands. In the past, classics like Moby Dick (1956), A Million Years Ago (1966), When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970) and My Enemy (1985) were filmed here.
About the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean, consisting of eight islands – Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera and La Graciosa. It takes about 4 hours by direct flight from Ireland to the archipelago, which offers an average temperature of 19 °C in winter and 23 °C in summer. The diverse landscapes of the Canary Islands form a perfect destination for nature lovers, athletes and families – from the lunar landscapes of Lanzarote, mountainous Tenerife and the dunes of Gran Canaria to the rainforests of El Hierro and La Gomera. The islands offer a lively atmosphere for families, but also hidden gems for those who want to experience deserted beaches, trendy music and art festivals, eco-friendly boutique hotels and unique beach bars. The archipelago is also a top destination for elite athletes and for those looking for experiences with elements of sports such as golf, cycling, climbing, sailing, surfing and diving.