On Location peels back the curtain on your favourite films, television shows, and more. This time, we look into the world of Emily in Paris.
Sometimes it takes leaving home to remind you it's where you belong. In the new season of Emily in Paris, Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) steps out of her comfort zone once more and journeys to Rome and Venice – only to eventually discover that Paris is where she is truly meant to be. The new episodes see Emily moving to Rome in order to open an outpost of Agence Grateau (spending more time with her new Italian boyfriend isn't exactly a downside, either). Creator Darren Star wanted to put Emily in new surroundings this season.
“Every show evolves and develops its own life in an unexpected way,” Star says. “The characters tell you where to go. When you have characters you love and great actors, it keeps going because you just get invested in the reality of their lives. And it's happened with this show.”
Emily in Paris filmed four episodes in Rome using more than 40 locations in and around the city, including Hotel De Russie, where Star stayed during production, and the rooftop of the Orient Express La Minerva. They later moved on to Venice for the season finale. No sets were built in Italy; however, production designer Anne Seibel did construct Agence Grateau’s ornate Roman office in Paris. The production worked with local producers and crews to ensure they showcased the best Italy had to offer.
Warning: major spoilers ahead for Emily in Paris season five. Find out more about where Emily in Paris season 1-4 were filmed with our On Location guide.
“They really embraced us,” Star says. “And for me, it's all about showcasing the beauty of where we are. That’s really what I wanted to do with Rome.”
Like Emily, Star has a deep connection to Paris and has been spending time in the French capital since he was young. He spends around four months a year in the city while filming Emily In Paris and still has yet to discover all of its secrets, which means that each season can continue to include somewhere different. “Paris has so much to offer that it does feel inexhaustible,” Star says. “Maybe we will end up exhausting it by the time the series is finished, but there's always something new.”
Here, Starr discusses transporting Emily to Rome with its hotels and restaurants, the challenges of shooting in Venice's canals, and whether the unsinkable Emily might end up jet-setting again in season six.
Why did Italy feel the right place to bring Emily In Paris this season?
At the end of season three, I had an impulse to see Emily travel a little bit. To me, the show is about this American girl travelling. Going to Paris broadened her. One thing about being in Europe and spending time there is that you're not just in one country all the time. I really loved the idea of just shaking it up a little bit. Not completely moving the show to Italy forever. The title isn't changed to Emily in Rome. It's still Emily in Paris. This is a great Italian chapter that I really love. I think it's really special, and I also feel like it activates all the characters. The show played on the cultural differences between American and French people, and this plays on the cultural differences between French people and Italians. So it gave me another playground.
How did you tap into local knowledge when it came to finding locations?
We had an Italian producer and Italian crew members. They were fantastic. They coordinated everything. I'd been to Rome a number of times. I spent a little time before this season there, looking around, and I had ideas. I knew, for instance, Marie-Louise Sciò, who owns the hotel La Posta Vecchia. I knew that existed and I really wanted to find a way to film there, which we did [for the Bavazza party]. So there were certain locations I had my eye on. We did not get into the Sistine Chapel. But we did get an amazing private tour with the cast.
What were your key fashion locations this season?
The Fendi headquarters [in the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana], which Mussolini commissioned. It’s on the outskirts of Rome. It’s an amazing architectural landmark. We filmed in the Dolce & Gabbana store and in the Fendi store.
Was there any location you filmed that felt like a bucket list location?
There is this peephole called the Aventine Keyhole on Aventine Hill where you look through, and you have this incredible view. We wanted Emily to have a Roman Holiday moment. Marcello takes Emily there and it was a beautiful scene between the two of them. We also shot in the countryside for the truffle hunting scene – Aquaductos, a park preserving the old aqueducts, Tivoli, and the Monte Catillo Nature Preserve.
Solitano, where the Muratori family has their cashmere business, is a fictional town, but is it inspired by a real place?
It is a stand-in for the real town of Solomeo, which is where Brunello Cuccinelli [a similar brand to the fictional Muratori] is based. I had the privilege of visiting there, meeting Cuccinelli and the family, getting a tour of everything and seeing that town. We did our best to capture it. But Solomeo is on another level. It's such a gem. I was very inspired by my visit there.
Where did you create Solitano?
It’s in Ostia, which is part of Rome. It’s near the seaside. We wanted to evoke a Tuscany feeling there. Solemeo is actually in Umbria, but it’s the same idea of this small village where the company is based and the family lives. I want to capture that feeling, which is a little magical.
Have any of the locations featured on Emily In Paris ever been overrun by influencers like Solitano is on the show?
Unfortunately, I feel like it's happened to a couple of locations in Paris. Like at one of my favourite spots, Café de Flore, where I'm suddenly waiting in line along with everyone else. People have said, “This is because of Emily in Paris.” It can cut both ways. Some people may want the attention. But I’m not sure the locals are thrilled about it.
Was it challenging to shoot the finale episode in Venice?
We had such a crack squad in terms of producers in Italy to navigate everything. I said, “I'd love to film in Venice. I know people have filmed there before, but logistically, it seems really tough,” and luckily, we had an Italian producer who actually lives in Venice. We did it. There were camera boats and you are navigating a lot of tourists. That's Venice. But we did have some really beautiful locations in Venice. We filmed at the St. Regis Venice at Gio’s Restaurant. We also shot at the Hotel Danieli's rooftop restaurant, Restaurant Terrazza Danieli, and Moro Restaurant. The fashion show was staged at Campo San Francesco della Vigna.
But beyond those, it was about getting into the city and following the characters wandering around Venice. I always think about it from the point of view of: What do I want to see? What I love in any city, Paris or Venice or Rome, is wandering around and getting lost. So I love having those moments where the characters are just walking and finding a couple of terrific locations. Andy Fleming, who directed these episodes, is a master of finding locations and stitching them together. If characters are walking, it's not just down one street. We'll combine it with a couple of streets that look amazing. Maybe people who live there will say, “Well, that's impossible.” But for us, it’s about: visually, what's going to look best?
Did you get to film in any new locations in Paris?
I wanted to go inside, but we didn't go inside Notre Dame. We did get to film for a moment outside of Notre Dame. The resurrection of Notre Dame is such an amazing story. The fire happened right before we started filming and it was such a tragedy. To see it restored in its glory is amazing. Filming at the Fondation Louis Vuitton was beautiful. We filmed at LVMH. Going to the Bois de Boulogne and filming the characters on horseback was really great. It was somewhere I wanted to go. Filming at Maxim's was fantastic.
After spending time in Rome and Venice, has Emily evolved or changed as a character?
One thing that becomes clear to her is what feels like home, and how important a home feels to her, and the fact that Paris has come to feel like home. She's really not a wanderer. It’s not like she goes to Rome and feels like, “Oh, I can live here.” She tests the waters and she feels that her heart is in Paris. Sometimes you need to travel to figure that out.
Are you aware of the effect Emily in Paris has had on Paris in terms of creating tourist attractions?
I hear about it anecdotally. I'm not running into it myself. And the same thing happened with Sex and the City. I think it's such a great compliment. If you look up Emily Cooper’s apartment, it will show up on Google Maps.
Do you have a good piece of advice for an American visiting Paris?
I was so happy when I released myself from the idea that I had to visit museums or do or see anything specific and check things off my list. I started enjoying myself so much more. Paris is a city where you can just wander and hang out. That obligation of checking it off all the tourist attractions – if you can release yourself from that, you will enjoy the city.
What is left on your bucket list?
I've never been to Africa. I've never been on safari. So that's on my bucket list in a big way.
Maybe Emily goes on safari?
That’s a big trip for Emily. But it would be a nice way to go there. I’m going to think about that…