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| Where Was Cold Storage Filmed? Full Shooting Locations Breakdown in Italy and Morocco (Photo: Instagram) |
Where was Cold Storage filmed? The 2026 sci-fi action horror film didn’t just rely on strong performances and a tense storyline — it built its atmosphere through striking, carefully chosen real-world locations across Italy and Morocco. While not every exact spot was publicly disclosed during production to avoid unwanted disruptions on set, enough details have surfaced for fans to start mapping out the film’s haunting backdrop.
Adapted from the 2019 novel by David Koepp, Cold Storage follows night-shift workers Teacake and Naomi, played by Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell, whose routine shift inside a self-storage facility spirals into chaos when a parasitic fungus escapes from a hidden former military base.
As the microorganism mutates and spreads, the facility itself becomes a character — claustrophobic, secretive and unpredictable. Directed by Jonny Campbell and featuring Liam Neeson, Sosie Bacon, Vanessa Redgrave and Lesley Manville, the film was shot between late March and early June 2023.
Discover Where Cold Storage Was Filmed
Here’s the confirmed filming locations and why they matter to the story.
Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Italy
This region, which includes Rome and its surrounding comuni, served as the primary production base for Cold Storage.
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De Paolis Studios – Rome
Located on Via Tiburtina, this modern production studio hosted many of the indoor scenes set inside the self-storage facility. The controlled studio environment allowed the crew to design the dark corridors, industrial units and containment spaces that shape the film’s tense, enclosed atmosphere.
Soratte Bunker – Sant’Oreste, under Monte Soratte
The abandoned underground military base scenes were reportedly filmed inside this real-life bunker complex built between 1937 and 1943.
Originally designed as an air raid shelter and military stronghold, its raw concrete tunnels and layered chambers added authenticity to the film’s secret government facility storyline. The cold, echoing interiors align perfectly with the narrative of something dangerous being hidden for decades.
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Borgo di Ostia Antica – Near Rome
This medieval village just outside Rome offers narrow cobbled streets, rustic façades and a peaceful, old-world Italian setting.
Though Cold Storage is largely set indoors, surrounding exterior shots and transitional scenes benefit from the texture and historical depth of this area.
Ostia Antica Archaeological Park
One of the best-preserved ancient Roman cities, the archaeological park provides a striking historical contrast to the film’s modern bio-threat premise.
The ruins add a layered visual identity to the region, grounding the sci-fi narrative in real European history.
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Piazza della Rocca – Ostia Antica
This central square, dominated by the Rocca di Ostia fortress, brings a medieval visual tone. The fortress, built over Roman remains, reflects the film’s theme of secrets buried beneath the surface — both literally and metaphorically.
Campania, Italy
The production also moved south to Campania for pivotal exterior sequences.
Caserta
Known for the 18th-century Royal Palace of Caserta and its dramatic landscapes, Caserta’s surrounding terrain appears in several exterior shots.
Positioned near the Campanian Subapennine mountains, the area offers open backdrops that contrast the film’s confined indoor settings. The wide landscapes visually expand the scale of the threat beyond the storage facility walls.
Ouarzazate, Morocco
Often called the “Door of the Desert,” Ouarzazate brought rugged terrain and expansive desert visuals to the film.
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Desert Landscapes and Surrounding Areas
Outdoor sequences were filmed in and around Ouarzazate, known internationally as a cinematic hotspot. The stark desert terrain enhances the film’s sense of isolation and global stakes.
Draa Valley
Famous for its palm groves and dramatic scenery, the valley adds texture and contrast to the harsher desert visuals.
Aït Benhaddou
This UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its earthen clay architecture, has long been a favourite filming location. While not every sequence was explicitly confirmed, the region’s iconic look aligns with the film’s broader visual palette.
During production, not all filming details were released. This was reportedly done to prevent excessive on-site attention that could interrupt shooting. For a film built around tension and controlled environments, maintaining a secure and focused set would have been essential.
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Reactions to the filming locations have been mixed but lively. Some fans praised the use of real historical sites like the Soratte Bunker, saying it elevates the realism and makes the underground scenes feel genuinely unsettling. Others were surprised that parts of the film were shot in Morocco, noting how seamlessly the desert sequences blend into the narrative without feeling disconnected.
Italian viewers expressed pride at seeing regions like Campania and Ostia Antica featured in an international sci-fi production.
Meanwhile, travel enthusiasts have already begun adding Ouarzazate and Caserta to their future holiday lists, calling the film “unexpected travel inspiration.”
On the other hand, a few netizens argued that most of the film feels enclosed, so the grandeur of the locations doesn’t always get full screen time. Still, many agree that the carefully chosen backdrops contribute to the layered atmosphere that defines Cold Storage.
From underground wartime bunkers in Italy to sun-scorched Moroccan deserts, Cold Storage quietly doubles as a travel showcase.
Several of these sites are open to the public, welcoming both local and international visitors. If you’re a fan of the film, visiting these places could be a unique way to retrace the story’s footsteps while experiencing their real-life history.
Tonboriday will continue updating this list if new filming details emerge. So, would you explore a real underground bunker? Wander through a medieval Italian village? Or stand in the same desert landscapes seen on screen? Tell us which location tops your bucket list — and why.