 |
| Where Was Confession Filmed? All the 2026 Movie's Filming Locations. |
The 2026 film Confession, starring Rob Lowe and James Franco, may transport viewers to the oppressive atmosphere of 1938 Moscow, but its actual filming location is considerably further west. Rather than travelling to Russia to recreate the notorious Lubyanka Prison, director Václav Marhoul brought the production to Santa Clarita Studios in California, USA, where the prison interiors and other required environments were constructed for the film.
The decision makes sense for a production built around an intense, dialogue-driven confrontation in a largely enclosed setting. Although the story takes place in the Soviet Union, viewers hoping to visit the real-world locations behind its most memorable scenes should look towards California instead. Here is what is known about the film's actual production location, along with a few places worth adding to a Santa Clarita travel itinerary.
The main filming location was Santa Clarita Studios, 25135 Anza Drive, Santa Clarita, California 91355, USA. This production facility served as the central home for the entire shoot, with the filmmakers constructing the environments needed to recreate the atmosphere of Soviet-era Moscow. The studio provided the controlled surroundings required for the film's numerous interior scenes, including the prison setting where much of the story unfolds.
Rather than relying on an actual historical prison, the production team created the necessary sets to bring the fictionalised version of Lubyanka to the screen. The studio is an established production complex with multiple sound stages and facilities, making it a suitable choice for a film that depends heavily on carefully designed interiors.
Unfortunately, visitors should not expect to walk straight into the sound stages and recreate Alexei's interrogation scenes. It remains a working film-production facility, so access should be arranged with the studio beforehand.
Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California, is another destination worth including in a trip around the Santa Clarita area. This amusement park sits across from Santa Clarita Studios and offers a completely different atmosphere from the confined world portrayed in Confession.
With its collection of roller coasters, entertainment attractions and full-day activities, it provides an enjoyable change of pace for visitors exploring the region. Although it is not one of the film's shooting locations, its position makes it a convenient addition to a visit to the studio area. After spending time learning about the production behind a film centred on prison life, a day of amusement rides sounds like a rather welcome change of scenery.
It is also worth understanding why Moscow's Lubyanka Prison does not appear on the actual filming-location list. The notorious building is central to the film's historical setting, but the production did not travel to Russia to shoot there. Instead, the filmmakers recreated the prison environment inside the California studio.
The distinction matters because a location appearing in a film does not automatically mean the production visited the real building. In this case, the historical setting was brought to life through production design, sets, costumes and cinematography rather than location shooting in Moscow.
The production also has a connection to Prague, Czech Republic, although this is not another filming destination. A significant part of the post-production work, including editing and sound, was carried out in Prague after principal photography in California.
The Czech capital therefore forms part of the film's wider production journey, rather than its on-location shooting schedule. Visitors interested in the filmmaking process may find this connection interesting, particularly given director Václav Marhoul's Czech background and the international creative team involved in the project.
There is something amusing about a film that spends its entire running time making 1938 Moscow feel like the centre of the world, only for its production story to lead straight to a studio complex in California. Still, that is not a criticism. Confession is built around conversations, interrogation rooms and the pressure of a single confined environment, so a controlled studio setting was a sensible choice.
It gave the filmmakers room to shape the prison atmosphere without relying on a real historic building or turning a working location into a tourist attraction. The downside for location hunters is obvious: there is no long list of streets, cafés or grand landmarks to recreate on a holiday. The upside is that the production has a clear, documented home. Sometimes the most interesting film-location discovery is learning that the impressive world on screen was built from scratch.
For anyone planning a trip, Santa Clarita Studios is the main destination to remember when exploring the filming history of Confession. The film was directed by Václav Marhoul, written by Ben Shapiro and produced by Bonfire Legend, with The Daily Wire handling distribution. Its cast includes Rob Lowe, James Franco, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Nick Nolte, Brad Dourif, Dean Norris and Emile Hirsch.
Principal photography took place in California from November to December 2025, with the studio-built setting allowing the production to recreate an entirely different historical world. Not every detail of a film's production is necessarily made public, but in this case the central location has been identified. Would you add Santa Clarita to your travel bucket list, or would you rather visit the real historical locations that inspired the film's setting? Share your thoughts and let us know!