Moon Knight Desert Scenes Shot On Same Location As Lawrence of Arabia
Moon Knight pays a subtle homage to Lawrence of Arabia, as the Marvel series shot its desert scenes on the same location as the 1962 Old Hollywood classic. Filmmakers took to Wadi Rum in Jordan to recreate the deserts of Egypt — a key setting in the story of Moon Knight, who receives his powers from the Egyptian god, Khonshu. The superhero's alter ego, Marc Spector, will then find himself entangled with other deities as he simultaneously deals with his own dissociative identity disorder (DID).
Authenticity was important in the making of Moon Knight, from its portrayal of mental illness to the depiction of Egyptian culture. Show creators hired a psychiatrist to work closely with the actors and directors to ensure accurate representation of DID. Director Mohamed Diab has also been outspoken about the MCU show's characterization of Egypt, aiming to stray from the "orientalism" often seen in films throughout Hollywood history.
Related: The One Non-Marvel Movie You Should Watch Before Moon Knight
Filming on location also helped draw out more authentic performances from the actors, according to Ethan Hawke, who plays villain Arthur Harrow. Hawke talked about shooting in the desert during a Moon Knight press conference (via Collider), saying that some scenes take place on the same spot where Lawrence of Arabia was filmed. He said:
We got to be on the deserts in Jordan and literally were on location where they shot Lawrence of Arabia. One of the things that surprised me about the Marvel Universe is that it’s fun, acting in front of a lot of green screens. I come from theater training. I enjoyed all that, and pretending something was there and that you were on top of a pyramid. And then, when you’re really in the desert, it’s so
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