Exorcist: The Beginning Filming Locations: Morocco & Rome

A buried church appears perfectly preserved beneath the Turkana desert, and a priest who has lost his faith is sent to uncover its secret. That haunting image drives the supernatural horror prequel centered on a younger Father Lankester Merrin. If you are curious about Exorcist: The Beginning filming locations, the answer is a tale of two worlds: vast Moroccan desert for the Kenya exteriors and the soundstages of Rome for the interiors.

In this guide we break down where was Exorcist: The Beginning filmed, spotlight the Exorcist: The Beginning Morocco filming locations you can actually visit, and briefly explain the Rome chapter — so you can plan a film-inspired journey without chasing a temporary set.

Where Was Exorcist: The Beginning Filmed?

Where was Exorcist: The Beginning filmed? The production split between Morocco for exteriors and Italy for interiors. The story is set at a British dig at Derati in Turkana, Kenya, where a pristine Byzantine church has been unearthed intact. Kenya itself was never the location. For security and logistics, the filmmakers doubled Morocco for Kenya and built the church interiors in Rome.

The film has a unique history. An initial version was shot with cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, then the studio felt the cut was too psychological and not scary enough. A second director reworked the script and the film was effectively restarted. That is why two titles are often discussed together — the theatrical release and a later alternate cut. Simple takeaway: the desert you see is Moroccan, the church you enter is Roman.

Warner Bros. notes, IMDb, Variety and the Los Angeles Times confirm the Morocco-to-Rome structure, though they differ on how many Moroccan shots survived. We flag that uncertainty instead of claiming one exact dune.

Exorcist: The Beginning Morocco Filming Locations

The Exorcist: The Beginning Morocco filming locations were chosen to sell an endless, sun-scorched plain. The database listing points to Casablanca as the production hub, while the cinematic desert was accessed via the Ouarzazate corridor. Reports describe an exterior church and dig built on open desert outside Marrakech, with coverage across the southern belt. Think of Morocco as a corridor, not a single pin — the same desert system that has doubled for countless historical films.

Key spots to understand:

• Casablanca hub: Official credit and logistics base. No standing set remains, but it explains the database entry.
• Marrakech desert fringe: Open hamada and dry riverbeds used for the Derati dig and church exterior.
• Ouarzazate corridor: The broader destination for southern desert filmmaking, linking Atlas Studios and the approach to the dunes.

Other Filming Locations: Cinecittà Studios in Rome

While Morocco gave the horizon, Cinecittà Studios in Rome gave the rooms where dread builds. The Byzantine church interior, its crypt, tunnels and hospital sequences were built on soundstages in Rome. The art department created a full church that could be lit to feel sacred and wrong at once, with frescoes and stone that look ancient yet untouched.

The studio concentration explains why Rome is the only non-Morocco location to remember. The first shoot spent weeks building church and crypt at Cinecittà, then the later reshoot spent a full winter block rebuilding and re-shooting interiors at the same studios. No other international city was used as a stand-in.

If Morocco is about visiting a living desert, Rome is about craft. The interiors were struck after filming, so there is nothing to tour that corresponds to the nave. Keep your travel focus on Morocco, where the landscape endures.

Can You Visit the Filming Locations Today?

You cannot visit a preserved Exorcist church set — it was temporary — but you can visit the Morocco film corridor that gave the movie its desert. Base in Ouarzazate, long called the Hollywood of Morocco, and you connect the film’s atmosphere to a real journey.

Highlights:

• Atlas Studios, Ouarzazate: One of Africa’s largest studios, spread over a desert plain with standing sets. The guided tour shows backlots and scale.
• UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou: Thirty minutes from Ouarzazate, this earthen ksar shows the same packed-clay architecture that reads as timeless.
• Erg Chebbi near Merzouga: Farther east, a vast dune field. A sunset camel trek and night in a luxury desert camp here mirrors the Turkana emptiness.

How to string them together:

• Route: Marrakech → Tizi n’Tichka → Ait Benhaddou → Ouarzazate → Dades and Todra gorges → Merzouga
• Pace and stay: Private vehicle with driver allows short drive blocks; hand-picked riads plus a luxury desert camp under the stars

Plan Your Own Morocco Film Locations Adventure

The desert that doubled for Kenya still stretches wide, and the studios that built the church still welcome visitors. You can trace the spirit of the Exorcist: The Beginning filming locations without the original set — because the landscapes that convinced the camera are still there, best enjoyed with local insight and hassle-free logistics.

For a concise, film-corridor-focused journey, consider the 4-Day Morocco Desert Tour from Ouarzazate, which can include Atlas Studios, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou, and the night in Erg Chebbi that brings the Turkana illusion to life. If you want to connect the desert to the imperial cities, the 4-Day Guided Morocco Tour: Ouarzazate to Marrakech Desert Adventure links Ouarzazate, the gorges, and Merzouga before returning over the High Atlas to Marrakech.

Ready to design your perfect itinerary? Head to our customize-tour page and tell us your days, camp style, and the film spots you most want to feel. Our local team will craft a private, tailor-made route that feels like family.