Woody Allen’s New Film ‘Magic in the Moonlight’ – A Romantic Getaway Through Southern France

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team

Directed by comedy master Woody Allen, his new film ‘Magic in the Moonlight’ takes him back to Europe for filming. Set in the glamorous and hedonistic Roaring Twenties, the story features mature heartthrob Colin Firth as a brilliant yet arrogant magician who is sent to the south of France to expose the secrets of charming beauty Emma Stone, who plays a sweet and gifted young psychic.

“Nice is an unbelievably beautiful city!” Woody Allen exclaimed. To match the architectural style of the 1920s, the film was shot in several southern French cities along the Côte d'Azur. The first magic show scene featuring Colin Firth took place at the nearly 130-year-old, world-renowned Opéra de Nice. Thanks to the well-preserved interior and its Baroque decor, the setting became even more magnificent for the on-screen magic performance. In the film, the two characters take shelter from the rain and gaze at the romantic starry sky at an observatory – this was filmed at the Nice Observatory. The 19th-century domed building, equipped with a massive telescope, is also a spot where local celebrities like Elton John and U2’s lead singer Bono have held private gatherings. Truly super romantic!

Woody Allen is extremely meticulous about set design, so to fully immerse ‘Magic in the Moonlight’ in the 1920s atmosphere, the crew specifically filmed near the historic Hotel Negresco in central Nice. The classic buildings, each floor exquisitely decorated and exceptionally well-preserved, resemble a museum. The grand ballroom scenes featuring large-scale dances, where Emma Stone frequently flirts with Colin Firth and their love gradually ignites, were shot at the mansion of billionaire Eilen Roc in Antibes.

The scenes where Colin Firth and Emma Stone's relationship deepens—such as dining at a restaurant and hanging out at a bar—were all filmed at the Hôtel Belle Rives in Beaulieu-sur-Mer. The hotel’s La Passagère restaurant is famed as having the most stunning sea view on the entire Côte d'Azur. A romantic dinner paired with breathtaking scenery is absolutely enchanting, but that’s just the beginning of the magical love battle between the spirited psychic Emma Stone and the arrogant magician Colin Firth.