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After years of globe-trotting and rating luxury resorts, Poppy Wright (Emily Bader) has realised that her career isn’t as rosy as she thought it would be. Adulting had become tougher now she’s stopped her impulsive annual trips with best friend Alex (Tom Blyth). Alex, previously a grump from Ohio, had found a new lease on life with Poppy as they explored the Canadian wilderness, New Orleans’s nightlife, and Tuscany’s vineyards.
Now only a destination wedding in Barcelona can bring them back together. This is the exotic multi-destination scope of Netflix’s latest romantic comedy People We Meet on Vacation. Based on Emily Henry’s bestselling novel of the same name, the film’s release is perfectly timed to welcome in the new year – especially if you’re experiencing a bad case of January wanderlust.
From sunny beaches to forested campsites, People We Meet on Vacation offers several scenic backdrops aplenty. Time Out sat down with the film’s production designer Bruce Curtis (Hit Man) to delve deeper into the filming locations of this new Netflix original.
Where was People We Meet on Vacation filmed?
Despite its sprawling spread of locations, Curtis reveals that filming mostly took place in and around New Orleans and Barcelona. ‘Everything else was cheated or built from scratch,’ he says. So Ohio’s suburbs were recreated outside New Orleans, while Catalonia’s pinewoods doubled for the Canadian town of Squamish, near Vancouver. Here’s how they pulled it off.
Spain doubles for Squamish, Canada
The first trip that Poppy and Alex embark on takes them to the forested exteriors of Squamish, Canada. Here they hop around campsites, navigate lakes, and pass by a local outdoor market. While these outdoor locations look distinctly Canadian, this trip to Canada (or as Poppy calls it, ‘the more polite version of the US’) was filmed in Spain.
‘We lucked out on some beautiful tall pines that were planted by an American outside Barcelona and had this beautiful forest that looked very similar to Canada,’ says Curtis. The Masjoan tree plantation, she explains, provided the location for Poppy and Alex’s campsite. Located in northeastern Spain, this scenic estate boasts 58 species of conifers that had stood here since 1860.
As for the lakeside that they wander upon during their Canadian travels, filming took place in Terradets, a dazzling gorge and rock-climbing location in Catalonia. The neighbouring water reservoir Pantà de Terradets doubles for the Squamish River in Canada.
Poppy’s Tuscan villa is a historic Catalan farmhouse
In one of their annual travels, Poppy hosts Alex in a lavish villa in Tuscany, the kind that’s draped with crawling vines and stands next to a vineyard. Twelfth century Catalan farmhouse Can Llambí stood in for the Tuscan villa.
‘This was tough to find,’ admits Curtis, ‘because we were really looking for a vista that [tells the viewer] that we are in Tuscany. I was looking for cypress trees, vineyards.’ The conundrum was solved when the crew stumbled across Can Llambí in the Catalonian town of Llagostera.
The farmhouse dates back several centuries but received significant renovation in the early 20th century. Look out for its mortared stone walls and spacious hallways in People We Meet on Vacation. The only challenge can from the adjoining farm. ‘The cattle had to be moved,’ laughs Curtis.
Poppy’s New York apartment was filmed on a Barcelona soundstage
Poppy might travel to fancy locations for work, but her Manhattan apartment is anything but chic. The cramped New York property was built on a stage in Barcelona. Curtis notes that she and director Brett Haley wanted the apartment to feel ‘a bit closed and bleak’ because ‘this was not her happy place’.
In the miniseries, Poppy can be founding typing away at her publication R+R’s (‘Rest + Recreation’) swanky corporate offices. IRL, the R+R HQ is actually the offices of Barcelona modelling agency Blow. ‘I just added the R+R branding and dressed it,’ says Curtis. ‘That location is so sexy.’
The Barcelona rental is a high-end Airbnb
When Poppy is invited to Alex’s brother’s wedding, she chooses to rent out a cosy property in Barcelona – or so she thinks. With broken air-conditioning and plastic sheets blocking all ventilation, the rental becomes a sweat-soaked hellscape. While the walls were originally white, they were painted yellow to contrast with Poppy’s colourless New York apartment. Unlike its on-screen version, the property is actually a high-end Airbnb in Barcelona.
New Orleans’ Bourbon Street cameos as itself
One of the film’s most colourful segments unfolds in New Orleans, as Alex and Poppy bask in the city’s festive spirit, dancing and drinking at its nightlife hotspots. ‘When we were on Bourbon Street it was pure chaos,’ says Curtis. ‘The exciting New Orleans culture offered a contrast to Poppy’s drab Manhattan apartment.’
Poppy and Alex’s homes were filmed outside New Orleans
As for all things Ohio, the crew set themselves up on the outskirts of New Orleans. Suburban neighbourhoods were used to recreate the homely feel of Linfield, Ohio; including Alex’s family home, which sets the stage for some of the film’s more romantic moments.
‘We had these generous neighbourhoods, maybe 45 minutes outside New Orleans,’ says Curtis. ‘Growing up in Ohio, I had a good reference.’
Barcelona Blue Museum hosted the wedding rehearsal dinner
Before the actual wedding takes place, Poppy and Alex are requested for the rehearsal dinner at a modernist, luxurious complex. These scenes were filmed at the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, also known as Museu Blau for its grey-blue exterior.
The museum is a great example of minimalist contemporary architecture, and more importantly, spacious enough to host a wedding party. ‘There were no straight lines, no right right angles, just geometric chaos,’ says Curtis. ‘Which I love.’
The Barcelona wedding takes place at a fancy Costa Brava property
The wedding itself unfurls at the Casa de Santa Clotilde, a stunning seaside location atop a cliff that has hosted previous productions, including Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon. The property’s Renaissance-inspired architecture, Mediterranean-facing views and lush gardens make it more than ideal for a larger-than-life destination wedding.
Platja Boadella stood in for the beach scenes
All beach sequences are captured in their lethargic glory at the Platja Boadella, a pristine cove located in Spain’s Costa Brava region. A one-hour drive from Barcelona, it’s a scenic getaway for locals and tourists, with one section of the beach even offering a ‘nudist section’ for the unshy.
Who stars in People We Meet on Vacation?
Emily Jane leads the cast as travel writer Poppy along with Tom Blyth who plays her best friend Alex. While Jane is known for starring in the Prime Video period comedy My Lady Jane, Blyth’s credits include a turn as a younger President Snow in the Hunger Games prequel A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The ensemble includes Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) as Poppy’s boss while Alan Ruck (Succession) and Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live) play her parents. Other cast members include Lukas Gage (You), Lucien Laviscount (Emily in Paris), and Sarah Catherine Hook (The White Lotus season 3).
Where can I watch the show?
People We Meet on Vacation streams on Netflix from Friday, January 9.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, watch it below.
