When Hollywood Came to the Himalayas: My Black Narcissus Story
When the call came for Black Narcissus, I knew this was going to be an extraordinary project. This was not just another shoot. It was a Hollywood mini series produced in partnership between Disney and BBC, based on Rumer Godden’s novel and adapted from the 1947 Oscar winning film. It was going to be filmed partly in the remote Himalayan region of Nepal and it needed flawless execution from start to finish.
Our team at Location Nepal was responsible for making the impossible possible. Over a period of months we built entire Himalayan sets including an entire house for Mr. Dean and a bustling market square. We even constructed a rugged trail and road through the mountains carefully carved into the rock to give cast, crew, and horses safe access to the palace location perched high on the cliff.
Costumes and props were meticulously designed to resemble the early 1900s period. The production brought together hundreds of local and international crew, trucks of equipment, and a fleet of vehicles. We built roads to previously inaccessible filming spots and worked inside centuries old monasteries with real monks ensuring the utmost respect for cultural traditions.
Health and safety were paramount. We had paramedics, doctors, nurses, a fully equipped mini hospital, and a standby helicopter for emergency rescue. Our work involved horses, donkeys, mules, and even a majestic white yak who became a star on set.
When filming wrapped, we dismantled the sets with the same precision and care we built them following strict safety and environmental guidelines. This was about leaving the region exactly as we found it while ensuring the communities benefited economically during our stay.
The result was a visually stunning series that captured the spirit and beauty of the Himalayas. Black Narcissus (2020) aired in the US on FX and FX on Hulu, and in the UK on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
For me this project was a showcase of what we do best; delivering international film production services in Nepal that are smooth, efficient, and world class. It is why so many major studios and OTT platforms choose us again and again.
If you are a global studio, production company, or creative director looking for seamless line production in Nepal, you already know who to call.
