A film called Positano with Matthew McConaughey and Zoe Saldaña that barely filmed in Positano

Early reports from the set in Salerno confirm that filming began on the water, with McConaughey seen aboard a boat alongside director Daniel Roher, capturing the first scenes on the coast that gives the film its name. 

Positano itself – the vertical clifftop village of narrow streets, ceramic-tiled domes and bobbing fishing boats – features in the film. But the Amalfi leg is the opening chapter. The real work of the production moves north.

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The heart of the production beats between the waters of Lake Iseo and the small towns of the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo. Filming officially began on May 25 in Tavernola Bergamasca, a small village on the shores of Lake Iseo, before moving the following day to Iseo itself. The schedule then continued to Lovere on May 28, back to Tavernola on June 3, and to Lovere again on June 5.

Lake Iseo – known locally as the Sebino – is the fourth-largest lake in Lombardy, less famous than Como or Garda. McConaughey and Saldaña were spotted on the shores and waters of Lake Iseo during filming, with the former mayor of Montisola sharing the first images of the two actors photographed during a break at Villa della Solitudine, at the port of Siviano.

In Iseo town, filming shut down Piazza Garibaldi, Piazza Statuto, Largo Zanardelli, and several surrounding streets and alleyways for a full day of shooting. The waterfront, Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Statuto were transformed into a large open-air film set – a project described by local authorities as "an international project of the highest level." 

The more viscerally exciting scenes happened at Tavernola. Cameras captured cars racing at full speed along the roads and lakefront of Tavernola in controlled conditions. Those who were watching described something between a film shoot and a Formula racing event, played out on the kind of provincial lakeside road where the speed limit is normally 50 kilometres per hour.

In Lovere – a medieval town on the northern tip of Lake Iseo, known for its Tadini gallery and its elegant piazza facing the water – filming took place across Piazza Tredici Martiri, the historic centre, and surrounding streets on multiple days.

From July 4 through July 10, Viterbo became one of the principal sets for Positano. The Teatro dell'Unione and Piazza Giuseppe Verdi were used for filming, with additional scenes shot on July 7 and 8 along Strada Freddano and Viale Raniero Capocci. The production base was set up at Largo San Paolo, with spaces at the local Chamber of Commerce used for logistics and supporting cast.

After Viterbo, the crew moved to Rome for the film's final Italian chapter before the scheduled wrap on July 23.

Positano wraps July 23. It will arrive on Netflix – most likely in 2027.