The Hills Have Eyes 2 Filming Locations: Ouarzazate, Morocco

The Hills Have Eyes 2 trades sun-scorched New Mexico for a mutant-infested wasteland — but the cameras never crossed the Atlantic. The Hills Have Eyes 2 filming locations sit in and around Ouarzazate, Morocco, the desert city that has doubled for half the world on screen. So where was The Hills Have Eyes 2 filmed? In and around Ouarzazate, at Atlas Studios, the same Moroccan desert where the earlier film was made.

One detail confuses almost every reader: the story unfolds in a fictional New Mexico desert, while the real shoot happened in Morocco. New Mexico is the on-screen setting only. In this guide, we break down the Ouarzazate filming locations behind the sequel and how you can visit them.

Ouarzazate — The Hollywood of Africa

Ouarzazate sits at the gateway to the Sahara, where the High Atlas gives way to wide valleys of rock and sand. That setting earned the city its nickname, the “Hollywood of Africa.” For decades, crews have used its desert as a blank canvas that can pass for almost anywhere.

The sequel returned to a city the filmmakers already knew well. The earlier film in the series had also been shot here, so Ouarzazate was familiar terrain for the production team. It is also a working Moroccan town, not a theme park, which adds to its appeal. It is the kind of place where a film crew blends into everyday life.

What makes the landscape so film-friendly:

• Atlas foothills: rocky slopes that read as everything from Afghanistan to Ancient Rome.
• Ancient kasbahs: mud-brick fortresses that look centuries old on camera.
• Dry plains: flat, cracked ground that suits any desert story.
• Clean light: bright, even sunshine that keeps shooting days predictable.

Atlas Studios and The Hills Have Eyes 2 Set

Atlas Studios is one of the largest film studios in Africa, and it sits just outside Ouarzazate. It was the production base for the sequel, whose desert sets and remote base camps were built and shot here. The director-producer’s official site posted directly from “Ouarzazate, Morocco” during the shoot, confirming the production was on location.

The sequel was directed by Martin Weisz and written by Wes Craven and Jonathan Craven. Fans curious about Atlas Studios Morocco can walk the backlots that hosted the mutant-desert world.

Visitors can join a guided studio tour to see the standing sets and props, from whole forts to desert outposts.

The Desert Terrain That Doubled for New Mexico

On screen, the action plays out in the New Mexico desert, where National Guard trainees battle a mutant clan at a remote military base. That wasteland is pure fiction, but the geography is real — it is Morocco’s desert standing in for the American Southwest.

Ouarzazate’s arid hills gave the production the hostile, empty look the story needed. No recognizable landmarks or city skyline are visible, so the desert reads as anywhere the script wants.

The same dry ridges and dusty tracks from the film are still there, minus the mutants.

Why the desert worked as a stand-in:

• Similar geology: dry, rocky hills that echo the American Southwest.
• Empty horizons: wide, unbroken views that sell total isolation.
• Heat and dust: practical conditions that make desert survival feel real.

Why Morocco’s Film Desert Endures

Ouarzazate’s run as a film hub is no accident. The city offers a rare mix: desert, mountains, kasbahs and coast, all within a day’s drive. Productions can shoot several “countries” in one trip without leaving the region.

The infrastructure helps too. Purpose-built studios, experienced local crews and reliable desert logistics make Ouarzazate a practical choice for big productions. Nearby, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou adds an instantly recognizable kasbah backdrop.

The light helps too. Long, clear days and dramatic sunsets give crews reliable conditions.

Films drawn to the region include:

• Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven
• The Mummy and Game of Thrones
• The Witcher and, of course, The Hills Have Eyes series

Plan Your Hills Have Eyes Morocco Trip

Seeing the sequel’s terrain for yourself is simpler than most fans expect. Ouarzazate has an airport, and the studio, the kasbahs and the desert are all reachable on a private itinerary. Roads are good, and the desert drive is part of the experience. A local guide adds the production stories that no signboard tells.

Our 4-Day Morocco Desert Tour from Ouarzazate – Merzouga & Cultural Highlights pairs the film city with the dunes of Merzouga. For a route that connects the studios with Marrakech, try our 4-Day Guided Morocco Tour: Ouarzazate to Marrakech Desert Adventure.

Most trips add the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ait Benhaddou, a short drive away, to the desert route.

We can customize a tour to match your needs — design your perfect itinerary