Where was And Then There Were None filmed? Explore the filming locations for all versions of Agatha Christie’s most chilling classic.
Agatha Christie wrote, And Then There Were None, on a lonely island off the Devon coast – and filmmakers everywhere promptly said, “What if we trapped them somewhere even worse?”
Over the decades, this story of ten guilty strangers and one haunting nursery rhyme has been dropped onto storm-lashed cliffs, snowy alpine lodges, sun-baked deserts, Soviet cliff castles, and even the middle of the African wilderness.
Same paranoia. Same suspicious dinner conversations. Wildly different places to regret accepting an invitation. Because the genius of And Then There Were None isn’t the island – it’s the isolation. And every adaptation proves that if you put ten nervous people somewhere remote enough, Christie’s tension does the rest.
First published in 1939 under a controversial title, the book was retitled Ten Little Indians before eventually being standardized worldwide as And Then There Were None.
This is your fan guide to all the filming locations that turned beaches into blizzards, hotels into death traps, and safari camps into murder scenes – the real places where this timeless mystery came to life on screen.
Table of Contents
🕵️♂️ Where Was And Then There Were None Filmed?
From sun-drenched Californian coasts pretending to be England, to Devon’s tidal islands, to snow-capped alpine alternatives, the filming locations for Agatha Christie’s most haunting tale tell a story as compelling as the murder mystery unfolding within the house.
By the end, you might just want to pack a bag and see them for yourself – though maybe leave your dinner invite at home.
🏝️ And Then There Were None (1945)
Hollywood in the 1940s had one rule: if you can’t find a remote island, make one.
The 1945 adaptation of And Then There Were None did exactly that, mixing real coastal shots with studio magic to convince audiences that these guests were trapped far from civilization.
Although the story unfolds on a remote Devon island, the filmmakers recreated it entirely with studio sets and carefully chosen coastal scenery. Somehow, it worked – audiences bought it completely.
RKO Studios provided the interiors – dining halls, bedrooms, and hallways – while the rocky California coastline stood in for the ominous cliffs. Clever editing, a few strategically placed rocks, and stormy backdrops completed the illusion. Audiences were none the wiser.
Fun trivia: This version softens Christie’s famously bleak ending. Spoiler: In the book, everyone dies. In the film, Hollywood opted for slightly less despair. Turns out 1940s Hollywood wasn’t ready for a full-on mass-murder finale.
📍 Filming Locations
- Point Dume, Malibu: Rocky exteriors doubling as the mysterious island cliffs.
- Laguna Beach coastline: Moody seaside shots standing in for Devon.
- RKO Studios, Hollywood: Interiors of the mansion, including the tense dining and bedroom scenes.
- Studio backlot storm effects: Thunder, lightning, and ominous weather, all manufactured.
The takeaway: Any location remote enough to make the guests feel vulnerable works perfectly – and in Hollywood’s hands, even California feels terrifyingly isolated.
🌊 And Then There Were None (2015)
The 2015 BBC adaptation turned isolation into a character. Real cliffs, crashing waves, and that damp, wind-whipped atmosphere gave viewers the chills.
So, where was And Then There Were None 2015 filmed? The star location was Burgh Island, Devon, a tidal island you can walk to at low tide. The mansion exterior is the Burgh Island Hotel, a stunning Art Deco building that appears innocent until you remember everyone inside is doomed.
Unlike the 1945 version, there was no hiding behind studio trickery. This is the one where you can almost feel the sea spray on your face. The production also used locations in Cornwall and Dartmoor for its dramatic coastal scenes.
Filming here wasn’t just about aesthetics – the tides, weather, and logistics created real tension on set. The cast reportedly had to time scenes carefully around changing tides, adding authenticity to the story’s isolation.
📍 Filming Locations
- Burgh Island, Devon: Exterior shots of Soldier Island, including the iconic pier and cliffs.
- Burgh Island Hotel: Main mansion and character scenes, where interiors matched Christie’s descriptions.
- Hope Cove & South Devon coast: Dramatic clifftop walks and shoreline moments, perfect for suspenseful shots.
- Cornwall: Mullion Cove, Kynance Cove, Newquay, and Holywell Bay were used in coastal scenes.
- Dartmoor: Bleak, misty landscapes used as inserts to enhance mood and tension.
- Shepperton Studios: Used for interior dining sequences, bedrooms, and hallways when controlled conditions were needed.
This is the adaptation that turns curiosity into a travel plan. Imagine stepping onto the island, feeling the wind, counting guests, and perhaps reconsidering your next dinner invitation.
Fun trivia: The BBC paid close attention to small details from Christie’s book – the nursery rhyme, the black figures on the wall, and even the arrangement of the ten figurines – making this version feel like the most faithful visual representation of Soldier Island yet.
🌵 And Then There Were None (1974)
Over the years, And Then There Were None has inspired global adaptations that experimented with location while keeping isolation central.
A 1974 Iranian adaptation starring Oliver Reed and Richard Attenborough took it to the sun-baked desert settings of Shah Abbas (now Abbasi Hotel) in Isfahan, Iran, showing that suspense doesn’t need waves, just a sense of vulnerability.
To sell the remote, desert feel around the hotel, the production also used several historic sites, including the Shah Mosque, Ruins of Persepolis, the Terrace of Ālī Qāpū Palace, and the Bam Citadel.
Some broad desert exteriors showing the hotel’s remote setting were filmed in Almería, Spain, in actual desert landscapes.
📍 Filming Locations
- Shah Abbas/Abbasi Hotel, Isfahan: Elaborate, seemingly deserted hotel in the story.
- Shah Mosque, Isfahan: Hotel exterior and main entrance in some shots.
- Ruins of Persepolis (near Shiraz): Desolate grounds surrounding the hotel.
- Terrace of Ālī Qāpū Palace, Isfahan: Visually integrated into the ruins scenes.
- Bam Citadel: One of the desert sequences tied to a key character’s death.
- Almería, Spain: Desert scenes showing the remote setting.
The takeaway: A perfect “island” is any place remote enough to make guests feel on edge. Whether snow, desert, or stormy coast, the location becomes a silent character, amplifying tension and paranoia.
🏔️ Ten Little Indians (1965)
Not every adaptation bothers with a storm‑tossed island. The 1965 Ten Little Indians cranked the isolation up to eleven with snow, ice, and alpine peaks trapping the guests in a mountain lodge in the Austrian Alps, surrounded by frozen forests and sheer drops.
Filming cleverly mixed locations, Zillertal Alps in Tirol, Austria, provided the jaw‑dropping alpine exteriors, while Kenure House in Rush, Ireland, doubled as the cozy yet ominous lodge interiors.
The snowy setting inspired new suspense beats: characters vanish into blizzards instead of cliffs, and long shots of endless peaks make you wonder if anyone survived the hike to breakfast.
📍 Filming Locations
- Zillertal Alps, Tirol, Austria: Snowy peaks, forests, and alpine landscapes used for exterior shots.
- Kenure House, Rush, Ireland: Interior mansion rooms, staircases, and lodge exteriors.
The takeaway: Cold, crisp air and isolated trails substitute for the ocean perfectly – proving that you don’t need water to make a murder mystery deadly.
🦁 Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians (1989)
Just when you thought the guests couldn’t be dropped anywhere more inconvenient than an island, this version says: “What about the middle of the African wilderness?”
The 1989 Ten Little Indians takes Christie’s carefully arranged paranoia and relocates it to a remote safari lodge, where the animals aren’t the only predators.
Instead of cliffs and crashing waves, the characters are surrounded by endless landscape, dusty tracks, and the uncomfortable realization that the nearest help is probably three jeep rides away.
This adaptation leans into the idea that isolation isn’t about water – it’s about being very, very far from civilization with people you absolutely do not trust. The lodge replaces the mansion, the savannah replaces the sea, and the tension comes with a side of heatstroke.
📍 Filming Locations
- South Africa: Vast savannah, dry bushland, and wide horizons used to sell the feeling that help is very, very far away.
- Safari camp areas: Lodge exteriors filmed at real bush locations near game reserve terrain, standing in for Christie’s mansion.
- On-site camp sets: Dining scenes, bedrooms, and those increasingly awkward group meetings staged in safari-style interiors built to feel deep in the wilderness.
Fun fact: Unlike other adaptations that proudly name castles, hotels, or estates, this production simply says “South Africa” and leaves the exact lodge a mystery – which, honestly, feels very on-brand for a Christie plot.
🌨️ Soviet Version: Ten Little Indians (1987)
Some adaptations like to soften the suspense. Not this one. The 1987 Soviet film, Ten Little Indians keeps every murder, every guilty glance, and that famously bleak ending intact – no Hollywood compromise here.
Instead of a stormy island, the guests are trapped in a remote cliffside mansion perched above the Black Sea, surrounded by forests, cliffs, and the kind of isolation that makes even a tea break feel like a life-or-death gamble.
The filmmakers combined studio interiors with the dramatic natural landscapes of Crimea to convince viewers that this mansion is truly in the middle of nowhere.
📍 Filming Locations
- Swallow’s Nest (Lastochkino Gnezdo), Crimea: Iconic cliffside castle doubles as the mansion’s exterior for sweeping wide shots.
- Vorontsov Palace, Alupka, Crimea: Grand cliffside estate used for additional exterior shots, adding elegance and suspense.
- Crimean Cliffs, Black Sea: Rugged coastline used to create the sense of a remote island mansion.
- Studio sets & miniatures: Interior mansion rooms, staircases, and forced-perspective exteriors for close-up shots.
The takeaway: You don’t need an ocean to feel trapped – just a cliff, a mansion, and some ominous forests. This version proves that paranoia travels well, even behind the Iron Curtain.
📚 Christie History & Book Trivia Fans Love
Before it became a movie, TV series, or a hot topic for location-hunting fans, this Agatha Christie murder mystery was a literary sensation – her most famous mystery, and arguably her masterpiece.
If you’re a Christie fan who ever wondered where And Then There Were None was published, and more, here are some facts and trivia you might enjoy:
- First published: 1939, London, by Collins Crime Club
- Original title: The original title of the poem included a racial slur and was later changed globally to the version we know today.
- The poem: That eerie nursery rhyme isn’t decoration – it structures the plot, guiding the fate of each guest.
- Writing challenge: Christie admitted this was one of her toughest books to write.
- Sales: Over 100 million copies sold, making it the world’s best-selling mystery novel.
- Characters: Figures like General MacArthur remain fan favorites, haunting readers with guilt and secrets.
- That gloomy ending: Darker and more haunting than most screen versions dare to show.
- Fun fact: You can listen to the audiobook, but nothing beats curling up with the paperback and imagining the island yourself.
Christie’s masterpiece is more than a whodunit; it’s the ultimate locked-room story. Every dinner party, every shadow, and every step through the mansion becomes fraught with suspicion, making readers second-guess anyone who smiles too much at dessert.
📺 Where to Watch And Then There Were None
So, where is And Then There Were None streaming? Here’s where you can watch each version:
- And Then There Were None 1945 Movie: Prime Video, DVD.
- And Then There Were None 2015 BBC Series: Prime Video, PBS Masterpiece, BBC iPlayer (UK), Blu-ray, DVD.
- And Then There Were None (1965): Prime Video, DVD.
- And Then There Were None (1974): Prime Video, DVD.
- Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians (1989): Prime Video.
- Russian with subtitles – Ten Little Indians (1987): Prime Video.
Pro tip: The 2015 series is widely regarded as the most faithful adaptation, with Charles Dance at his sinister best – and the only one that lets you truly feel the island’s isolation without leaving your living room.
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