Netflix's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was released last month and has been a runaway hit. It has a 93 per cent score on movie review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes and has been at the top of the streaming platform's most-watched films list since its release.
Set on a Greek island, the film's location and its costumes have an ultra-glamorous summer holiday feel, like watching the Instagram highlights of the rich and famous at times.
In fact, the location lead to friendly inter-cast bickering, with original cast member Jamie Lee Curtis joking she was "jealous" of the sequel's coastal Greek setting, compared to the cold Massachusetts mansion Knives Out (2019) was shot in.
For filmmaker Rian Johnson, the new location was a product of Covid-19 and a deliberate decision, as he wanted to make a "vacation mystery".
"I wanted to be on a beach vacation more than anything,” he told Netflix in September, referring to the period when he was writing the film in the middle of 2020 lockdowns.
The location he chose for his destination detective film was the luxury hotel Amanzoe in Porto Heli, Greece, which is described as a "hilltop paradise" — the hotel's Villa 20 to be specific.
According to Amazoe, the villa is a "masterpiece" inspired by the Acropolis. The hotel's listing for the villa reads: "Created in harmony with the surrounding landscape, the villa cascades down a hillside in six tiers of sculpture-dotted fragrant gardens. It features nine bedrooms and six private pools, a 650 square-metre spa, combining elegant indoor-outdoor living and space to sleep up to 18 guests.
"Ideal for events and celebrations, or simply an escape with room enough for the whole family, Villa 20 even has its very own Greek taverna serviced by the villa’s chef and host, who bring Aman’s intuitive service into what feels like one’s very own private home."
In the film, the villa provides the setting for billionaire Miles Bron's (Edward Norton) Greek island, where his "disruptor" friends — Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr) and Andi Brand (Janelle Monae) — travel under the pretence of a murder mystery party, with detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) in attendance.
A large glass atrium has been added on top of the sprawling villa, which production designer Rick Heinrichs told Architectural Digest serves as a metaphor for Bron's "interest in himself and the metaphorical fact that when you look into Miles, there's really nothing there".
Glass Onion was shot more than a year into the pandemic for almost four weeks in July 2021. Prior to shooting in Amanzoe, the film was on location on the Greek island Spetses for "three to four days", a representative for the hotel told The National. It was the first film to be shot at the hotel and the cast stayed at the resort for the duration of filming.
Also used for the Greek setting was a yacht named Aquarius, which is available to charter for $228,000 a week, according to Architectural Digest.
The house with the futuristic glass atrium doesn't exist in real life, but that hasn't stopped a fake Zillow advert from fooling plenty of people online.
An advert selling the Glass Onion "Greek isle commune" appeared on the US property site on December 29, promoting the property as "multi-layered living in paradise" with a $450,000,000 price tag. It is listed as having 17 bedrooms, 22 bathrooms and one rooftop parking space, spread over 2,700sqm.
However, the eagle-eyed quickly noticed the post is an advert paid for by Netflix and the real estate agent is listed as Derol Zabinski, the friend of Bron's staying on the island in the film, who is played by Noah Segan.
The listing reads: "Sleek architecture and sophisticated design with an equal eye toward nature and extravagance provide an unparalleled luxury living experience accessible only by boat and crowned by a glass onion atrium — an architectural triumph and one-of-a-kind piece de resistance adorning the main residence soaring 20 meters high.
"This private commune is the perfect retreat for groups of friends, families and enemies alike with the property boasting seven private studio villas — each inspired by a different chakra, six pools, a state-of-the-art gym featuring on-call private training sessions, lavish gardens and a multitude of entertaining spaces including a sunken living room and massive dining area perfect for hosting the most elaborate of murder mystery parties.
"Large-scale sculptures adorn the grounds, and the owners’ carefully curated and commissioned selection of high-end art including works by Banksy and Francis Bacon make this a truly priceless acquisition."
Glass Onion cast at the film's London premiere — in pictures
