 Although it looks like the film was shot on an actual island with a  mansion, it is far from the truth. The production was shot in  Crimea, utilizing the peninsulas two famous mansions, the Swallows  Nest and the Vorontsov Estate. Both houses were situated on large,  circular cliffs that Crimea is famous for, thus creating the  illusion of an island. However, when the house is seen in the  exterior scenes, it is actually a scale model, shot with actors  using forced perspective.