Shoot Casablanca
Matchbox: John Cena and Jessica Biel filmed in Morocco
Sam Hargrave’s action film, released on Apple TV on 9 October 2026, shot its big scenes in Erfoud, Merzouga, Casablanca and El Jadida in March 2025.
By OFFSTAGE NEWS 2 min read
- Production
- Matchbox (Apple Studios, Skydance, Mattel)
- City
- Casablanca
- Dates
- March 2025
Matchbox, the action film produced by Apple, Skydance and Mattel, shot some of its big scenes in Morocco in March 2025. Directed by Sam Hargrave and starring John Cena and Jessica Biel, it was released on Apple TV on 9 October 2026.
The film is inspired by the famous Matchbox toy cars, created in 1953. John Cena plays Sean, a CIA agent who returns to his hometown and drags his childhood friends into a chase around the world.
From the desert to Casablanca
Filming began in Budapest in January 2025, and the crew arrived in Morocco in March.
- Erfoud and Merzouga: the first scenes in the desert, including four days of filming in Erfoud.
- Casablanca: the crew spent several days on avenue Mohamed Diouri. Videos shared on social media show John Cena shooting a car scene in the Derb Omar neighbourhood.
- Interiors: scenes were planned at the Royal Mansour Casablanca hotel and at the Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort in El Jadida.
The Moroccan shoot was due to end around 22 March. Filming then continued elsewhere and wrapped on 7 April 2025.
A Moroccan production company in charge
In Morocco, production was handled by Kasbah Films, Karim Debbagh’s company, which is used to big foreign shoots. John Cena and Jessica Biel were joined by part of the cast, including Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro and Daniel Bernhardt.
Casablanca, Erfoud, Merzouga: Morocco confirms its place among the favourite settings for international action films.
The film
Behind the camera is Sam Hargrave, a former stuntman and director of both Extraction films on Netflix. The screenplay is by David Coggeshall. Alongside John Cena and Jessica Biel are Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro and Teyonah Parris, as well as Corey Stoll, Golshifteh Farahani, Danai Gurira and Randeep Hooda.
After a premiere in New York on 5 October 2026, the film had a rather cool reception from critics, but it reached number one on Apple TV in the United States within its first 24 hours.
Key facts
- Film: Matchbox (2026), action
- Director: Sam Hargrave
- Cast: John Cena, Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris
- Filming in Morocco: March 2025, in Erfoud, Merzouga, Casablanca and El Jadida
- Production in Morocco: Kasbah Films
- Release: 9 October 2026 on Apple TV
- Running time: 2 h 06