Some scenes in the over-budget film Ishtar were shot in Morocco. The 1987 comedy follows two unsuccessful American singer-songwriters, played by Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman, who become caught up in an international political adventure while trying to perform abroad.
Morocco provided the film with convincing North African desert and Middle Eastern-looking landscapes. The production also filmed in New York City, so Morocco was not the location for every scene. The wording matters: the film’s Moroccan photography was part of a larger production spread across multiple locations.
Ishtar became famous before release because of its escalating costs, reports of creative clashes, and the unusual decision to send a major Hollywood comedy production to demanding overseas locations. Director Elaine May’s meticulous process and the film’s expensive location work contributed to its reputation as a legendary box-office disappointment. Despite that history, later critics and audiences have reassessed the movie, especially its deliberately awkward songs and the chemistry between Beatty and Hoffman.
The film is now remembered both as a “bomb” and as a cult comedy whose production story became almost as famous as its plot.