Positano Netflix movie : McConaughey and Saldaña star

Principal photography on Netflix's Positano officially kicked off on May 11, 2026 — and we've been tracking this one closely since it first surfaced as a hot spec script back in December 2025. Netflix moved fast. The streamer acquired the package and greenlit production within months, a pace that tells you everything about how much confidence the platform has in this project.

Cameras rolling in Italy : what we know about the Positano shoot

The first images from the set speak for themselves. Matthew McConaughey and director Daniel Roher were spotted together aboard a boat near Salerno, capturing what looks like the opening sequences of the film. The Amalfi Coast as a backdrop isn't subtle — it's a deliberate visual statement. Zoe Saldaña, while not yet photographed on set, is already in the area with her partner Marco Perego, with her scenes scheduled to begin shortly.

Despite the title, Positano won't limit itself to a single location. Production listings confirm the crew will move across several Italian landscapes over the summer, with Lake Iseo among the confirmed shooting spots. The film is currently operating under the working title TONNO — a classic industry move to limit spoilers and control access on location.

Here's a quick breakdown of what we know about the production so far :

• Production start : May 11, 2026
• Filming wrap (scheduled) : Mid-July 2026
• Primary locations : Salerno, Positano, Lake Iseo (Italy)
• Working title : TONNO
• Genre : Romantic caper

Netflix is keeping the plot tightly under wraps, as it tends to do with its major theatrical-style features. What's confirmed is the "romantic caper" label — think Mediterranean charm colliding with high-energy heist mechanics. It's a pairing that sounds tailor-made for two leads with this kind of screen presence.

A cast and crew built to deliver a Netflix tentpole

This production carries serious weight on both sides of the camera. Matthew McConaughey is riding genuine momentum after The Lost Bus, while Zoe Saldaña arrives fresh off an Academy Award win for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Netflix's Emilia Pérez — making this reunion with the platform feel intentional rather than coincidental.

Behind the camera, Daniel Roher steps into his first big-budget narrative feature after winning an Oscar for the documentary Navalny and earning strong reviews for his narrative debut Tuner. The script comes from the writing duo Alessandro Tanaka and Brian Gatewood, who previously worked on Sharper.

Working Title Films — the London-based production house behind titles like Love Actually and Darkest Hour — produces alongside Kylo Productions and Italian outfit Wildside. That local Italian partnership likely explains the smooth access to such iconic filming locations. This isn't a production parachuting in for a week of second-unit shots — it's a full summer-long Italian shoot.

When can you expect to find Positano on Netflix ?

Filming runs from mid-May through mid-July 2026 — roughly two months of principal photography. Post-production on a project of this scale typically takes twelve to eighteen months. Running the numbers, a late 2027 release window looks most realistic. Don't hold your breath for a 2026 drop, even if Netflix tries to accelerate its pipeline.

For context, if you want to keep tabs on what's currently landing on the platform, our coverage of new on Netflix in April 2026 : the biggest series and movies coming gives a solid picture of the streamer's current release rhythm — useful for calibrating expectations around bigger 2027 titles like this one.

What's worth paying attention to beyond the release date is how Netflix is positioning this film internally. Two Oscar winners — one in front of the camera, one behind it — combined with a Working Title pedigree and an Italian summer shoot all point to a major prestige play. This isn't filler content. Netflix is building toward awards season with Positano, and the early set images suggest the production has the visual ambition to match those stakes.

One angle worth watching as filming progresses : Daniel Roher's transition from documentary to narrative filmmaking is genuinely interesting. His documentary instincts could bring an unusual texture to what might otherwise be a glossy Mediterranean romance. Whether that tension between styles produces something memorable or something muddled — that's the real question Positano needs to answer.