Imagine being trapped on a $150 million superyacht, surrounded by luxury, but unable to touch anything, sit anywhere, or even walk on the carpet. Sounds like a nightmare, right? Well, that’s exactly what Keira Knightley and the cast of The Woman in Cabin 10 experienced while filming her latest Netflix thriller. And this is the part most people miss: filming on a real superyacht was far more challenging than her days on a pirate ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Based on Ruth Ware’s gripping 2016 novel, The Woman in Cabin 10 follows Knightley as an investigative journalist who uncovers a chilling mystery during a charity cruise on a luxury yacht. Directed by Simon Stone and co-written by Stone, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse, the film boasts a stellar cast, including Guy Pearce, Art Malik, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, and Hannah Waddingham. But here’s where it gets controversial: while the yacht screams opulence, the filming conditions were anything but glamorous.
The movie was partially shot on the Savannah, a real superyacht owned by the late Swedish-Canadian businessman Lukas Lundin, who made his fortune in mining, diamonds, and oil. In September 2024, the crew set sail in the English Channel, often docking in Portland Harbour, off the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. But don’t let the picturesque location fool you—Knightley described the experience as “a lot of rain, really cold, and windy.”
In an interview with Decider, Stone revealed that many actors were initially thrilled about filming on a superyacht—until they learned it would be off the chilly coast of southern England in the fall. Knightley added, “We weren’t allowed to touch anything. We were crammed in the middle, couldn’t eat or drink except in tiny designated areas. It wasn’t the luxury experience you’d imagine.”
But here’s the real kicker: Knightley found filming on the Savannah far more difficult than her pirate ship scenes. “On a pirate ship, you can run, jump, and break things,” she explained. “But here, it was like, ‘Run for your life—but don’t touch the walls!’ The fear of accidentally damaging something worth thousands was a constant stress.”
Luckily, the crew managed to avoid major disasters, though Stone admitted they did scratch the floor—costing them a grand to buff it out. In addition to the four weeks spent on the yacht, the film also utilized a sound stage for three weeks, meaning some of those lavish interiors you see weren’t actually on the boat.
So, while The Woman in Cabin 10 offers a tense, moody mystery on screen, behind the scenes was a lesson in restraint and resilience. But here’s a thought-provoking question for you: Would you trade the thrill of filming on a real superyacht for the stress of not being able to touch anything? Let us know in the comments—we’d love to hear your take!
