Netflix's Emily In Paris Season 4 Faces Filming Hurdle Due To The Olympic Games

Contrary to what some viewers may think, "Emily in Paris" is actually filmed in Paris. The popular Netflix original series has, in fact, been shooting its scenes on location in the City of Lights ever since production began on its debut season back in 2019. Unfortunately, it looks like the show's reliance on its eponymous French city may also be the source of its latest problem.

As recently reported by Variety, production on "Emily in Paris" Season 4 has been delayed for several months by this year's WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Now that the WGA has reached a deal with Hollywood's studios and the latter group has begun negotiating again with SAG-AFTRA, though, Netflix and the "Emily in Paris" creative team are finally starting to make plans for the show's 4th season. Indeed, Variety wrote that the season is currently slated to begin shooting in Paris in January 2024.

The only problem? No productions will be allowed to film in the French capital from June through September due to the 2024 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Paris. At first, that might not seem like much of an issue. However, most TV shows take many months to shoot their seasons. As Michel Gomez, who runs the French organization that oversees all movie and TV productions in Paris, explained, "Whereas a film would stay for 20 days in Paris, a series will shoot for six months."

A January start date and June deadline don't, in other words, leave Netflix with any of the extra time to film "Emily in Paris" Season 4 next year that it may very well end up needing. After all, its tight production timeframe isn't the only Olympics-related problem that the season is facing right now.

"Emily in Paris" Season 4's delays have both pushed back its production start date and forced the show's creative team to shoot its latest season at a different French studio than where its first three were filmed. (The series' previous, go-to production complex has reportedly been booked for the Olympic Games beginning in November.) While "Emily in Paris" Season 4's exterior scenes are expected to be shot on location as well, not only will all productions be barred from Paris from June through September 2024, but it's been reported that access to certain locations around the city will start to become restricted as early as March. 

"Emily in Paris" isn't the only title that's slated to film in the French capital throughout the first half of 2024, either. As one key line producer who has experience working on Paris-based productions told Variety, "When it comes to securing locations in Paris, it's first come first served, so it's a bit of a rat race right now." 

All of this is to say that Netflix will not only have to try to shoot "Emily in Paris" Season 4 within a tight six-month window but it will have to do so partly at a different studio lot than the show's previous seasons, all while grappling with limited access to certain locations and intense competition from the other projects slated to shoot there at the same time. If any more behind-the-scenes delays occur, Netflix's plans for the season, which hasn't even been fully written yet, may have to change again.

None of this will come as welcome news to the show's fans, who have been waiting to see the fallout of "Emily in Paris" Season 3 since it premiered in 2022.