The Real Locations Behind The Walking Dead: Dead City
Fans of the AMC series "The Walking Dead" who lived in the Peach State (that's Georgia for you yanks) got to enjoy something extra while watching the series: picking out locations around the greater Atlanta area onscreen. There's just something deeply satisfying about seeing a place you've been on television, rising out of your seat like Leonardo DiCaprio in "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood," and now zombie fans in New Jersey are about to get a delightful dose of TV-induced dopamine. The upcoming spin-off series, "The Walking Dead: Dead City" filmed throughout the Garden State, which means that fans will likely be able to spot some local shooting locales. Maybe we'll even see some zombies shuffle by the Quick Stop convenience store made famous by Kevin Smith's "Clerks" films ? Look, the potential for crossover is there and Randal (Jeff Anderson) would make a pretty fantastically funny zombie, so why not?
Whether or not we get to see any Jersey-centric cameos is anyone's best guess, but the locations should be plenty easy for those in the know to spot. According to App.com, "Dead City" shot in various locations all over New Jersey, including Newark, Hoboken, and the Jersey Shore. The series, which will follow survivors Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) as they try to endure the zombie-infested island of Manhattan, will premiere on June 18, 2023 on AMC.
New Jersey cities as Manhattan stand-ins
According to App.com, "Dead City" filmed all over New Jersey, including Newark, the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, Hoboken Terminal and Union Dry Dock, the Art Factory and City Hall in Paterson, and more. Abandoned and distressed buildings around the state were used as stand-ins for a post-apocalyptic Manhattan, and it sounds like they shot almost everything on location instead of building any major sets. The website reports that they shot at dozens of locations, including an abandoned subway station, an apartment on Lake Street in Newark, the Pilgrim Shopping Plaza in Verona, and even the Newark Symphony Hall. That's a wide range of locations that should pique the interest of anyone curious about the series, because "The Walking Dead" after season 1 was mostly forests and farms.
But wait! There's more!
NJ.com reports that the Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Rick (Andrew Lincoln) spinoff series tentatively titled "The Walking Dead: Summit" is also filming in New Jersey, which means that both of the "Walking Dead" spinoffs with major characters continuing their stories will have Easter eggs for fans who live in the state. Like "Dead City," the filming hub for "Summit" is the Meadowlands Arena, but they are similarly shooting all over the state.
"The Walking Dead: Dead City" premieres June 18, 2023, exclusively on AMC and AMC+.