Shubhabrata Dutta
Created by Luke Boyce and Aaron B. Koontz, Syfy’s ‘Revival’ is a twisted take on the phrase “return of the dead.” Based on Tim Seeley and Mike Norton’s eponymous horror comic series, the story of the supernatural thriller drama series takes place in the small town of Wausau, Wisconsin. When a supernatural event brings the dead and buried back to life, local police officer Dana Cypress is forced to stay back in town despite being bent on leaving with his son and starting a new life elsewhere.
The “Revival Day” event has turned Wausau into a chaotic quarantine zone, with people back from their graves more powerful, aggressive, and able to heal quickly. Amidst this chaos, Dana starts investigating a “Reviver”-connected crime while navigating family and personal issues, which involve her father, Wayne, who is also her boss, her younger sister, Em, and her romantic interest Ibrahim Ramin, a CDC researcher. The visuals of ‘Revival’ effectively highlight the dark nature of the narrative that juggles what’s normal and what’s unsettling.
Revival Filming Locations
While the story is set in Wisconsin, filming of ‘Revival’ took place entirely in New Brunswick, specifically in Kings County, Saint John County, Queens County, and Charlotte County. Principal photography of Season 1 reportedly began in the first half of September 2024. Shooting continued for almost three months before wrapping up in the first half of December of the same year. “We have the rural backdrop, we’ve got the urban center for locations… this place actually works for this fictional happening in Wausau, Wisconsin,” executive producer Greg Hemmings told CBC.
Kings County, New Brunswick
Kings County, located in southern New Brunswick, was used to film major scenes of ‘Revival.’ The crew accessed many towns and villages in the county to capture various sequences. In Sussex, the Mule Bar and Grill at 49 Winter Street was transformed into ‘Nella’s,’ a bar that plays a significant role in the show. “It would be a lot more exciting, I think, if it was going to be The Mule in the show, but they’ll transform it from The Mule into Nella’s, the bar in the show. Only people that know it’s The Mule, I guess, would be able to recognize it,” Dan Mazzerole, the owner of The Mule, told Telegraph-Journal. He also makes an appearance in the show. The area around it was used for establishing shots. The team worked closely with the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture, to ensure a streamlined production.
Many scenes were taped in Hampton, the county’s seat; Norton, part of the village of Valley Waters; Grand Bay-Westfield, a town situated north of the boundary between Saint John County and Kings County; and the rural community of Bloomfield. Each of these locations was used for indoor and outdoor scenes, both during night and day, and the crew even accessed various structures and buildings to showcase the rural setting and add variety to the rustic backdrops.
Saint John County, New Brunswick
In Saint John County, the crew used various sections of the seaport city of Saint John. More than 200 full-time New Brunswickers and over 400 part-time New Brunswickers worked in the production. Around 51 people experienced working on a production for the first time. Among them is 9-year-old Flora McInroy, who plays a character named Jordan Borchardt, who comes back from the dead. Her mom served as a hairstylist during production, and she got the part after competing with over 100 girls in an open casting call. “I’m very proud of myself for being able to do this, and I’m very thankful and grateful for just being able to do this, meeting other people, being able to share this experience and share the work that everyone has worked so hard on,” McInroy told CTV News.
Queens County, New Brunswick
In Queens County, located in south central New Brunswick, the production team used Wickham and Welsford, both rural parishes, to lens additional scenes. The two locations offer scenic natural settings and were seemingly used for outdoor shots and establishing shots. Queens County itself is a gorgeous county and is known among tourists for Welsford Falls, Prince Edward Island National Park, Princess Park Campground, Grand Lake, Henderson Falls, and Queens County Court House Museum.
Charlotte County, New Brunswick
A few scenes were seemingly taped in Saint Andrews, AKA St. Andrews, a historic town in Charlotte County. Recognizable for its buildings that carry the classic architecture of the 18th-century English settlements, the town aids in establishing the world of ‘Revival’ while also providing contrast to the show’s visual canvas. Some places you can visit include Ministers Island, Kingsbrae Garden, Oppenheimer-Prager Museum, Chamcook Mountain, St. Andrews Pendlebury Lighthouse, and Wild Salmon Nature Centre.
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