Naman Shrestha
A direct sequel to the 2022 movie ‘Zombies 3,’ Disney’s ‘Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires’ is a vampire musical comedy movie that follows the journey of two adventurous souls — Zed and Addison. After finishing their first year of college, the pair, along with a couple of their friends, decides to take a road trip that turns into a series of misadventures. Soon, Zed and Addison are shocked when they discover the existence of the warring worlds of Sunnyside and Shadyside.
As if that’s not enough, they get into more trouble upon encountering two new groups of monsters. Helmed by Paul Hoen, the fourth installment in the ‘Zombies’ film series consists of impressive performances from Meg Donnelly, Milo Manheim, Malachi Barton, Freya Skye, and more. Since the story unfolds in a multitude of mysterious settings, the visuals and backdrops play a crucial role in bringing the narrative to life.
Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires Filming Locations
‘Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires’ was filmed primarily in New Zealand, especially in Auckland, the North Island, and Wellington. It appears that a minor portion was also shot in Toronto, Ontario. Principal photography for the zombie movie got underway in March 2024 and continued for about a couple of months before wrapping up in May of the same year. Talking about shooting in New Zealand, Swayam Bhatia told ABC7 that the team mostly preferred to film on location without relying on the usage of a green screen. “Filming in New Zealand was a whole beast in itself. We barely green screen anything. Everything was very location-based,” he said.
After the production concluded, Freya Skye expressed gratitude for being granted the opportunity to be a part of the film. She stated, “filming this movie has been the best 3 months of my ENTIRE life. I’ve made so many memories with so many amazing people who I now get to call family! I never thought I would get to work on a movie like ‘ZOMBIES’ that I’ve loved growing up and I feel so grateful for this experience! I can’t wait for everyone to watch Z4 and meet Nova.”
Auckland, New Zealand
A major portion of ‘Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires’ was shot in Auckland, New Zealand, in the north-central North Island. In particular, the cast and crew visited King’s College, a secondary school at 41 Golf Avenue in the suburb of Ōtāhuhu. In fact, the independent academic institution doubled up as Mountain College, where Zed and Addison complete their first year in the film. Piha Beach, renowned for its black iron sand and surf, also served as one of the sites where filming took place. About 40 km from the City of Sails, the beach sits on the North Island’s west coast within the Waitakere Ranges and is famed for its scenic and rugged beauty. You can also spot the famous Lion Rock as it proudly stands at the center of the beach, in the backdrop.
A few sequences were also lensed at The Sir Paul Reeves Building within Auckland University of Technology, at WG Building 2, Governor Fitzroy Place in Auckland Central. A slice of filming was also undertaken at the coastal community of Te Henga, also known as Bethells Beach, in West Auckland. Since the metropolitan city is a significant cultural art hub, it has hosted the production of wide range of movies and television shows over the years, such as ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,’ ‘Sweet Tooth,’ ‘Underworld: Rise of the Lycans,’ ‘Perfect Creature,’ and ‘My Grandpa Is a Vampire.’
Other Locations in New Zealand
The production team of the vampire musical film also chose Wellington, the New Zealand capital, on the south-western edge of the North Island, as a shooting destination. For the purpose of filming, the cast and crew took a 30-minute drive from Wellington City to reach a coastal loop walk called Mākara Walkway. The 6.6 km long loop runs up to the Mākara Beach and offers breathtaking views of the rugged shoreline, majestic cliffs and gun emplacements. Mekonnen Knife, who plays a Nightwalker Vampire named Vargas, opened up about the filming experience in a conversation with Laughing Place.
He shared that he was captivated by the beauty and the generosity of the people of the country, a place that had always been on his bucket list. “Not just the nature of it, but the people as well so welcoming. The crew on set were just absolutely phenomenal,” Mekonnen expressed. Adding to the sentiment, Julian Lerner, who plays Ray in the film, voiced his appreciation for the food, culture, and fashion scene. He said, “Like the culture there and just everything New Zealand had to offer was just so special and in their own way and I mean the food and the fashion and just the people were just so kind, you know, they were just so welcoming. Everyone there and I know wherever we’d go, they would just bring us in.”
Swayam Ranjeet Bhatia, who stars as Vera, highlighted the importance of having locals as part of the crew since they know the area like the back of their hand. Having people in the team who are not only passionate about the craft but also proud of having their homeland represented in the project proved beneficial in making the overall experience smooth and the filming environment safe. “…being on the actual like sand dunes, being in these actual forests was unreal,” she said. “Having to not make up those things in your head was definitely very helpful.” From the looks of it, a few key portions of the movie were also seemingly recorded at The Lost Spring at 121A Cook Drive in Whitianga and the city of Rotorua.
Toronto, Ontario
Aside from The Land of the Long White Cloud, just a few scenes of ‘Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires’ were seemingly taped in Toronto. This is not surprising considering that the first three installments were primarily shot in the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. So, the team likely decided to film there to retain the magical vibe of its predecessors. Also dubbed “Hollywood of the North” along with Vancouver, the city is no stranger to film and TV production and has aided in the shooting of titles such as ‘What We Do in the Shadows,’ ‘Titans,’ ‘Locke & Key,’ ‘Shadowhunters,’ ‘Nosferatu,’ and ‘Night of the Zoopocalypse.’
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