Where Was ‘Dark Shadows’ Filmed? A Guide to All of the Set Locations

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Where Was 'Dark Shadows' Filmed? A Guide to All of the Set Locations

What sorcery is this? The 2012 film Dark Shadows was the big-screen adaptation of a gothic soap opera with the same name, which ran from 1966 to 1971. (There was also a 1991 short-lived revival TV series.) The gothic nature of the story was a perfect fit for director Tim Burton. It was his eighth collaboration with Johnny Depp, his seventh with Helena Bonham Carter, fifth with Christopher Lee and second with former Catwoman Michelle Pfeiffer. Burton’s definitely loyal to those closest to him. In the movie, Christopher Lee co-stars with Jonny Lee Miller. Did you know that Jonny’s grandfather is English actor Bernard Lee? He starred as M in the 1974 film The Man With The Golden Gun film with Christopher Lee and Roger Moore. The horror-comedy, Dark Shadows, revolves around Johnny Depp’s character, Barnabas Collins. In the late 1700s, he rejects the advances of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), who turns out to be a witch. She turns him into a vampire and buries him alive. He’s eventually freed in 1972 and learns that the world has completely changed. And now, he must protect his descendants from a horrible curse. All the while, Angelique still lurks, ready to cause him more harm. Keep scrolling to find out where this horror-comedy-drama was filmed:

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Was 'Dark Shadows' Filmed in Maine?

The story takes place in Maine, but you’re not actually seeing the Pine Tree State onscreen. In reality, the cast and crew were mostly in England, as well as Scotland and Canada.

Several scenes were filmed at the Isle of Mull, a quaint and meagerly populated island within the Inner Hebrides archipelago west of the main island of Scotland.

The cast and crew shot in Whitby, Ontario, in Canada. This is a large township in the Durham Region of Southern Ontario. More specifically, they shot at Trafalgar Castle School, a girls’ boarding school. Originally built in 1874, you can find the school at 401 Reynolds Street. 

The rest of this film was filmed throughout England (and in our imaginations). 

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Where Is The Mansion From 'Dark Shadows'?

Collinwood Manor, home of Barnabas Collins, was a set built from scratch at the Bourne near Farnham, Surrey.

(Some of the shots you see of the mansion aren’t quite what you think. A 30-foot-high miniature was created, which was only a third in scale of the actual set of the mansion.) The mansion from the original series, on the other hand, is at Seaview Terrace, AKA The Carey Mansion, in Newport, Rhode Island.

The film’s production designer, Rick Heinrichs, designed the building to reflect its nautical heritage. The mansion is close to the ocean, and the owners have a fishing background. You probably noticed the ocean theme with mermaids and fish seen throughout the house. There’s even the mythical god Neptune.

That area is no stranger to the filmmakers and equipment from Hollywood blockbusters. The clearing located south of Dene Lane, off Tilford Road, southeast of Farnham, was featured in two Ridley Scott movies that each starred Russell Crowe: Gladiator and Robin Hood.

As for the forest, it was used in 2011’s War Horse, directed by Steven Spielberg. It also appeared in Thor: The Dark World, starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman.

Producers were unsuccessful at finding the perfect fishing village throughout Maine and the United Kingdom that would work well as Collinsport, so they instead built the entire town, from the ground up, at Pinewood Studios.

In fact, most of the interior scenes were shot at Pinewood.

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What Is Pinewood Studios?

This is a location where countless productions have been shot over the course of decades. It is located at Pinewood Road in the Slough suburbs of Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire.

Many productions have used this facility such as the James Bond films, The Dark Knight, and even the recent Jurassic World: Dominion! 

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Where Were the Beach Scenes in 'Dark Shadows' Filmed?

The rocky beach scenes were shot on the south coast of Devon, at Great Mattiscombe Sands near Start Point, about nine miles from Kingsbridge.

And those towering cliffs? They were actually CGI.

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Where Was the Asylum Scene in 'Dark Shadows' Filmed?

What about the asylum? This is where Carter’s Dr. Julia Hoffman escapes using bedsheets. It’s not really an asylum. It’s a golf course!

You can find it at Beckenham Place Park, Beckenham Hill Road, Lewisham. It is located close to Bromley in South London.