The new horror series from Mike Flanagan takes place entirely on Crockett Island – but does such a place actually exist?
Mike Flanagan is perhaps responsible for more scares than any other writer/director working on the small screen in recent years, and now he’s back with another terrifying limited series for Netflix.
Midnight Mass, tells of an island community who find themselves reacting in wildly different ways when a new preacher appears and seems to perform miracles, with each character’s relationship to faith explored along the way.
As with Flanagan’s previous series, location is absolutely key to his latest work– with just about every scene unfolding on Crockett Island, disparagingly referred to as “The Crockpot” by many of its inhabitants.
But is Crockett Island a real place? Read on for everything you need to know.
Is Crockett Island real?
The simple answer is no – there is no real place called Crockett Island. However, it seems likely that the creation of this fictional island was heavily influenced by Flanagan’s own childhood – with the writer/director having briefly served as an altar boy on Governor’s Island in New York.
Back in August, Flanagan shared a picture on Twitter showing him in his altar boy days, writing: “My mother found this photo of me – I’m about 10 years old, just starting my career as an altar boy at Our Lady Star of the Sea on Governors Island, NY. I visited the church (now abandoned) earlier this summer. This story runs deep for me.”
My mother found this photo of me – I’m about 10 years old, just starting my career as an altar boy at Our Lady Star of the Sea on Governors Island, NY. I visited the church (now abandoned) earlier this summer. This story runs deep for me. pic.twitter.com/fYl6f4VW41
— Mike Flanagan (@flanaganfilm) August 9, 2021
As for which locations were actually used for the shoot, it appears that the bulk of filming took place in Canada, specifically Vancouver and Richmond, British Columbia. Garry Point Park in Richmond was used to moonlight as the island, with an entire set having been built with new wood that was then deliberately weathered to make the houses look old. Of course, Richmond is clearly not an island, so the series was shot near the waterfront to create the illusion.
According to Deadline, the series was the first American production to begin filming in Canada after coronavirus restrictions had lifted, with production getting underway in August 2020.
And it seems that the shoot went without a hitch, with Flanagan revealing on Twitter at the end of filming, “It has been an extraordinary, unprecedented production, and I cannot be prouder of this amazing cast and crew. In fact – and I do not say this lightly – this has been the best production experience of my career.”
Midnight Mass is streaming on Netflix from Friday 24th September. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our lists of the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is on with our TV Guide.