New ‘Walking Dead’ Spinoff Filmed In Essex County: Here’s Where

NEWARK, NJ — Zombie fans in New Jersey have an extra reason to check out the latest “Walking Dead” spinoff show: a ton of footage was filmed in the state.

That includes Newark, where filming for “The Walking Dead: Dead City” took place on Academy, Commerce, Halsey, James and Washington Streets, in Military Park, at the NJT subway, the National Newark Building, Express Shoe Repair, Newark Symphony Hall, Dayton Street School, and an apartment on Lake Street, according to the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission.

Newark isn’t the only Garden State area to get a visit from the production crew, the commission added:

“Much of the filming took place on the soundstage inside the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, formerly known as the Izod Center and once home to the New Jersey Devils and New Jersey Nets. Various North Jersey locations were used for filming of the series including 51 Port Terminal in Bayonne, the Mushroom Tunnels in Cedar Grove, the Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve, Kearny Warehouse in Kearny, The Ivy in Weehawken, South Mountain Reservation (Turtle Back Rock Picnic Area) in West Orange, Franklin Avenue in Midland Park, and at the Art Factory and in the City Hall area in Paterson. Interior and exterior shots of Hoboken Terminal and Union Dry Dock in Hoboken required the use of special equipment such as a techno crane, jib arm, 125-foot condor, 80-foot lift and two scissor lifts.”

Additional scenes were filmed on location in Central Jersey at Settler Ridge Farm and the Great Swamp National Refuge in Basking Ridge, and at the Holmdel Motor Inn, Paradigm Hedge in Holmdel, and Clean Land in Kenilworth.

Filming also took place on locations in Plainfield and Rahway, state officials said.

The production crew also rented space at Temple Emanuel in Franklin Lakes, iPark in Hoboken, NJPAC in Newark, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and First Park Baptist Church in Plainfield, Boys & Girls Club in Union, Pilgrim Shopping Plaza in Verona, Wagner Farm Arboretum in Warren, and Essex House in West Orange for use as basecamps and crew parking.

The show is the fourth spinoff in The Walking Dead universe and will follow the characters of Maggie and Negan as they explore a postapocalyptic New York City cut off from the mainland. Eli Jorné, who wrote and co-executive produced the original series, serves as the showrunner, while Scott M. Gimple, chief content officer of The Walking Dead franchise, oversaw the series.

Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan reprise their roles as Maggie and Negan from the original television series, with Gaius Charles, Jonathan Higginbotham, Mahina Napoleon, Trey SantiagoHudson, and Charlie Solis co-starring.

Secretary of State Tahesha Way said the production required an “extraordinary array of challenging locations,” but New Jersey was able to give the show’s creative team just what they needed.

“This is proof, once again, that New Jersey is ‘Film Ready,’” Way said.

In all, AMC reported hiring 100 crew members and 1,100 cast members and extras for the filming of The Walking Dead: Dead City, spending over $72 million in New Jersey for labor, goods and services.

The six-episode season will premiere on Sunday, June 18 at 9 p.m. on AMC and AMC+. Watch a video of the trailer online here.

It hasn’t been the first time that the Brick City has played host to the beloved horror franchise. In August 2022, “Isle of the Dead” filmed near the NJ Transit subway at the corner of Broad Street and Raymond Boulevard.

In the event of an actual zombie outbreak, however, Newark may not be the best place to hunker down, according to a tongue-in-cheek analysis of “2022’s Best Cities for Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse.” Read More: Newark Among Worst US Cities If Zombie Outbreak Happens, Report Says

ENTERTAINMENT RENAISSANCE IN NEWARK

Newark has seen a resurgence of filming since the coronavirus pandemic, which will only increase in late 2024, when a huge TV and movie studio is expected to be completed in the city.

The new studio – done in partnership with Lionsgate – will create 600 jobs and produce more than $800 million of "annual economic impact," officials say.

• See Related: Huge Movie Studio Coming To Newark; 600 Jobs Expected, NJ Gov. Says
• See Related: Film Renaissance In Newark Keeps Booming (Here's The Latest)
• See Related: Tax Breaks Helped Bring 'Joker' Movie To Newark

It isn't just the film industry that has taken notice of Newark, either.

Last month, MTV announced that it is bringing its annual Video Music Awards back to New Jersey’s largest city for 2023. The VMAs will return to the Prudential Center in Newark for a second straight year on Sept. 12. Airing live in more than 150 countries and reaching more than 319 million households, the VMAs will pay tribute to some of the best music videos of the past year, and will include performances from superstars yet-to-be-named.

Newark also hosted the VMAs in 2019 and 2022.

• See Related: MTV Is Bringing 2023 Video Music Awards Back To Newark
• See Related: Watch Highlights From 2022 Video Music Awards In Newark

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