‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ Had To Switch Filming Locations At The Last Minute
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Hulu's Nine Perfect Strangers brought Liane Moriarty's novel of the same name to life. The new drama series is filled with plenty of twists, turns, and suspense—plus some pretty major star power.
Nicole Kidman stars as Masha Dmitrichenko, a powerful woman who runs a remote wellness resort in California. She's on a mission to change lives, although not everyone in her latest group of visitors is convinced that she can help them. Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Manny Jacinto, and plenty of other celebs embark on a journey of self-discovery and healing (or so they think).
While viewers can't stop binging episodes, the celebs aren't the show's only draw. Nine Perfect Strangers is also filled with gorgeous scenery, complete with stunning beaches. Wondering just where the cameras were rolling? Here's everything you need to know about when and where the series was filmed:
When was Nine Perfect Strangers filmed?
The show was filmed during the pandemic. Director Jonathan Levine said that, "ironically this was not a show conceived in COVID, however, a lot of the details of the show logistically did make it a good fit for a pandemic. One location, self-contained, very small cast, not a lot of extras," per Newsweek.
The actors and actresses quarantined while filming for five months. “You basically create a bubble, you don’t go outside of it but you do have a very strong, safe place,” Nicole Kidman said about living with her sister, Antonia Marran, and her two children near the set. "We didn’t feel restricted," she added, per The Age.
Where was the series filmed?
Turns out, the cast was originally supposed to shoot in Los Angeles, California. "We were originally going to shoot this show in LA," Levine told Newsweek, "Then we were a week away from building all these sets on the Paramount lot in mid-March but we quickly realized that was not possible."
So, the crew went down under for inspiration. "We looked in Australia because a lot of our producing team is Australian and they were doing very well with COVID," Levine said.
Eventually, they settled on the pristine spot of Byron Bay in New South Wales. Plus, Tranquillum House is real—it's called SOMA, and yes, you can currently book a retreat there yourself. However, Australia's borders are closed at the moment, so you might want to hold off on any spa plans.
In case you haven't binged the show yet, here's a snapshot of the beautiful views SOMA has to offer:
Plus the gorgeous accommodations:
And the sunsets!
How did the crew film the show during the pandemic?
There wasn't much time to prepare. "We did send people there on the ground but basically I picked this location from just photos and drone footage. I was choosing this place where we were going to set this whole show from pictures, which is crazy. Normally you would go scout a location ten times if you were going to shoot there for 100 days," Levine said.
Some of the cast members were thrilled with the new location. Bobby Cannavale told Newsweek that "it was unbeatable. I have a connection to Australia. [My partner] Rose [Byrne] is Australian, my kids are Australian and we go there a lot but I had never been to Byron Bay."
"It was great that we were in a place with virtually no COVID, it was a great relief for many people but just the simple fact of going back to work and being around other people was not lost on us," he continued.
Nicole Kidman said, while filming the show was risky, she ultimately felt that living in a bubble worked out for the best. “You basically create a bubble, you don’t go outside of it but you do have a very strong, safe place,” she told The Age. “We were lucky because Byron Bay had no cases, and Sydney was not in the place that it’s in now. We didn’t feel restricted.”
She even said filming was over too soon. "I didn’t want to leave, truly," Kidman told The Age. "We were all looking to buy property in Byron Bay. It was one of those things where I think it was almost like being in a dream because we were separate from the rest of the world, working together, in that place for that long a time."
Five months working at a lush, remote spa on the beach? Sign me up!
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