"Wednesday" Was Filmed at This Castle in Romania
Tim Burton’s first directorial debut in the world of television is here at last with the release of Wednesday on Netflix. The series—from creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar—follows Wednesday Addams’s high school career at Nevermore Academy. She navigates everything from her psychic ability to a monstrous killing spree, and none of it would be complete without the filming locations that bring the gothic-style universe to life.
The eight-episode show was shot on 70 sets across six sound stages and various locations around Bucharest, Romania. “It was amazing to come here to Romania because it just weirdly fit into the Addams Family world,” Burton said in a press brief. “Trying to make Romania look like Vermont was an interesting challenge, but we felt like we found lots of new locations.”
Not only are the locations enticing to look at on the small screen, but you can actually visit a few. Ahead, learn more about the vital filming locations and behind-the-scenes details.
Cantacuzino Castle
Located in the Carpathian Mountains, Cantacuzino Castle sets the scene for many of the exterior and aerial shots at Nevermore Academy. Production designer Mark Scruton’s vision for Nevermore was a New England gothic mansion with inspiration from the architecture of Romania’s capital Bucharest. He describes the city as “this huge, eclectic pile of architecture with Renaissance and Ottoman influences coming up through Transylvania,” according to a press brief.
Special effects were used to build upon the roof design, making it resemble the roof of the iconic Addams family mansion. The mix of styles is meant to reflect the school’s status as a safe place for all types of outcasts.
In reality, the castle looks quite welcoming compared to its mysterious makeover in Wednesday. Built in 1911 for the Cantacuzino family, the Neo-Romanian castle is located on the site of an ancient hunting house. Inside, it features flooring with Italian ceramic, stained glass, oak and marble staircases, painted ceilings, and stone and forged iron handrails. Exterior attractions include a massive iron gate, courtyard, grotto, and park with fountains. The location is available for events like weddings, and you can visit to tour the castle, art gallery, and sculpture exhibition.
Palatul Monteoru
For some of the interior shots at Nevermore, the production team tapped Palatul Monteoru. Built in 1874, the historic house and monument seems to be home to the room that's used as principal Larissa Weems's office and the area just outside of it that features a unique mezzanine with a detailed railing which gives the appearance of a hole in the floor. It's located on Victory Avenue, which is one of the main areas of downtown Bucharest.
Casa Niculescu-Dorobantu
Casa Niculescu-Dorobantu was also used for some of the interior scenes at Nevermore. Also a historic landmark in Bucharest, the series seems to feature an area of the building with a glamorous staircase, stained glass window, and surrounding handrails and columns. The French, neo-gothic style structure was designed by architect Grigore Cerchez and built between 1911 and 1923, according to Sotheby's. You can pass by the red brick and stone building to embrace the exterior, or take a closer virtual look inside and outside of it through this video.
Buftea Studios
The entire town of Jericho, Pilgrim World, the sheriff's house, and the quad were all built at Buftea Studios. Inspired by a typical New England town, Jericho was created with minimal CGI enhancements. Everything was constructed, including the steeple of the church. If you're itching for a deeper look at the show's sets, we have you covered with all of the can't-miss design details in Wednesday.
Conacul Olga Greceanu
"The Gates Mansion was filmed at a location called Conacul Olga Greceanu, which was a very old house out in the countryside outside Bucharest," Scruton tells House Beautiful. "We did extensive work to it including building the double garage, a new entrance and driveway with the iron gates, and breaking down the whole interior to give it the correct abandoned house look."
Bonus location reveal: The Poe Cup was actually filmed across two lakes in Romania called Brănești and Sterbei.
You love filming locations. So do we. Let’s obsess over them together.
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