Walking Dead spinoff shot exclusively in Vancouver
Fear the Walking Dead stars say parts of Vancouver feel like authentic Los Angeles
Can you spot Vancouver in the trailer of Fear the Walking Dead?
The spinoff of AMC's popular zombie apocalypse Walking Dead show was shot exclusively in the Lower Mainland
Lorenzo James Henrie, one of the stars, says Hollywood North played Los Angeles really well.
"There are a lot of pockets in Vancouver that are very Los Feliz, Silver Lake, downtown Los Angeles ... we shot a riot scene [in downtown Vancouver] that looked exactly like downtown LA," he said. "I think it's completely authentic."
The show will hit the airwaves on August 23. But while Walking Dead is shot and based in Georgia with many of the scenes unfolding in the woods, Fear the Walking Dead will have a more urban feel.
Producers built three different sound stages over two months to showcase the developing of a zombie apocalypse.
"They have found some areas that work, that double [for LA], but for the most part we are on stages here," said Kim Dickens, the female lead in the show.
2nd season will be be shot in Hollywood North
Many Hollywood producers have been drawn by the weak Canadian dollar, but there are also other factors to entice them.
"The beauty of Vancouver is you have all season," says Mercedes Mason, who plays Ofelia. "If you want something shot in the summer, it is beautiful. If you need a winter feel, absolutely. You kind of get a little bit of everything and you cannot beat the people, they are so sweet."
For the most part, AMC has kept the project under wraps. When the media was invited to the studio lot, there was no access to any sets and interviews were done in an area lined with palm trees playing a part in making Vancouver look like Los Angeles.
Dickens is hoping fans love Fear the Walking Dead, which is a prequel and a companion show to the final and fifth season of the original.
"It's an incredible fan base, the Walking Dead fan base, it is really passionate and local and I just hope we please them."
But it seems producers are already pleased and the show has been renewed for a second season, which will also be shot in Vancouver.