‘Orphan Black: Echoes’ is a science fiction show that follows Dr. Kira Manning, a scientist who meets Lucy, a woman with no memory of her past, after she undergoes an operation that alters her body. Lucy’s search for her identity leads her to Dr. Kira and her wife, Dr. Eleanor Miller, a neuroscientist. Throughout the narrative, the three discover several truths about themselves and their interconnected lives that have been hidden from them. As their identities intertwine, complex moral and ethical dilemmas emerge in this sociological sci-fi telling, which decodes the essence of humanity through the manipulation of human existence.
Created by Anna Fishko, the show is set in a near-future world where biological tampering is rampant, and their widespread use has led to a secretive world order. As such, its landscape of a futuristic city becomes pivotal to shaping the narrative and injecting the correct ambiance within the environment. The production team immersed themselves in the world of their story by using striking visuals to evoke the sense of a dark, twisted thriller where humanity’s trajectory has gone askew from the right path, thereby raising pertinent questions about its setting and where ‘Orphan Black: Echoes’ is filmed.
Orphan Black: Echoes Filming Locations
‘Orphan Black: Echoes’ is primarily shot in Toronto, Ontario. The dynamic metropolis of Ontario’s capital city formed the backdrop for the show’s urbanscape twisted by future trappings. Principal photography began on August 22, 2022, and was wrapped by December 19 of the same year. As the narrative delves into its mystery roots, the scenery of the skyscraper-infused skyline of Toronto plays a significant role in bringing the show to life. With intrigue and a hidden world lurking underneath the shiny exterior, the litany of landmarks spread around the city are utilized in the production.
Toronto, Ontario
The filming of ‘Orphan Black: Echoes’ is mainly undertaken in the province of Ontario, specifically the city of Toronto. The capital city, with its high-rise buildings and diverse urban sprawl, forms the primary backdrop of the show. During filming, the cast and crew were noticed repeatedly in several locations around the city, displaying the team’s commitment to utilizing real locations in the hustle and bustle of the sprawling center of commerce, art, and community. Toronto is a cosmopolitan hub replete with natural formations like rivers, forests, and ravines alongside its concrete jungle, which proved advantageous to the production crew.
Several areas within Toronto are utilized for the filming of certain scenes. A variety of sequences that happen across separate and disparate timelines were taped in a house in Rosedale, a neighborhood in the city and an old suburb. The team had two days to film all the scenes in that house, which became a crucial part of the narrative given its disorienting and confusing mixture of jarring imagery. Those scenes play out through Lucy’s perspective and give an insight into her confused mental state, thereby making the suburban house a pivotal part of the filming.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, creator Anna Fishko talked about the location in Rosedale and described how permit restrictions or other issues would hinder the filming process. “We would find something we loved, but then there would be permitting restrictions or we’d find something that wouldn’t be quite right. Then we’d look at what it would take to rearrange it and make it filmable.” Viewers may recognize several other landmarks, including Toronto’s famous CN Tower, although, in the show’s future setting, modified landscapes may alter them into a transformed version telling its own story.
Over the years, Toronto’s vibrant and buoyant urbanscape has hosted several productions due to the availability of a rich tapestry of locales to choose from and its multicultural landscape. The city also regularly organizes numerous entertainment festivals, such as the Toronto International Film Festival, which is a huge attraction for filmmakers and actors around the world. The city’s entertainment options, pristine upkeep, and uber comforts offer great luxuries to any crew looking to film their movie or TV show. Some of the notable productions that have been or continue to be hosted in Toronto are ‘Black Mirror,’ ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,‘ ‘The Expanse,‘ and ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.‘
Read more: Did Krysten Ritter Learn Sign Language and Spanish for Orphan Black Echoes?
