Sartaj Singh
Crafted by Mel Eslyn and Mark Duplass, ‘Penelope’ tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who begins to disassociate from the trappings of modern society and absconds into the woods. Penelope leaves a voice note apologizing to her parents as she departs from the concrete jungle in favor of Cascades National Park. There, she gets in touch with nature, camping, and surviving in the wilderness while finding herself. As her bond with the natural world strengthens, Penelope’s adventure brings her into contact with various individuals who offer new perspectives on life. The Netflix show features visual galleries transitioning from the bustle of city life to ancient forest landscapes, which become the foundation for Penelope’s coming-of-age journey.
Where is Penelope Filmed?
Filming for ‘Penelope’ takes place in Washington State, particularly in Seattle and its surrounding natural landscapes, including the Olallie State Park. Mark Duplass pitched the idea for the show to Mel Eslyn as they worked on his 2022 independent film, ‘Biosphere.’ The two agreed to complete the show independently to retain creative control and shot the first season in secrecy in 2023. Both creatives have a profound love for the outdoors and seemingly enjoyed shooting the project in the forested environments they scouted out for it, hoping to show the stunning natural heritage of Washington.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle, the seat of King County, is a bustling metropolis in Washington State. It becomes a filming location for ‘Penelope,’ depicting the urban life the titular character walks away from. The city is known for its modern architecture and is surrounded by scenic natural expanses. Skyscrapers, including the futuristic Space Needle, dot its skyline, with Mount Rainier looming in the background.
The creators of ‘Penelope’ wanted to go beyond what is typically shown of Seattle in Hollywood, exploring its bountiful national parks. “Usually, people come and shoot and they want to show Seattle downtown or they want to shoot in Vancouver then cut in the Space Needle in the background somewhere,” said Eslyn in the interview. “But there’s so much more here, so the minute I got the yes, I didn’t look back. I was, like, ‘We’re doing this, we’re figuring this out.'”
Olallie State Park, Washington
The forested landscapes featured in ‘Penelope’ are primarily captured in the Olallie State Park, situated five miles southeast of North Bend, Washington. Known for its dense forests, cascading waterfalls, and rugged mountain views, the park offers a stunning backdrop that perfectly aligns with Penelope’s journey of self-discovery. Within the park, the team shot along parts of the Weeks Falls Trail, which winds through towering evergreens and lush undergrowth, leading to the roaring Weeks Falls. A prominent and recognizable feature of the park seen in the first season of the Netflix show is the giant spruce tree, which was made famous by ‘Twin Peaks.’ In the show, Penelope hugs the enormous tree, making for a heartwarming moment as she feels the connection she has been longing for.
Interestingly, when the production team was shooting near the tree, a ‘Twin Peaks’ tourist group was passing through the area and were elated to find a live movie set at the tree’s base. Sadly, ‘Penelope’ is likely the last production to feature the mossy giant that stood tall along the Weeks Falls Trail, as the spruce tree has since fallen. The tree was reported to have toppled on January 17, 2024, due to internal decay combined with extremely cold and windy conditions.
By depicting various natural landscapes around Washington State, the creators of ‘Penelope’ have completed a part of their mission to showcase cinematic sights outside of downtown areas. “It’s really important to me to be able to, not only for myself, live and work here, but to really be a part of pushing the (filmmaking) infrastructure here, because we’ve lost it,” explained Eslyn in the aforementioned interview. “We’ve lost so many people who’ve moved to LA. I feel like there are a few of us who are keeping our foot on the ground here but are constantly having to leave to go shoot elsewhere. I wanted to show we could bring a series here.” The Olallie State Park also includes several filming locations for ‘Twin Peaks Fire: Walk With Me.’
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