Sartaj Singh
Created by Ian McCulloch, ‘Teacup’ is a suspenseful Peacock horror series that follows an unsettling chain of events in an isolated farming community as the residents are trapped by a malignant supernatural presence. Based on Robert McCammon’s 1988 novel, ‘Stinger,’ the show is set on a farm in rural Georgia, where neighbors begin noticing strange disturbances. It starts with the animals becoming restless, followed by dark clouds and a looming sense of dread.
The true sense of danger is only realized when the residents see a gas-masked stranger spray-painting their periphery, ominously advising them not to trust anyone. Unable to escape from their remote prison, the neighbors must come together to face the entity stalking them if they are to survive.
Teacup Filming Locations
The environments seen in ‘Teacup’ are created with on-location filming and studio setups in Metro Atlanta, Georgia. Principal photography began in March 2024 and was wrapped up for the first season after 15 weeks by the end of June 2024. The cast and crew appeared to be in good spirits behind the scenes, enjoying lighthearted moments between takes. However, the cast also faced an unexpected challenge when it came to the prosthetics being used to simulate grotesque visuals. Lead actress Yvonne Strahovski felt the shoot to be emotionally challenging and was genuinely revolted by a graphic prosthetic.
This reaction comes as the result of the talented crew members utilizing a lot of practical effects, which are enhanced by digital details, allowing for convincing responses to the unfolding horror. “What was cool, and what was awesome was it wasn’t looking at a tennis ball on a tripod, or a green screen kind of thing. Most of it was practical effects that were, you know, detailed later, so we actually had something amazing to work with,” revealed lead actor Scott Speedman in an interview. “At this point in my career, I’ve done so much that it doesn’t really do a lot to me. But I thought the artistry of the whole thing was what was mind-blowing to me.”
Metro Atlanta, Georgia
‘Teacup’ is shot in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area in the state of Georgia. The production is done both on location in a forest outside the city, and at a studio in Gwinnett County. The studio location used by the show is that of Assembly Atlanta, located at 2582 Assembly Boulevard, Doraville, in Gwinnett County. The crew set up shop in one of the soundstages, where many of the sets depicting interior sequences are created, and backdrops are simulated with the use of visual effects.
Known for being a relatively new and vast complex, the film studio is packed with 19 soundstages, a park, and multiple backlots. For the first season, the team seems to have employed sound stage 18, which comes with the facility’s cutting-edge technological support in terms of production equipment, green rooms, and fabrication. The studio also has detailed facades that can help depict backdrops of urban landscapes, apartments, and modern offices mimicking European cities, New York brownstones, and New Orleans.
Filming for Teacup extends beyond the controlled environment of the studio, bringing the production team into the wild, natural settings of the forests around Atlanta. This on-location filming site surrounded by woodlands adds an authentic rural and isolated atmosphere that is essential to the series’ eerie tone. “I wanted this show, this production to feel like the best summer camp ever,” said McCulloch in an interview. “You see it on the screen — the scope of the show changed because we realized what we had and what the audience could look at, which was this beautiful forest.”
The most convincing forest locations proximate to Atlanta are the Chattahoochee National Forest, located to the north of the city, and the Oconee National Forest to its east. These areas are known for their dense woods, winding rivers, and rugged terrain. Their remote, undisturbed landscapes offer an untamed and unsettling wilderness backdrop, especially at night, making them ideal locations for a project like ‘Teacup.’ The diverse locations in and around Atlanta, combined with advanced filming facilities like Assembly Atlanta, propel the city to greater heights as a film hub. Other horror projects shot in the city include Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘The Haunting of Hill House,’ ‘Doctor Sleep,’ and ‘Haunted Mansion.’
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