Naman Shrestha
From the minds of Ronald D. Moore, Ben Nedivi, and Matt Wolpert, Apple TV’s ‘Star City’ is a science fiction thriller series that revolves around the global space race from the perspective of the Soviet Union. The spin-off of ‘For All Mankind’ focuses on the retelling of the story from behind the Iron Curtain as Soviet engineers, intelligence officers, and cosmonauts put everything at risk in order to complete the space mission of reaching the Moon before any other nation. It also highlights all the risks that the Soviet representatives take along the way to make their nation proud and lead humankind forward. Most of the narrative unfolds in outer space as the crew of the Soviet space mission embarks on an out-of-this-world journey towards the Moon, with the darkness of space reflecting the perils that come with the job.
Star City Filming Locations
‘Star City’ was primarily filmed in Lithuania, particularly in and around Vilnius. According to reports, principal photography for the thriller show seemingly got underway in February 2025 and went on for about five months before wrapping up by July of the same year. The shooting process brought together an international team of about 130 film industry professionals and an additional 40 cast and crew members.
At Baltic Film Services, one of the producers, Lineta Mišeikytė, revealed the reasons behind choosing Lithuania as the filming destination for the series. She stated, “We are pleased that Sony Pictures Television has chosen Lithuania for filming. The creators of the series trust the professionalism of Lithuanian cinema, especially their knowledge of recreating authentic details of the historical period. Another good news for Lithuanians is the arrival of director Nick Murphy, who is filming in our country for the first time and is returning to the renewed Vilnius after many years.”
Vilnius, Lithuania
A significant chunk of ‘Star City’ was lensed in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Situated at the confluence of the Vilnia and Neris rivers, the city is popular for the architecture of its Old Town, which served as one of the prominent production locations for the sci-fi series. In addition, the eldership of Pašilaičiai also features in quite a few outdoor and indoor scenes. The filming unit set up camp in and around the 400-acre Vingis Park, where various pivotal sequences for the ‘For All Mankind’ spin-off were taped. During the shooting process, they were also spotted at the VRM Palace, which is referred to as Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports, located in the southernmost part of Zirmunai. In fact, it features in the show multiple times and provides a wide variety of looks.
Furthermore, other residential districts and private apartments and buildings in Vilnius hosted the production of ‘Star City.’ The makers revealed that the city of Vilnius welcomed them and provided all the support they needed to expand the ‘For All Mankind’ universe. During a conversation with Vilnius Film Office & Fund, one of the executive producers, Steve Oster, was asked why Vilnius was chosen as the filming location. He stated, “Because our series is set in 1969 and our first season takes place in several different countries, Vilnius’ varied architectural styles were integral in giving it a unique look and feel. To have such a wide variety of looks within a small geographic area was a huge asset for us.”
Talking about the biggest advantage of shooting the show in Vilnius, the executive producer believed that it is an easy city to get around, which allowed them to film in multiple locations throughout the day. When asked if the unpredictable weather conditions affected the shooting schedule, he said, “While we weren’t expecting the snow to stick around as much as it did, we wound up making it a part of our story and it created a unique tone for the beginning portion of our season. The later episodes take place in the summer, so at times it was a bit of a challenge dodging the frequently-changing weather projections and keeping our extras warm for the outdoor scenes in which they were dressed in summer wardrobe.”
Read More: Where Was For All Mankind Season 3 Filmed?
