Naman Shrestha
Based on the eponymous novel by Frank Schätzing, The CW’s ‘The Swarm’ is a German co-produced science fiction series that revolves around the anomalies and unnatural behavior of marine animals all over the world in the present day. The narrative focuses on a global group of talented and intelligent scientists who, after making a chilling discovery, decide to join hands and tackle one of the biggest challenges humankind has ever faced. The discovery that they make is that of an unknown swarm intelligence that resides in the deepest pits of the sea.
Having suffered the consequences of civilization on its habitat for centuries, the collective intelligence finally decides to fight back, which might bring some terrible outcome for the race of humans. Featuring impressive onscreen performances from a group of talented actors, including Alexander Karim, Cécile De France, Leonie Benesch, Joshua Odjick, and Takehiro Hira, the sci-fi drama show unfolds mainly out in the open waters with several scenes shot in boats and underwater. Thus, it is bound to make one wonder where exactly ‘The Swarm’ is filmed.
The Swarm Filming Locations
‘The Swarm’ is filmed in Belgium, Italy, Norway, and British Columbia, particularly in Vilvoorde, the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital and several other parts of Italy, and Vancouver. According to reports, principal photography for the debut season commenced in June 2021 and was carried out for about three months, before seemingly wrapping up in September of the same year. Now, let’s not waste any time and get a detailed account of all the specific sites that make an appearance in the sci-fi series!
Vilvoorde, Belgium
A significant portion of ‘The Swarm’ is lensed in the municipality of Vilvoorde located in the Flemish province of Belgium. To be specific, the production team utilizes the facilities of Lites Studios at Fabriekstraat 81 in Vilvoorde, especially to shoot most of the underwater scenes. It is home to two large sound stages, three smaller stages, a wide range of additional spaces, and the most advanced water stage in the world, making it a suitable filming site for a show like ‘The Swarm,’ which is based mainly in water.
For instance, they spent a couple of weeks shooting season 1 in the studio in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic as they taped many climax scenes at the underwater studio. The filming unit constructed a 60mx15m Rosco on set in order to recreate the Mediterranean horizon around the film studio’s flooded stage. This helps provide the best and safest conditions possible for the cast and crew in order to enact the storyboard requirements.
Italy
Many pivotal sequences for ‘The Swarm’ are recorded in different parts of Italy as the production team makes the most of its vast and versatile terrains. The Metropolitan City of Rome Capital serves as one of the prominent production locations as they set up camp in and around Fortino di San Pietro at Molo del Lazzaretto in Porto di, Civitavecchia and Ingresso Monumento Naturale Palude di Torre Flavia. In the meanwhile, a beach just outside of the city stands for Peru in the series.
Moreover, the locales of the Italian regions of Puglia AKA Apulia and Veneto feature in several key portions as well. In particular, the cast and crew members of ‘The Swarm’ can also be spotted in and around Lighthouse Punta Palascìa and the seaport city of Trani, both in Apulia, during the production schedule. Apart from that, small units were also reportedly sent to Vancouver and Norway to shoot tape some limited shots, supposedly exteriors, for the inaugural iteration of the science fiction series.
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