Inspired by Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel ‘Frankenstein,’ creator Çağan Irmak has based his historical drama series in Ottoman-era Istanbul. ‘Creature’ is a Turkish show originally titled ‘Yaratilan,’ named after Frankenstein’s monster in the novel, who was referred to as a creature. It revolves around a Turkish medical student, Ziya, during the plague, who tries to dabble with death and experiment with an unexplored area that is sure to have grave consequences.
Starring Taner Ölmez and Erkan Kolçak Köstendil, this miniseries is all about the arrogance of a man who tries to attempt the impossible. It’s set around the time the Ottoman Empire was about to end, making historical backdrops and scenery very important to reflect the chilling and horrific tone of the storyline. A lot of thought was put into making the site look authentic, which makes us more excited and wonder about the filming locations where it was shot.
Creature Filming Locations
‘Creature’ was filmed entirely in Turkey, where the story is set, and specifically in Bursa and Istanbul. Based on an announcement for the filming, principal photography is believed to have started on January 25, 2022, and the shoot was wrapped up in a few months by April 9, 2022. It is possible some parts were also filmed after that till September that year. Around the same time, plenty of other films were being shot in Bursa as well, since historical landscape and snow-covered areas make for beautiful backdrops. Some big projects like ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ and ‘Argo’ have also been shot in Istanbul due to its scenic beauty. While this shows why Turkey is an ideal filming spot, let’s get into the specifics of the filming locations.
Bursa, Turkey
A lot of the scenes for ‘Creature’ were filmed in Bursa in Turkey, which is popular for its winter sports and the forest area. The harsh winter scenes in the film were shot on or near Mount Uludağ in Bursa, where the cast and crew were spotted during filming. It provides the idea winter setting and is one of the highest mountains in the area at an elevation of 2,543 m. Some scenic shots were also possibly filmed in Nilüfer district, with plenty of forest area nearby.
Istanbul, Turkey
The production team also spent a significant portion of their time while shooting for ‘Creature’ in Turkey’s Istanbul. Some of the crew members were spotted at Galataport at Kılıçali Paşa Mah. Meclis-i Mebusan Cad. No: 8 İç Kapı No: 102, 34433 Beyoğlu/İstanbul, and near Kiyi Marina at Fatih, Komando Sk., 34500. It is also likely that the crew members stayed in Izmit of Kocaeli Province, which is situated between Bursa and Istanbul, making it easier for them to reach both locations for filming. After wrapping up the shoot, the crew got clicked on the last day of filming in April 2022 in Izmit.
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