Naman Shrestha
A Stephen creation, Netflix’s ‘The Madness’ is a crime drama series that centers on the regular life of a media pundit named Muncie Daniels. His life turns upside down when he becomes a witness to a brutal murder deep in the woods, resulting in his life spiraling down a dangerous path of conspiracy and threats. With law enforcement suspecting that he is responsible for the killing, he must do everything he can to prove his innocence and clear his name.
Muncie has no other option than to reconnect with his estranged family and allow them to help him survive the life-threatening situation. Featuring stellar performances from Colman Domingo, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Gabrielle Graham, John Ortiz, Tamsin Topolski, and Thaddeus J. Mixson, the conspiracy thriller show is set in Pennsylvania, especially around the Poconos woods, where Muncie witnesses the murder and becomes the prime suspect in the case.
The Madness Filming Locations
The production for ‘The Madness’ takes place in various locations, primarily in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, and Atlanta, Georgia. Minor portions are also filmed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New York City. Principal photography for the inaugural iteration of the crime show got underway in late March 2023 but was halted on July 14, 2023, due to the commencement of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Once the strikes were over, the filming restarted on February 12, 2024, before getting wrapped up for good in April of the same year.
Colman Domingo, who portrays Muncie Daniels, took to social media to share his experience after wrapping up the first season’s shooting. He said, “…Surreal. We did it. Truly there has been some magic made. Too many folks, departments, casts and producers to name but I will shout out a few who made this ride so very wonderful…” He shouted out his producing director Clement Virgo, Stephen Belber, VJ Boyd, and his co-star Marsha Stephanie Blake. Moreover, he showed appreciation to Kaitlin, Boris, and Greg.
Greater Toronto Area, Ontario
Although the narrative is set in Pennsylvania, ‘The Madness’ is majorly lensed in the capital city of Ontario — Toronto. In order to capture the secludedness of the Poconos and the eerie crime scene, the production team set up camp in the wooded Toronto parks. Situated at 270 Simcoe Street North in the city of Oshawa, the Parkwood National Historic Site, also known as the Parkwood Estate, also reportedly serves as a key filming site as the cast and crew members tape numerous scenes in and around the establishment, which is a National Historic Site. Given the demands of his character, Colman Domingo reportedly had to do weeks of training to be able to perform the physical fights in the show.
In an interview with Screen Rant, he opened up about the same. “…I loved the training, I did some training for three weeks with jujutsu masters in Toronto, and I didn’t realize (the intricacies of it). I would drive by jujutsu places thinking, ‘Ooh, that’s intense, I would never do that.’ And then suddenly, I have to, and I was like, ‘Oh, I understand.’ It’s all about energy and using your body in different ways. So, I love it. I understood why they made a choice that Muncie does jujutsu, because you have to think ahead, and you have to actually think and use someone else’s body, and manipulate that in order for you to succeed. So, I thought that was interesting, that he was learning those skills, but he didn’t know he would need those skills,” he said.
Atlanta, Georgia
After the strike postponed the production of season 1, the actors regrouped several months later and restarted shooting. However, according to reports, they taped several pivotal sequences for the debut season in the capital of the state of Georgia — Atlanta — for a week or so. The seat of Fulton County, Atlanta, is also a versatile destination for shooting different kinds of film and TV projects. Over the years, the city has hosted the production of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die,’ ‘Baby Driver,’ ‘The Nice Guys,’ ‘Pain Hustlers,’ ‘Scream: The TV Series,’ and ‘Ozark.’
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Several important exterior shots for ‘The Madness’ are reportedly recorded in the city of Philadelphia, colloquially known as Philly. According to Colman Domingo, a few portions of season 1 were also shot on the corner of his childhood block. The production team took over Malcolm X Park, formerly known as Black Oak Park, and the surrounding streets, specifically between 50th and 54th Streets, to lens multiple outdoor scenes. Informing the area residents of the streets where the shooting would take place, an announcement was posted by the filming unit. “To ensure our shoot is completed safely, and with minimal impact to the neighborhood, our production is working closely with the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office (215-686-2669). We look forward to filming in your neighborhood and thank you in advance for your cooperation and consideration,” the letter read.
New York City, New York
For shooting purposes, the cast and crew members of ‘The Madness’ also traveled to the Big Apple, where they concluded the shooting for the debut season. From what we can tell, a few key portions are filmed in and around Times Square, which is a major tourist destination and entertainment hub in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. To be specific, 9th Avenue & West 43rd Street was turned into a film set for a while during the final phase of the inaugural iteration’s shooting.
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