Jashandeep Singh
Created by Rockne S. O’Bannon, ‘Farscape’ is a science-fiction show that follows astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder), who accidentally gets sucked into a wormhole during a solo space mission and ends up in another galaxy. Crichton then joins a crew of fugitives in the living spaceship Moya, entangling himself in conflicts with human-like Peacekeepers. Since ‘Farscape’ is set against the backdrop of space, visuals of spaceships and galaxies become a central part of the show, taking the audience on an out-of-the-world adventure. So, one can’t help but wonder where the series was filmed.
Farscape Filming Locations
‘Farscape’ was entirely filmed in Sydney, Australia. The city hosted the production of all four seasons of the show, along with the finale miniseries, ‘The Peacekeeper Wars.’ Almost all of the cast and crew members of the show also hail from Australia, except Ben Browder, which also ensured the smoothness of the production process. Now without much ado, let’s take a look at the specific locations where ‘Farscape’ was shot.
Sydney, Australia
The filming of ‘Farscape’ took place in Sydney, the capital of New South Wales in Australia. The production crew utilized the Disney Studios at 38 Driver Avenue, Moore Park in Sydney, to shoot most of the sequences of the show. The scenes involving the interior of the spaceship Moya were also lensed inside the studio. Disney Studios Australia, previously known as Fox Studios Australia, is spread over an area of 132,000 square meters. It features eight stages, several production offices, a huge backlot, and a number of industrial workshops.
The production facility also houses some independent businesses to take care of casting, post-production, filming equipment, and travel and freight, which makes it an ideal choice for film and television production. Apart from the Disney Studios, a few sequences of seasons 2, 3, and 4 of ‘Farscape’ were filmed in Sydney Olympic Park, a suburb of the city of Sydney. Another suburb of the city, Woolwich, served as a filming site for some minor scenes. Additionally, Bondi Beach, a serene white sand in Sydney, provided the backdrop for a few sequences in the fourth season of the show.
It appears like some sequences from the first and fourth season were taped at the Middle Head National Park in Mosman. The place doubled down as the Gammak Base and the Arnessk planet in the show. Centennial Park, another prominent suburb near Sydney, appears in the show as a planet in the second and third seasons. Additionally, the amusement park scenes in season 3 were likely filmed at the Luna Park. Other prominent locations that feature in different episodes of ‘Farscape’ include the suburbs of Sylvania Waters, Millers Point, Maroubra, and Kurnell.
Sydney has a diverse range of natural and urban settings, well-developed infrastructure, and experienced film industry professionals. The city offers a plethora of locations, from picturesque beaches and lush forests to iconic landmarks and modern urban environments. Moreover, it boasts state-of-the-art studios, soundstages, and technical facilities that meet international standards. These resources support seamless production processes, including pre-production, shooting, and post-production. The availability of skilled crews, actors, and technical experts further contributes to the city’s appeal, ensuring a high level of professionalism and creativity in filmmaking.
Hence, a number of television shows and films have been shot in Sydney, including ‘Farscape.’ The city has hosted the production of ‘Euphoria,’ ‘The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart,’ ‘Extraction II,’ ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ ‘Thor: Love and Thunder,’ ‘Hacksaw Ridge,’ ‘Mission: Impossible II,’ ‘The Great Gatsby,’ ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,’ ‘Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,’ ‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,’ ‘Planet of the Apes,’ ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine,’ ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still,’ and ‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.’
As for ‘Farscape,’ the cast had a fun time shooting for the series in Sydney. Virginia Hey, who plays Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan, shared some anecdotes from her filming experience in an interview with BBC and said, “Different actors have different ways of keeping their energy up. What you’ve got to do is try and maintain the same level of energy that your character has. Zhaan is very still and very quiet, and as Virginia, I’m a bundle of energy all the time. Someone once said to me, I’m like a Labrador puppy.”
“I get very excited and jump up on people. so for me to keep my energy as Zhaan, I had to keep very still and be very quiet. Whereas Anthony Simcoe, who played Dargo, was always tap dancing and telling jokes. It was like he was like a stand-up comedian, which was fantastic because he kept us laughing the whole time, especially with Ben. Both Ben and Anthony needed to keep their energy at that level, so the second the director said ‘Action,’ they had that energy already ticking over in their eyes,” Virginia added.
Read More: Why Was Farscape Season 5 Never Made?
