Naman Shrestha
Based on the chilling chapter titled ‘The Captain’s Log’ from the 1897 novel ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker, ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ is a supernatural horror movie helmed by André Øvredal. It chronicles the terrifying journey of the doomed crew of the merchant ship Demeter, which carries various private cargo and unnamed wooden crates from Carpathia to London. As the ship sails through the waves of the ocean, some strange and deadly events befall the crew as they get stalked by a bloodthirsty presence each night.
Trying to survive the voyage, the crew spends the rest of their days terrified of the mysterious presence. When the Demeter finally arrives on England’s shores, there is no sign of the crew. Featuring compelling performances by Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian, and Jon Jon Briones, the Dracula movie unfolds mostly on the merchant ship while the ocean serves as the constant backdrop. So, are you interested in knowing where ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ was filmed? Well, we have gathered all the necessary information about the same!
The Last Voyage of the Demeter Filming Locations
‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ was filmed in Germany and Malta, specifically in Berlin, Kalkara, and Mdina. As per reports, principal photography for the supernatural film commenced in late June 2021 and wrapped up in about three months or so, in early October of the same year. So, without wasting much time, let’s traverse through all the specific locations that make an appearance in the Dracula movie!
Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region, Germany
The production team of ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ kicked off the shooting process of the thriller film in Berlin, the capital of Germany. After lensing some key portions in Berlin, they set up camp in the Studio Babelsberg AG located exactly at August-Bebel-Straße. 26-53 in the city of Potsdam, where a majority of the interior scenes of the ship were lensed.
The filming unit built a number of indoor sets on top of a gimbal in order to simulate the rocking of the ocean. According to the leading actor Corey Hawkins who portrays Clemens, this method worked surprisingly too well as a number of actors on set actually became seasick. Labeled as one of Europe’s largest film studio complexes, Studio Babelsberg AG is home to 21 state-of-the-art sound stages, various flexible backlot areas, a water tank, and vast production facilities. All these amenities make it an ideal filming site for different kinds of productions.
Malta
After wrapping up shooting in Berlin in August 2021, the filming unit traveled all the way to the island country of Malta, which is situated in the Mediterranean Sea, where they shot more than half of the scenes for ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter.’ As far as most of the voyage scenes are concerned, they were recorded in Malta Film Studios at St. Rocco Street in the village of Kalkara, Malta. Numerous Maltese local craftsmen took less than four months to construct a 60-meter wooden ship for the movie, which turned out to be the largest ship to be ever constructed and also used at the film tank of the Malta Film Studios.
To be specific, the ship measured about 214 feet long and 38 feet wide and even had a deck and working sails, which provided enough space for the cast and crew members who participated in the production process. Moreover, the crew even constructed a half ship in the film studio complex, especially for the opening sequences where the Demeter loads its mysterious cargo in the port before setting sail to England.
Renowned for its special effects water facility, Malta Film Studios is home to one indoor tank and two large exterior water tanks with the natural horizon of the open waters, which are known to be amongst the largest in the world. Thus, it served as the suitable production location for ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter.’ Shooting of additional portions for the film also took place in the fortified city of Mdina, located in the Northern Region of Malta. Reportedly, a few other locations across Malta also make appearances in numerous scenes of the horror movie.
Read More: Is The Last Voyage of the Demeter Based on a True Story?
