The crew of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things was in Vilnius filming part of the show’s fourth season. The shooting took place at locations around the Lithuanian capital, including the recently closed century-old former prison.
Season four of the critically acclaimed Stranger Things was being shot in Vilnius, Lithuania. Preparations for the production started last November and filming ended on 14 February, the Municipality of Vilnius announced in a press release.
The crew, along with some of the show’s fan-favourite actors, have been busy filming episodes for the upcoming season, which still has no official release date. The show was filmed at the former century-old Lukiškės Prison and other locations in Lithuania.
The prison, which was built and began holding inmates in the early 1900s, just ceased operations last year. During the tumultuous 20th century in Vilnius, interchanging regimes – including Imperial Russia, the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and finally, independent Lithuania – all used the structure as a prison.
While working in Vilnius, the show’s Director Shawn Levy remarked, “From the start, Stranger Things has been inspiring to all of us lucky enough to work on it. My adventure here in Lithuania in bringing the reveal of the ‘American’ to life has been a huge challenge but an even bigger inspiration, and we are so thankful to the city of Vilnius and the beautiful country of Lithuania for their hospitality. The Duffers and I have been working alongside the brilliant Netflix team for months to pull off this surprise. All the hard work was worth it, however, to bring our fans—the greatest fans in the world—this epic reveals they’ve been hoping and waiting for. And this is only the beginning…”
“The fact that highly popular TV series attracting international attention choose Vilnius as their shooting set once again confirms the city’s diversity and complexity. Film creators find important things that Vilnius residents also find important, namely the fact that the city is open, green, comfortable, historic and also modern. The possibility to transport Vilnius spaces is the city’s strong point that fascinates creators,” Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius said
Vilnius is becoming an increasingly popular shooting destination among filmmakers globally. Other hit shows like HBO’s Chernobyl, and Netflix’s Young Wallander and Tokyo Trial were also shot in Vilnius in recent years. The city is attracting high-profile productions due to its multifaceted history, ability to provide backdrops representing different historical periods, and a highly skilled film industry workforce.
As if I needed ANOTHER reason to check out Season 4…