If you’re an avid Amazon binge-watcher, then chances are you have seen the 2020 series, The Wilds. The drama follows a group of teenage girls who get stranded on an island after their plane crashes. They think they’re attending a retreat, but soon realise that it is part of a social experiment.

Throughout the season, viewers see the girls fight for their survival and work through the issues that they face in their lives. While it’s a drama, it’s also incredibly entertaining. The show has received a lot of praise and is arguably one of the best series of 2020. But where was the wilds filmed?

The show was primarily filmed in New Zealand, with Auckland’s iconic west coast beaches playing a major role. Executive producer Amy B Harris says that working in Auckland was a “fantastic experience.” She said that the crew were consummate professionals and that the manaakitanga of the local film industry made it a wonderful place to shoot.

Auckland’s Te Henga Bethells Beach was used to film the beach scenes for The Wilds, while other locations included the rocky Ihumoana Island and Kitekite Falls. Other location shoots took place on the Waitakere Ranges tracks like Mercer Bay Loop and Comans Track. The Wilds also utilised the West Wave Pool in Henderson for some shots.

It’s been announced that The Wilds will return for a second season and is set to be filmed in Queensland. This will bring a direct economic injection of more than $800,000 to the Redlands and North Stradbroke Island economies. The project is co-produced by Amazon Studios and ABC Signature Studios, part of Disney Television Studios. It has engaged Brisbane-based production company Hoodlum Entertainment as its service company in Australia.