Newfoundland landscapes are the perfect backdrop for any Hollywood film.

Actress Patricia Arquette in a scene from the Severance Series on AppleTV, filmed in parts of Bonavista, Port Union and Keels, NL, provided a pivotal part of the story development in season two of the highly esteemed program.

One of the things I have always been amazed with in movies is how landscapes have the ability to be more than just backdrops. They can shape the tone, emotion and even the storytelling itself. Sure, they can't method-act or cry on cue, but the atmosphere they provide to establish mood is unprecedented when filmed well.

Newfoundlanders understand how vital our landscapes are and what they mean to us. Whenever you have the opportunity to take a road trip around the bay, seeing the ocean from the road gives you a sense of calm, reassurance and something familiar. It is even better to travel by boat and see the coastlines up close.

We have everything you need if you need a great setting to drive a plot in Newfoundland. It's great that Hollywood is finally seeing what we see: the beauty, mystery, and wonderment surrounding us every day. 

It’s been well-reported in the media that Josh Hartnett is headlining a new Netflix limited series filmed here in the province. Based on a script by Jesse McKeown, the series follows a grizzled fisherman who battles a monstrous sea creature terrorizing his rural coastal community.

In more recent years, Newfoundland and Labrador's stunning landscapes have taken center stage. Disney, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and other major studios have filmed here, and this year’s lineup proves we’re only gaining momentum.

In Severance Season 2, audiences were transported into the eerie, abandoned fictional town of Salts Neck. 

Newfoundland towns like Port Union, Bonavista, and Keels provided the backdrop for Salts Neck. In the show, the fictional village has deep roots in Lumen's troubled past. Newfoundland's unforgiving environment and isolation created the perfect creepy backdrop, harmoniously merging with the show's spooky atmosphere.

On social media, fans praised how Newfoundland landscapes enriched the show's tone, complementing the creepy and immersive storytelling. The show's fanbase also highly commended Amazon Prime’s Reacher Newfoundland scenes. 

When I first saw this scene, it seemed like the entire location was created with SGI for Reacher Season 3, but it wasn't. The house was in Caledon, Ontario, while Newfoundland locations filled in for its ocean backdrop.

Since downtown St. John's and parts of Portugal Cove were recast as Portland, Maine, American audiences were amazed at how naturally the city fit the dark, action-film universe of the show. Others claimed they didn't even notice that they were filming in Canada until they double-checked. I still don't know how they took Zachery Beck’s (played by Anthony Michael Hall) 14,000 square foot luxury, Escarpment House, based in Caledon, Ontario, and merged it with Portugal Cove and other Newfoundland coastal locations, but it was beautifully done. 

Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation reports that the Canadian television and screen-based production industry accounted for over $9 billion in production value and contributed $12.2 billion to the GDP in 2021

Newfoundland is leading, with high-end productions from its world-class crew, breathtaking landscapes, and attractive tax breaks. Internationally, PictureNL, the province's film development cooperation, constantly promotes Newfoundland at major festivals like Berlin, Cannes and TIFF. 

It's incredible to remember when Newfoundland was mentioned on American television years ago. It was both amusing and surprising if you didn't expect it. With 39 film projects filmed in the province over the past year, we are a destination of choice for productions, with top-billed actors and beautiful scenery leading the way. Let's keep it going!