Alien Covenant Filming Locations: You Won’t Believe This!

Discover the Stunning Filming Locations of Alien: Covenant

Did you know that the alien world depicted in Alien: Covenant wasn’t entirely a product of CGI wizardry? Much of its eerie beauty was captured on location, transforming real landscapes into the haunting environments we see on screen.

Alien: Covenant, released in 2017, continues the terrifying legacy of the Alien franchise, bridging the gap between Prometheus and the original Alien film. It follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant as they discover what appears to be an uncharted paradise, only to find it’s a dark and dangerous world, harboring a threat beyond their comprehension.

This film is more than just a sci-fi horror; it’s a visual masterpiece, carefully crafted through a combination of practical effects and breathtaking location shooting.

This article will take you on a journey behind the scenes, exploring the remarkable alien covenant shooting locations that brought Ridley Scott’s terrifying vision to life. Prepare to discover the real-world places that shaped the film’s unforgettable atmosphere.

A Visual Bridge in the Alien Saga

Alien: Covenant holds a crucial place within the Alien universe.

It delves deeper into the mythology established in Prometheus, while simultaneously setting the stage for the events of the original Alien.

The film attempts to answer lingering questions about the origins of the Xenomorphs and the motivations of the Engineers, the mysterious race of beings who seeded life on Earth.

Visually, Alien: Covenant strikes a balance between the sterile, futuristic environments of the Covenant ship and the primordial, often unsettling landscapes of the alien planet. This contrast is key to the film’s overall impact, creating a sense of both wonder and dread.

Unveiling the Real Alien World

The power of Alien: Covenant lies in its ability to immerse the viewer in a believable, albeit terrifying, alien world.

This sense of realism is due in no small part to the film’s stunning location choices.

Rather than relying solely on computer-generated imagery, Ridley Scott and his team sought out real-world environments that could convincingly portray the film’s otherworldly setting. This decision had a profound impact on the film’s aesthetic, lending it a tangible quality that CGI alone could not achieve.

Throughout this exploration, we’ll uncover how these locations contributed to the film’s narrative and visual storytelling, and how they helped to create one of the most memorable alien landscapes in cinematic history.

A Visual Bridge in the Alien Saga

Alien: Covenant holds a crucial place within the Alien universe.

It delves deeper into the mythology established in Prometheus, while simultaneously setting the stage for the events of the original Alien.

The film attempts to answer lingering questions about the origins of the Xenomorphs and the motivations of the Engineers, the mysterious race of beings who seeded life on Earth.

Visually, Alien: Covenant strikes a balance between the sterile, futuristic environments of the Covenant ship and the haunting beauty of the alien planet. But to truly realize the director’s vision, and to ensure a visually striking and immersive environment, Ridley Scott turned to the raw, untouched landscapes of New Zealand.

New Zealand’s Majestic Landscapes: Bringing an Alien World to Life

Alien: Covenant isn’t just a masterclass in sci-fi horror; it’s a testament to the power of location shooting.

Ridley Scott sought to create a world that felt both alien and believable.

He found the perfect canvas for his vision in the majestic landscapes of New Zealand.

These locations provided the film with a crucial layer of authenticity, grounding its otherworldly elements in the tangible beauty (and occasional harshness) of the real world.

Let’s journey into the specific locales that shaped the film’s unforgettable atmosphere.

Milford Sound: Where Paradise Masks a Nightmare

Milford Sound, a breathtaking fiord on the South Island, served as a primary backdrop for the alien planet.

Its selection was no accident; its unique, almost prehistoric beauty lends itself perfectly to portraying an uncharted world.

Towering cliffs rise dramatically from the inky waters, often shrouded in mist.

This creates an atmosphere of both awe and unease, where something extraordinary – and potentially dangerous – could lurk around any corner.

Specific scenes filmed in Milford Sound showcase its imposing scale.

Think of the aerial shots of the Covenant ship descending into the planet’s atmosphere.

The fiord’s dramatic landscape emphasizes the isolation and vulnerability of the crew.

The location’s natural features were integral to enhancing the film’s tone.

The frequent rain and mist created a sense of foreboding, perfectly mirroring the hidden dangers awaiting the crew.

The sheer scale of the landscape served to diminish the human presence, highlighting the crew’s insignificance in the face of something ancient and powerful.

Fiordland National Park: A Tapestry of Alien Beauty

Beyond Milford Sound, the broader Fiordland National Park contributed its diverse landscapes to Alien: Covenant.

The park’s lush rainforests, rugged mountains, and serene lakes offered a variety of visual textures.

These textures created a sense of depth and realism within the alien world.

While specific scene breakdowns are scarce, the park’s overall aesthetic permeates the film.

Its wild, untamed nature resonates with the idea of a planet untouched by humanity, harboring secrets yet to be uncovered.

Behind-the-scenes, filming in Fiordland presented its share of challenges.

The unpredictable weather demanded flexibility from the crew, while the remote location required careful logistical planning.

Despite these hurdles, the payoff was undeniable.

The park’s natural beauty provided the film with an unparalleled sense of authenticity and visual richness.

Dunedin: Echoes of Earth

Dunedin, a city on the southeastern coast of New Zealand’s South Island, might seem like an unusual choice for an Alien film.

However, its unique architectural heritage provided a crucial element to the film’s narrative.

Dunedin was selected to represent some of the Engineer structures found on the planet.

Its neo-Gothic architecture, with its imposing stone buildings and intricate details, offered a glimpse into the Engineers’ civilization.

While the specific scene filmed in Dunedin is not widely publicized, its presence adds a layer of historical depth to the alien world.

The city’s architecture suggests that the Engineers once possessed a sophisticated and powerful culture.

It provides a visual contrast to the more natural and untamed aspects of the planet.

This contrast hints at a story of creation, destruction, and the enduring legacy of a long-lost race.

From Down Under to Outer Space: Studio Magic in Sydney

After capturing the raw, untamed beauty of New Zealand’s landscapes, the production of Alien: Covenant shifted gears, heading to the bustling city of Sydney, Australia. Here, within the controlled environment of sprawling studios, the film’s interior world took shape, merging practical set design with cutting-edge visual effects. This transition marked a critical phase in the filmmaking process, a move from the tangible to the meticulously crafted, a blend of reality and illusion.

Sydney’s Essential Role: Crafting the Covenant’s Interior

Sydney’s studios provided the space and technological infrastructure necessary to build the intricate interior sets of the Covenant spaceship and other key environments.

These sets weren’t just backdrops; they were integral to the storytelling, shaping the mood, influencing the actors’ performances, and immersing the audience in the claustrophobic reality of deep-space exploration.

The design teams meticulously constructed the bridge, the cryo-sleep chambers, the med bays, and the vast hydroponics lab, each space reflecting the ship’s utilitarian purpose while subtly hinting at the lurking dangers within.

The attention to detail was paramount, from the flickering lights and steam-filled corridors to the worn textures of the ship’s panels. These details enhanced the sense of realism.

A Collaborative Masterpiece: 20th Century Fox and Sydney’s VFX Teams

The success of Alien: Covenant’s visual world hinged on the seamless collaboration between 20th Century Fox and the talented visual and special effects teams based in Sydney.

These artists and technicians were responsible for bringing the film’s most ambitious visions to life, from the creation of the alien planet’s flora and fauna to the terrifying Xenomorphs themselves.

The visual effects artists used a combination of computer-generated imagery (CGI) and practical effects to create the nightmarish creatures.

They used motion capture technology, and intricate puppetry to breathe life into the aliens.

The special effects teams focused on enhancing the realism of the physical sets, creating realistic explosions, atmospheric effects, and practical creature effects.

This collaboration extended beyond simply executing pre-determined shots.

It involved a constant exchange of ideas and creative problem-solving, ensuring that the visual effects seamlessly integrated with the practical elements of the film.

The result was a visual spectacle that felt both believable and terrifying, a testament to the power of collaboration and the artistry of Sydney’s VFX community.

Crafting the Alien Reality: Production Design and Effects

With filming complete and the digital artists poised, the burden of bringing Ridley Scott’s vision to life fell increasingly upon the production design team. Their challenge: to transform abstract concepts and storyboards into tangible environments that both served the narrative and plunged audiences into the heart of an alien nightmare.

The Importance of Production Design

The production design of Alien: Covenant isn’t just about creating visually appealing sets; it’s about establishing a palpable atmosphere of dread, scientific curiosity, and underlying menace. The film’s aesthetic cleverly balances futuristic technology with a sense of decay and organic horror, a signature blend that defines the Alien franchise.

Consider the Covenant spaceship itself. Its sleek, sterile corridors, punctuated by dimly lit recesses and ominous, hissing machinery, speak to humanity’s ambition and technological prowess. However, this gleaming facade masks a vulnerability, hinting at the fragility of human life in the face of the unknown.

This duality is a key element of the film’s design. It’s a visual representation of the crew’s precarious position, caught between their aspirations for a new world and the horrifying realities that await them.

Stage Sets: Where Visual Storytelling Takes Shape

The meticulously crafted stage sets of Alien: Covenant are more than just backdrops; they are active participants in the storytelling process. Each set, from the bridge of the Covenant to the eerie alien temple, contributes to the film’s narrative, enhancing the audience’s emotional engagement and driving the plot forward.

The bridge, for example, is designed to evoke a sense of control and authority, but its large windows also offer a constant reminder of the vast, unknowable void outside, creating a subtle undercurrent of unease.

Similarly, the cryo-sleep chambers, with their cold, clinical appearance, symbolize the crew’s suspended lives and their vulnerability to the dangers of interstellar travel.

The alien temple, with its imposing scale and unsettling architecture, becomes a character in itself, reflecting the enigmatic and malevolent force that haunts the film.

These spaces, built within the controlled environment of a studio, became crucial for the actors. They allowed for a deeper immersion into their roles, making the terror they portrayed feel authentic and visceral.

Practical Effects: Grounding the Spectacle in Reality

While Alien: Covenant undoubtedly benefits from sophisticated visual effects, the film’s reliance on practical effects significantly enhances its realism and impact. The use of physical props, animatronics, and on-set special effects lends a tactile quality to the horror, making the alien encounters all the more believable and terrifying.

The creation of the Xenomorphs, for instance, involved a combination of practical and digital techniques. The use of practical creature suits and animatronic puppets provided the actors with a tangible presence to react to, resulting in more convincing performances.

The gruesome, visceral nature of the alien attacks was also enhanced by the use of practical blood and gore effects, adding a layer of visceral realism that CGI alone cannot replicate.

By grounding the spectacle in reality, the practical effects in Alien: Covenant not only heightened the audience’s sense of immersion but also paid homage to the practical effects that defined the earlier Alien films, connecting the franchise’s past with its present.

So, have you added these incredible alien covenant shooting locations to your travel bucket list yet? Hope you enjoyed the virtual trip – let us know in the comments which spot you’d visit first!