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The Power of the Dog
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The Power of the Dog is immeasurable — seriously! The film was just nominated for a flurry of Oscars, ready to take home a stunning array of trophies when the event airs this March. If you haven’t watched legendary director Jane Campion‘s first film in 12 years, the movie is streaming on Netflix. Set in the mid 1920s, you might wonder where the western was actually filmed, and we’ve got answers.
Phil and George Burbank, played by Oscar nominees Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons, lead the film as brothers who own a ranch together. When George finds true love in Rose (Kirsten Dunst), Phil lashes out on both her and her feminine son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee).
Let’s take a trip to the set of this Oscar hopeful — here’s everything you need to know about the production of The Power of the Dog.
Where is The Power of the Dog set?
The Power of the Dog takes place in 1925 Montana. But was that actually where Campion shot her masterpiece, or was Yellowstone too busy working in the area? Keep reading to find out.
Where was The Power of the Dog filmed?
The Power of the Dog was not actually filmed in Montana — in fact, the Western wasn’t even shot in America at all! Filming took place in New Zealand, in the Maniototo Plain of Central Otago, also taking place in the coastal Otago city of Dunedin and Oamaru. All of the interior scenes in the film were shot in Auckland.
When was The Power of the Dog filmed?
Filming began in January 2020, but as we all know, a global pandemic shut everything down in March 2020. Thanks to New Zealand’s swift COVID strategy, the production was granted a permit to resume in June 2020, concluding in July 2020.
Is The Power of the Dog based on a true story?
Not exactly, but in a certain way, yes. The 1967 novel The Power of the Dog was a semi-autobiographical tale of Thomas Savage, a gay man who grew up on a ranch in Montana. So, everything’s pretty realistic about the film — minus the fact that it was actually shot in New Zealand!
