16 locations in Vancouver where Netflix's Altered Carbon was filmed (PHOTOS)
Yes, Altered Carbon is filmed in Vancouver.
Although much of Netflix’s newly released big budget, hit sci-fi series was filmed inside Skydance Studios’ new production studio in the suburb of Surrey and produced using high-calibre CGI, quite a few landmarks and significant sites around the Metro Vancouver region also made a prominent appearance in the series’ first season.
See also
- The entire Nintendo Switch commercial was filmed in Vancouver (VIDEO)
- Vancouver-filmed Once Upon A Time to end after current season
- Famous K-pop group Twice's 'Likey' music video is filmed in Vancouver
- Hollywood North: Record $2.6-billion spent by film and television productions in BC in 2017
- Vancouver ranked second best city for movie-makers in North America
- Hollywood's Skydance Studios opens 75,000-square-foot production facility in Surrey
The series is the video on-demand giant’s latest attempt to provide itself with its equivalent of Game of Thrones. In fact, this season had a larger production budget than Game of Thrones’ early seasons, and it clearly showed with its Blade Runner vibe.
Altered Carbon is set in gritty Bay City, what was known as San Francisco, in the 24th century when the ultra wealthy are able to transfer their consciousness to a “sleeve” – also known today as a human body. Their consciousness and memories are “uploaded” to a storage device implanted into their bodies, allowing them to switch sleeves and essentially live forever.
It stars Joel Kinnaman, who is no stranger to Vancouver after spending years in the city filming AMC and Netflix’s The Killing and the remake of RoboCop.
“We had one set that was three football fields deep,” said Joel Kinnaman in an interview while describing the elaborate set at the Surrey studio. “400 or 500 extras were milling around, it was a complete living, breathing city with noodle shops and construction workers and police officers… you just stepped into it and you didn’t have to imagine anything.”
Production on the series’ first season began in November 2016. Here are some unique locations where Altered Carbon was filmed in Vancouver:
Spoilers ahead, people.
UBC’s Rose Garden as the garden of Bancroft’s palace above the clouds.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
UBC Rose Garden. (UBC Media Relations)
The Marine Building lobby as Laurens Bancroft’s palace.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
Inside the lobby of the historic Marine Building in downtown Vancouver. (Ross Strachan / Flickr)
The TELUS Studio Theatre at UBC Chan Centre For The Performing Arts as Lauren Bancroft’s battle arena inside his palace.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
The TELUS Studio Theatre inside UBC Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. (UBC Media Relations)
The old Canada Post building as the Wei Clinic where Kovacs was virtually tortured…
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
Aerial view of the old Canada Post building in downtown Vancouver. (Google Maps)
… and the police station where Kristin Ortega was shot.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
The Sea to Sky Gondola’s suspension bridge, where Takeshi Kovacs was recruited as an ‘Envoy’.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
The mountaintop suspension at the Sea to Sky Gondola. (Jenni Sheppard / Daily Hive)
Main Street’s No. 5 Orange strip club… as a strip club.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building as Isaac Bancroft’s apartment.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
Inside the Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building. (Vancouver Convention Centre)
VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre as Isaac Bancroft’s mansion.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
The exterior of the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre. (VanDusen Botanical Garden)
Inside the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre. (VanDusen Botanical Garden)
UBC Museum of Anthropology as the reality of the VR loop when Kovacs jacks in to see Vernon Elliot’s daughter.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. (UBC MOA)
The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. (UBC MOA)
The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. (UBC MOA)
The Qube, an earthquake-resistant building, as the HQ of the company where sleeves are cloned…
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
The Qube at 1333 West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver. (Google Maps Streetview)
…. and BCIT Aerospace’s campus as the interior of the HQ.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
Inside the BCIT Aerospace campus in Richmond near Vancouver International Airport. (BCIT)
Minaty Bay at Britannia Beach as an escape during Kovacs’ past with Quellcrist Falconer.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
The Waterfall Building as the hospital where Ortega receives treatment for her gunshot wounds.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
The Waterfall Building in Vancouver. (Dale Simonson / Flickr)
The Waterfall Building in Vancouver. (Dale Simonson / Flickr)
TELUS Garden office tower lobby as the meeting place with Hemmingway.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
BC Place Stadium as Reileen Kawahara’s airship…
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
… which falls from the sky, and crashes and explodes into San Francisco Bay.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
BC Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver. (Shutterstock)
Dominica Myles used to be a visual effects artist. Now she cleans windows on high-rise buildings in Vancouver. (Dominica Myles/Instagram)
Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building’s exhibition hall as the launch bay of Kawahara’s airship.
Altered Carbon
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Scene from Altered Carbon. (Netflix)
Filmed in Vancouver reality
Inside the exhibition hall of the West Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre. (Vancouver Convention Centre)
See also
- The entire Nintendo Switch commercial was filmed in Vancouver (VIDEO)
- Vancouver-filmed Once Upon A Time to end after current season
- Famous K-pop group Twice's 'Likey' music video is filmed in Vancouver
- Hollywood North: Record $2.6-billion spent by film and television productions in BC in 2017
- Vancouver ranked second best city for movie-makers in North America
- Hollywood's Skydance Studios opens 75,000-square-foot production facility in Surrey
Follow Channels and Categories