Where Was Where The Wild Things Are Filmed? Spike Jonze’s Enthralling Fantasy Film!

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If you happen to be a genuine film enthusiast, then you would know fantasy films are not only meant for kids. Fantasy movies can be enjoyed by everyone, irrespective of their age. If you like to watch fantasy films, I bet you’ve seen Where The Wild Things Are (2009). And you’ve also probably wondered about the movie’s filming locations. In this article, I’ll discuss the movie and tell you where was Where The Wild Things Are filmed. 

The fantasy adventure drama film follows Max, a 9-year-old boy, who runs away from home after having a fight with his mother and later finds himself on a mysterious island. The character of Max is played by Max Records. He won several accolades for his role in the movie, including a Young Artists Award for Best Leading Actor in a Feature Film. 

Some of the other vital characters are played by Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, Pepita Emmerichs, and Steve Mouzakis. The voice cast of the film includes James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, and Forest Whitaker.

Now, to get back to your main concern regarding where was Where The Wild Things Are filmed. The fantasy adventure drama movie was shot principally in Victoria, Australia, and Los Angeles, California, United States of America.

Where The Wild Things Are was first released on 13th October 2009 in New York City. Eventually, on 16th November 2009, the adventure drama film was released in the United States, followed by its release in Australia on 3rd December 2009. However, let’s not take any more of your precious time and find out more about the filming locations.

Where Was Where The Wild Things Are Filmed? Let’s Check It Out!

Where Was Where The Wild Things Are Filmed? Spike Jonze’s Enthralling Fantasy Film!

Spike Jonze’s Where The Wild Things Are was well-received by critics who praised the movie’s screenplay, editing, and background music. However, the movie did not perform well at the box office and was a commercial disappointment. Entertainment Weekly’s Lisa Schwarzbaum gave the film an “A Grade and called it one of the finest movies of 2009. On the other hand,  New York Times’s Manohla Dargis stated that “Spike Jonze’s filmmaking exceeds anything he’s done before.” 

The most interesting aspect of the film is that Jonze chose not to use any VFX to create the Wild Things, instead, he used suit performers. The fantasy adventure drama film got a score of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rating of 6.7 on IMDb. However, let’s get to the point and straightaway jump into the details of where was Where The Wild Things Are filmed. 

Flinders, Victoria, Australia

Where Was Where The Wild Things Are Filmed? Spike Jonze’s Enthralling Fantasy Film!

The production team had to scout for months to find the ideal filming location for the fantasy adventure drama film. Principal photography began in July 2006 and was wrapped up by December 2006. Apart from Australia, a few of the other options were Ireland, Thailand, and New Zealand. But when the production team visited the state of Victoria in Australia, they were quite sure that the movie would be shot here. 

The majority of the scenes on the mysterious island where Max comes across the Wild Things were shot in Bushrangers Bay, which is a seaside town in the city of Flinders. The beautiful beach on the Mornington Peninsula was the perfect choice to portray the mysterious island.

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Some of the scenes were shot at the Dockland Studios in Melbourne. It is located at 476 Docklands Drive. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria. The city is an ideal place for shooting any kind of movie. With a diverse landscape, it offers hills, stretches of land, and amazing coastlines.

Filming of the fantasy adventure movie also took place in Gembrook, Little River, Mount Arapiles, Woodend, and Discovery Bay Coastal Park.

Los Angeles, California, United States Of America

A number of scenes were also filmed in the big city of Los Angeles, California. Filming took place at LA Center Studios, which is situated at 450 South Bixel Street in Downtown Los Angeles. Movies like David Fincher’s Fight Club and Francis Lawrence’s Constantine were also filmed here. 

Plot Of Where The Wild Things Are (2009) | Let’s Meet King Max!

Where Was Where The Wild Things Are Filmed? Spike Jonze’s Enthralling Fantasy Film!

The story of Where The Wild Things Are revolves around Max, played by Max Record, a 9-year-old boy who is lonely and spends most of his time all by himself. However, he has an active and strong imagination, which keeps him busy at times. Max has an older sister, Claire, played by Pepita Emmerichs. When one of her friends destroys Max’s snow fort, he gets furious with his sister and makes a mess at home.

To calm him down, his mother, Connie, played by Katherine Keener, promises to spend time with him in the evening. After waiting all day, he finds out that his mother has invited her boyfriend, Adrien, played by Mark Ruffalo. He gets angry and extremely upset as his mother forgets about their plan.

After fighting with his mother, Max ran away from the house. He finds a pond nearby and notices a boat. He gets on the boat. After a while, he reaches a strange and mysterious island and comes across a bunch of monster-like creatures. Eventually, he learns that they are called the Wild Things. Instead of causing him any harm, they make him their king.

Final Words

I can understand that Australia is quite far from the United States, so you cannot go there without a proper plan. However, you can easily visit California. So, for the time being, go to Los Angeles and have some fun while checking out the fantasy drama movie’s filming locations. And those of you who haven’t watched Where The Wild Things Are, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and watch it. Having said that, if you feel like reading more articles on filming locations, then keep an eye on the Oldflamescandles website.

Who Wrote The Screenplay Of Where The Wild Things Are?

Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers wrote the screenplay of Where The Wild Things Are.

What Is The Best Quote In The Movie Where The Wild Things Are?

The best quote in the movie Where The Wild Things Are is:
“Douglas: Will you keep out all the sadness?
Max: I have a sadness shield that keeps out all the sadness, and it’s big enough for all of us.”

Is Where The Wild Things Are Based On A Book?

Yes, Where The Wild Things Are is based on the 1963 children’s book of the same name by  Maurice Sendak.

Which Are The Most Popular Spike Jonze Films?

The most popular Spike Jonze films are Her, Being John Malkovich, and Adaptation.

What Is The Tagline Of Where The Wild Things Are?

The tagline of Where The Wild Things Are is “There’s one in all of us.”

Ujwal Mattoo
Ujwal Mattoo
With full journalism and half engineering background, Ujwal has hands in both the tech and creative fields. He is a film enthusiast who loves all kinds of genres. As much as he enjoys watching movies, he is always amused to know more and write about the locations to feed his hunger for traveling. In this world of fictional louds, he voices his opinions softly! He is either busy writing or playing with Milo, his dog!

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