‘Nine Perfect Strangers’: Where Was the Hulu Series Filmed?
Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers takes viewers on a journey to a wellness resort called Tranquillum House, where the show’s large cast of characters will come to terms with the grief and trauma they’ve been suffering through. Run by a woman named Masha (Nicole Kidman), the resort sits in a secluded area surrounded by nature. The shots of sprawling fields, waterfalls, and endless trees paints a picture of luxury for viewers. So, where was the series filmed?
Where is ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ set?
Although the Hulu series wasn’t filmed there, Nine Perfect Strangers is supposed to take place in California. In fact, production designer Colin Gibson told Architectural Design that the creative team spent time researching similar establishments in Big Sur. The group initially planned to film the show near Los Angeles. However, he noted that production challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from doing so.
Filming in California would have placed the cast and crew closer to where the series is set. However, things worked out better with the change of plans. For one, Gibson admitted that the Californian resorts they looked into had “a 1960s and 1970s sort of look” that didn’t match Masha’s more modern tastes. Additionally, the show’s new production spot helped immerse everyone in the story they wanted to tell.
Where was Hulu’s ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ filmed?
Despite being set in California, Nine Perfect Strangers wound up being filmed in Australia. The creative team found two properties they felt fit with the show’s story: Soma and Lune de Sang. Soma is a wellness resort similar to the one the show’s characters spend their time in. Meanwhile, Lune de Sang — a timber plantation — provides some of the stunning architecture shots featured throughout the series.
Although the crew could have viewed filming in Australia as a setback, director and producer Jonathan Levine found it helpful. He told Town & Country that shooting in Australia enabled the Nine Perfect Strangers cast get into the right mindset for the Hulu series:
“There was a point when we were going to shoot in Los Angeles, and it was going to be done in three separate residences and eight rooms built on a soundstage, but that wouldn’t have had the same feel as all of us showing up at the same wellness retreat every day, eating in the same room, doing all these things that were consistent with the reality of the show.”
The stars certainly got deep into character during the Nine Perfect Strangers premiere, so Levine may be onto something there.
“We shot in a real wellness center, so we were essentially living the show,” Levine explained. “Everyone was drinking their juices every day, everyone was eating that food that was presented to them; you can’t overstate how much realer it feels when you’re in an actual space.”
The Hulu series’ filming location has a connection to Liane Moriarty’s novel
Ironically, Liane Moriarty’s novel Nine Perfect Strangers — which the Hulu series is based on — is set in Australia rather than California. So, while the on-screen and behind-the-scene settings of the show don’t match, the end product aligns more closely with the author’s original vision.
With that in mind, it feels like the show benefited from its change of scenery in multiple ways. Not only did it bring authenticity to the story and its characters, but it provided a backdrop similar to what readers might imagine.
Viewers can now enjoy that scenery as intended. Nine Perfect Strangers is currently streaming on Hulu.
