If there is one slasher icon that has successfully survived the transition from 1980s VHS horror to modern-day prestige television, it is undoubtedly the foul-mouthed, knife-wielding Good Guy doll known as Chucky.
Created by Don Mancini, the Child’s Play franchise has terrified and entertained audiences for decades. Rather than rebooting the timeline or creating a disjointed spin-off, Mancini brought the franchise to the small screen with the hit USA Network and Syfy television series, simply titled ‘Chucky’. Serving as a direct sequel to the 2017 film Cult of Chucky, the television show seamlessly blends the campy, absurd humor of the later films with the genuinely terrifying, suspenseful tone of the original 1988 classic.
But as Chucky unleashes a fresh wave of bloody chaos on an idyllic American suburb, fans are left wondering: where exactly did they film this suburban nightmare?
If you are a die-hard horror fan looking to explore the picturesque (yet deadly) town of Hackensack, New Jersey, you are in the right place. Let’s take a deep dive into the show’s twisted premise, the highly anticipated return of legacy characters, and the stunning, real-world filming locations that brought Chucky’s television debut to life.
The Premise: Murder in Suburbia
The television series grounds its terrifying narrative in the quiet, seemingly perfect American town of Hackensack, New Jersey. The chaos officially begins when a 14-year-old middle school student and aspiring artist named Jake Wheeler (played by Zackary Arthur) stumbles upon a vintage Good Guy doll at a neighborhood yard sale. Intending to use the doll for a contemporary art sculpture, Jake brings it home—completely unaware that the plastic toy is possessed by the soul of the notorious serial killer, Charles Lee Ray.
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It does not take long for Chucky to reveal his true nature. What follows is a string of horrifying and gruesome murders that violently expose the deep-seated hypocrisies, hidden secrets, and dark lies of the town’s most prominent families.
However, the series is not just a mindless slasher; it acts as a brilliant coming-of-age drama. Jake, alongside his classmates Lexy and Devon, must navigate the intense pressures of high school bullying, family trauma, and teenage sexuality, all while trying to stop a supernatural serial killer. Furthermore, the show finally pulls back the curtain on Charles Lee Ray’s mysterious origins. Through a series of dark flashbacks, viewers get to witness exactly how an ordinary child growing up in Hackensack evolved into the Lakeshore Strangler.
The Return of the Legacy Cast
One of the biggest draws for long-time fans of the franchise is the seamless integration of classic characters. Alongside the iconic voice acting of Brad Dourif (the one and only voice of Chucky), the series brings back a roster of franchise heavyweights:
- Jennifer Tilly as the glamorous and deeply unhinged Tiffany Valentine.
- Fiona Dourif returning as the tragic heroine, Nica Pierce.
- Alex Vincent as Andy Barclay, Chucky’s original owner and lifelong nemesis.
- Christine Elise as Kyle, Andy’s tough-as-nails foster sister.
The Production Timeline: Overcoming Pandemic Delays
Bringing a massive horror franchise to network television is no easy feat, especially during a global crisis. The principal photography for the first season of Chucky was originally slated to begin in the late summer and early fall of 2020.
However, due to the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, production was forced into a massive, months-long delay. The dedicated cast and crew eventually rallied, implementing strict safety protocols. Filming for the highly anticipated first season officially commenced on March 29, 2021, and successfully wrapped up later that summer on August 11, 2021.
Filming Locations: Where is Hackensack, Really?
While the narrative is firmly set in the suburban landscape of Hackensack, New Jersey, the production team never actually stepped foot in the Garden State to film the series. Instead, they traveled north to Ontario, Canada.
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Often referred to in the entertainment industry as “Hollywood North,” the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) provided the perfect blend of modern urban infrastructure, historic architecture, and quintessential suburban neighborhoods required to bring Hackensack to life. Here is exactly where the crew set up camp.
1. Toronto, Ontario: The Heart of the Production
The vast majority of the series was filmed in and around the city of Toronto. The production team heavily utilized large-scale, indoor soundstages within the city to build the highly detailed, controlled sets needed for Chucky’s complex puppetry and animatronics.
Because practically operating a mechanical killer doll requires multiple puppeteers hiding under floorboards, behind couches, and inside walls, having access to Toronto’s world-class studio infrastructure was absolutely vital to the show’s visual success. Additionally, Toronto’s versatile city streets were used for various urban establishing shots and interior building scenes throughout the series.
2. Mississauga, Ontario: The Suburban Basecamp
To capture the wealthy, manicured aesthetic of a New Jersey suburb, the production team spent a significant amount of time just west of Toronto in the city of Mississauga.
During the intense filming schedule, the production famously set up a massive basecamp at Square One, the largest shopping center in Ontario (often misreported online as “Park One”). Located at 100 City Centre Drive in the Peel Region, the massive parking lots and surrounding areas of the mall were utilized by the crew to stage equipment, coordinate stunts, and film multiple exterior neighborhood scenes. Mississauga provided the picture-perfect, tree-lined suburban streets that served as the hunting ground for Chucky.
3. Hamilton, Ontario: The Devil’s Punchbowl and Charles Lee Ray’s Home
Perhaps the most visually striking filming location for the series is the nearby city of Hamilton, Ontario. Located on the western tip of Lake Ontario, Hamilton served as the primary physical stand-in for the town of Hackensack.
If you pay close attention to the sweeping, gorgeous opening shots of the series, you are actually looking at The Devil’s Punchbowl. Located in the Stoney Creek community of Hamilton, this stunning nature reserve features a massive, multi-colored gorge and a spectacular 121-foot ribbon waterfall. The conservation area provided a moody, cinematic backdrop that perfectly established the dark tone of the show.
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Hamilton was also used extensively for on-location neighborhood shoots. A local shopping center, University Plaza, was used as a staging ground while the crew filmed in nearby residential areas. Specifically, the chilling flashback scenes exploring Charles Lee Ray’s childhood home—as well as the iconic neighborhood yard sale where Jake first purchases Chucky—were all shot on the quiet, unassuming suburban streets of Hamilton.
A Masterclass in Horror Television
By successfully merging the nostalgic terror of the 1980s slasher era with modern teenage angst, Chucky has proven that some monsters are truly immortal.
The decision to film in Ontario, Canada, was a masterstroke by the production team. By utilizing the world-class soundstages of Toronto for complex animatronics, the manicured streets of Mississauga for suburban dread, and the breathtaking natural landscapes of Hamilton for cinematic scale, the creators built a version of Hackensack that feels both universally familiar and terrifyingly dangerous.
The next time you find yourself browsing a local yard sale in a quiet suburban neighborhood, take a very close look at the vintage toys. As the residents of Hackensack learned the hard way, you never know exactly who—or what—you are bringing into your home.
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