Where is Altered Carbon set?
The Netflix show is based on the novels by British science fiction writer Richard K. Morgan and the programme is named after the first book in the series: 2002’s Altered Carbon.
Altered Carbon is set 300 years in the future – in the 24th Century to be precise.
In the future, the human race has continued to evolve and spread out across the universe and to other planets. Humans now live in places across the galaxy known as the Settled Worlds.
Season one of Altered Carbon sees the action taking place on the Earth locale called Bay City, which used to be known as San Francisco.
The world of Altered Carbon sees people now able to download digital versions of their consciousness, which can then be uploaded into a new body once their old one is rendered useless.
It means that people can live forever – but this is only a privilege afforded to the super-rich, who live in a city in the clouds.
Altered Carbon has been compared to Blade Runner due to its cyberpunk aesthetics and technological advancements.
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Altered Carbon was filmed in Vancouver, Canada
Where is Altered Carbon filmed?
The incredible-looking Netflix drama was filmed at the Skydance Studios in Vancouver, Canada.
Season one was filmed over the course of eight months in the city.
A lot of the impressive scenes in Altered Carbon were created via green screen and CGI.
Speaking about filming, lead actor Joel Kinnaman – who plays Takeshi Kovacs – said: “We had one set that was three football fields deep.”
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Altered Carbon shot scenes on the Sea to Sky Gondola suspension bridge
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Altered Carbon was also shot at the Skydance Studios in Vancouver, Canada
He went on to tell Canadian publication K5 News: “[Around] 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.”
A number of real locations in Vancouver doubled up for places in Altered Carbon, such as UBC’s Rose Garden standing in for Laurens Bancroft’s (played by James Purefoy) gardens in the sky.
While the lobby of the Marine Building served as Bancroft’s cavernous palace.
The Wei Clinic, where Kovacs was tortured in Altered Carbon, was in reality the old Canada Post building.
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Altered Carbon was also shot at the Skydance Studios in Vancouver, Canada
Along with serving as the clinic, the Canada Post building was also the police station where one character got shot.
The scene where Kovacs was recruited as an Envoy was in fact shot at the Sea to Sky Gondola suspension bridge.
Unsurprisingly, a real strip club also plays the seedy establishment featured in Altered Carbon.
Other Vancouver locations include the Convention Centre’s West Building, the visitor centre at VanDusen Botanical Garden, the UBC Museum of Anthropology and The Qube.
Will there be another season of Altered Carbon?
Netflix hasn’t announced a renewal just yet but it’s looking good for Altered Carbon thanks to the positive response from audiences.
A season two could very well happen, given the wealth of source material from Morgan’s original novels.
Speaking about a follow up to Altered Carbon, showrunner Laeta Kalogridis said: “So what’s going on is: I don’t have a second season yet.”
She added to Entertainment Weekly: “I loved working with the entire cast. There isn’t anybody I wouldn’t want to work with again. Exactly what form that would take in that world, we have a lot of freedom.”
Altered Carbon is available to watch on Netflix.
