The Walking Dead: Dead City star Lauren Cohan has explained why season 2 of the zombie spinoff series changed one key detail in contrast to season 1. Dead City season 2 will see Maggie (Cohan) return to New York City, intent on rescuing Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) after trading him away to the Burazi for her son, Hershel (Logan Kim). However, while season 1 of the show was actually filmed in the Big Apple, season 2 saw its production location change to Boston, Massachusetts and surrounding towns.

Speaking with Colliderabout the location change, Cohan revealed Dead City season 2 was filmed in Boston instead of New York City for production design reasons. The actor said that, not only would filming in historic locations across New York be too expensive, but their Massachusetts settings allowed for more freedom of set design. This meant being able to showcase the scale of the story’s continuation, even if it meant sacrificing notable locales. Check out what Cohan had to say below:

We got so much more out of shooting in Boston. We really wanted iconic locations that would be representative of the grand scale of New York, and those are really expensive. We were able to find places to shoot in Boston that were stunning and that we had a lot of control and access to, and that allowed us to tell the show at a scale that befits the grandness of a New York story.

What Shooting In Boston Means For Dead City Season 2

The Show’s Scale Will Still Be Huge

Dead City season 1 ended by teasing a much larger world to explore, with the Dama (Lisa Emery) forcing Negan to unite survivors across Manhattan under the Burazi’s banner. Season 2 will also have eight episodes, while introducing new characters like Kim Coates’ Bruegel as the story expands. Because so many new parts of the city will be explored, coupled with a larger cast, it seems filming in Boston over New York was a necessary decision in order to save on costs.

Although the new filming location means there won’t be many recognizable locations in season 2, the focus appears to be on both the story, alongside developing Dead City‘s characters as this newest chapter unfolds. Trailers for the spinoff indicate these next episodes will be closing the door on Maggie and Negan’s tense relationship, now that she’s decided to save him. However, he’ll also be embracing his old self in order to survive, something that could build new tension between them. Luckily, the shooting locations won’t dull the story, and instead indicate bigger opportunities for the scale of the show.

Our Take On Dead City Season 2 Being Filmed In Boston Instead Of New York

The Difference Might Not Be Too Apparent At First

Since Dead City season 2 was filmed both in Boston and surrounding towns across Massachusetts, the difference from season 1 might not be too apparent at first. However, the city has its own historical landmarks and locations, making it unclear how the series will be masking them to ensure it still feels like New York. While this might be impossible for some parts of the show, potentially filming somewhere historic while trying to make it look like something else, the locales could be used as Easter eggs for eagle-eyed viewers who know where season 2 shot.

The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 premieres in Spring 2025 on AMC and AMC+.