The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon EP Steve Squillante discusses what filming in Spain brings to the series, dropping a few teases along the way.
Though we were treated to a look at the new locale in play for the third season of AMC’s Norman Reedus (Daryl) and Melissa McBride (Carol)-starring The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon shortly after the credits rolled on the second season’s finale, we’ve known for some time now that the action would be shifting to Spain (after a brief passing-through in the UK). Now, Executive Producer Steve Squillante (who also served as Netflix’s VP of physical production for local language originals between 2018-20) is some insights into the production and what filming in Spain brings to the spinoff series with Variety – including a tease about a train sequence that will “blow people away.”
Image: AMC Networks Screencap
“The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” Isn’t an American Show Filming In a New Locale: Much like what we saw when filming was going down in France, “95%-plus” of Season 3 was filmed in Spain with a production team that was “90%-plus” Spanish. “This is not an American show that’s just relocated to France and then to Spain to shoot another version of an American show. This is an American show that’s come into the continent and has not only just embraced but also completely wrapped its arms around the history of the people inside the countries and regions that we’re shooting,” Squillante explained.
“The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” Season 3 Has a Train Sequence That Will “Blow People Away”: Squillante noted a number of the key locations that the spinoff series was able to film at or will be filming at (like Barcelona, Seville, and Granada) – including some “incredible stuff” while visiting Aragón and filming in the ruins of Belchite, a town devastated during the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War. But this was the part that caught our eye: apparently, there is a train sequence that was filmed in Aragón that required “a secure fallow train line” that Squillante teased would “blow people away.”
What Makes Spain Perfect for “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” Season 3: “Spain has a really wonderful canvas that I don’t believe viewers are quite as familiar with. We’re taking advantage of our story and our ability to move the way we are to present a little bit more of the whole picture of Spain,” shared Squillante. “Even though it’s a post-apocalyptic world, you see pieces of culture and history, and people don’t realize or the actual impressive cultural and environmental diversity in a country the size of Spain. Spain presents very interesting parallels to California. But a three-hour train ride from Madrid and you’re in Galicia, which is almost like New England.”
Image: AMC Networks Screencap
Looking ahead, AMC’s The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3 tracks Carol and Daryl as they continue their journey toward home and the ones they love. As they struggle to find their way back, the path takes them farther astray, leading them through distant lands with ever-changing and unfamiliar conditions as they witness the various effects of the Walker apocalypse.
Eduardo Noriega (The Devil’s Backbone, Vantage Point), Óscar Jaenada (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Hernán), and Alexandra Masangkay (The Platform, Valley of Shadows) will be joining the cast as series regulars for the third season. In addition, Candela Saitta (Máxima, Último primer día) and Hugo Arbués (Through My Window, Past Lies) are set for Season 3 in recurring roles. In addition, Stephen Merchant (The Office, The Outlaws) has joined the spinoff series’ cast.
