Wake Up Dead Man filming locations: Where was the Knives Out film shot?

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It’s been a few weeks since the latest Knives Out movie, Wake Up Dead Man, started streaming on Netflix. A lot of viewers have probably already seen it and figured out who killed Monsignor Wicks, played by Josh Brolin.

The film has been very well-received by audiences, following positive reviews from critics. Our review specifically highlighted its effectively unsettling atmosphere and even suggested it could be the strongest installment in the series so far.

Beyond the captivating central mystery, the film offers plenty more to appreciate. It boasts a fantastic cast, including Daniel Craig, and a wonderful soundtrack highlighted by a memorable song from Tom Waits.

You might have also noticed the filming locations, especially the church central to the story – it’s called Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, as shown in the movie.

Curious about where the movie Wake Up Dead Man was filmed on location? Here’s all the information you’re looking for.

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Wake Up Dead Man filming locations: Where was the Knives Out film shot?

Despite being set in the made-up town of Chimney Rock, New York, most of the movie was filmed in the UK. Indoor scenes were shot at Leavesden Studios near Watford, and outdoor scenes were filmed at the Church of the Holy Innocents in High Beach, Epping Forest.

The scenes taking place outside the Parish and in the town were filmed on location in Cold Spring, New York.

In the film’s official notes, Production Designer Rick Heinrichs said that, like the first two movies, his initial job was to identify the single most important setting for the story.

He described wanting to create a setting where everything – every detail – could potentially be meaningful, either as a genuine hint, a misleading distraction, or simply as something that helps tell the story through what we see.

The filmmakers always intended to film in the UK. However, finding the right church proved difficult. As Heinrichs explained, they searched the entire country, but most churches looked too ancient to convincingly portray a church in the United States.

While researching American churches, we discovered a style – neo-Gothic and Victorian, popular in the mid-1800s – that was similar to some churches we’d found in the UK. One church in particular, Holy Innocents Church near London in Epping Forest, really stood out.

Okay, so beyond just being believable, this film really captivated me with its whimsical, almost fairytale-like quality. The story unfolded amongst these beautiful, ancient trees in an old graveyard, and honestly, it totally felt like exactly what the director, Rian, was aiming for. It created a really unique and atmospheric vibe.

He explained their choice to build the indoor scenes in a studio instead of filming inside the actual church. The church was simply too small and lacked the visual impact they needed – he described it as being more of a chapel and said the interior was surprisingly plain.

Honestly, the set just didn’t have enough detail inside – we would’ve had to build a lot anyway. But the real dealbreaker was the amount of damage we’d inevitably have to do to the interior. We knew filming in a real church would mean serious restrictions on what we could realistically achieve with things like stunts or camera movement, and that just wouldn’t have worked for the story.

According to BBC News, the actual church’s vicar, Reverend Jane Yeadon, was thrilled the church was used in the film. She was so pleased, in fact, that she negotiated a clause in the filming contract requiring her to be present on set during all shooting.

The decision to keep details under wraps was partly to ensure security, but also because the director was a big fan of the earlier movies. During filming, some strange things happened – Mila Kunis actually thought the director was one of the background actors at one point!

She said it made sense – it was a movie filmed in a church with many priests. But she was incredibly embarrassed and couldn’t stop apologizing.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona writes about movies for TopMob, covering new releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time has interviewed many famous actors and reviewed films of all kinds.

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2025-12-24 18:06