The Power of the Dog is one of the front-runners in this year’s Oscar race, and its amazing cinematography is one of its main draws. This critically acclaimed western is set on an isolated farm in Montana and it wouldn’t look the same without its scenic landscapes, but where was it really filmed?
Turns out that Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, and the rest of the cast were nowhere near Montana because the filming actually took place in New Zealand. Jane Campion’s decision to film it in her home country proved as the right choice, with the Maniototo region offering a scenic backdrop for some of the drama’s most moving scenes.
If you ever find yourself here, don’t bother looking for the Burbank Ranch. A farm in Hawkdun Ranges was used for these scenes, but it had to be dismantled so it could be rebuilt into a Western-style ranch.
The coastal city of Dunedin and the town of Oamaru were also used as a backdrop for some of the scenes, together with their surrounding natural beauty. Auckland served as the production base, and most of the house interiors were built on sound stages in this city.
The Power of the Dog isn’t the first movie to benefit from New Zealand’s natural beauty. Several projects in the Lord of the Ring series were famously filmed here, and they even share some of the locations with Campion’s latest Oscar contender.