Freeform/Tyler Shields.
First kisses. And first kills?
Horror-at-summer-camp series Dead of Summer premieres on Freeform tonight. What’s it about? Camp Stillwater in the Midwest seems an idyllic place to spend the summer of 1989 whether you’re a young camper, a camp counsellor or the camp owner, but as we’ll learn in flashbacks everyone has a secret. Once Upon a Time producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz chose to set their new series in the 1980s because for them the world started to change in the 1990s to the age of the Internet we live in today. There will be shoutouts to their favourite 1980s music and movies, Kitsis told TVLine.
Dead of Summer marks a Once Upon a Time reunion of the Frozen arc’s Elizabeth Mitchell (Snow Queen) and Elizabeth Lail (Ana).
A former camper, Elizabeth Mitchell’s Deb Carpenter has a dark reason to revive the midwestern summer camp she loved. Elizabeth Lail’s Amy Hughes is the first to uncover Stillwater’s deep dark secrets.
Other counsellors at the camp include Eli Goree (The 100), Ronen Rubenstein (Orange is the New Black), Zelda Williams (Teen Wolf), Paulina Singer (Gotham), Amber Coney and Mark Indelicato (Ugly Betty). Plus Deputy Garrett Sykes (Alberto Frezza).
Will Camp Stillwater make or break these friendships? #DeadOfSummer pic.twitter.com/ZyEszjBL8T
— Dead of Summer TV (@DeadofSummerTV) June 11, 2016
Dead of Summer filmed in and around Vancouver in some familiar Once Upon a Time locations. The main camp set was up near Squamish at Minaty Bay.
Horror-at-summer-camp series #DeadofSummer filming at Minaty Bay/Britannia Beach/#Squamish today pic.twitter.com/yOP5PZ5HmW
— YVRShoots (@yvrshoots) June 9, 2016
A 1980s blue VW bug was spotted outside The Water Shed in Squamish for one shoot.
Other camp sets were built at Burnaby’s Central Park.
Horror-at-summer-camp series #DeadofSummer has 1 spooky set for tonight’s overnight shoot in #Burnaby‘s Central Park pic.twitter.com/CDTD6YodKu
— YVRShoots (@yvrshoots) June 4, 2016
Everett Crowley Park in Vancouver.
Some pics from #EverettCrowley location shoot of #DeadOfSummer @yvrshoots pic.twitter.com/oZSss3X7GT
— Geenah Jahsteen (@Aviewfromabroad) June 27, 2016
And Dead of Summer even filmed downtown for Deb Carpenter (Elizabeth Mitchell)’s Chicago flashback with Dylan Neal.
Adam Horowitz directed tonight’s premiere on Freeform in the U.S.