The Third Day, the new, ambitious co-production between HBO, British broadcaster Sky, Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment, and theatre company Punchdrunk, relies heavily on its scenic locations to transport the viewer to the ominous island at the center of its mystery. As surreal as this place seems, though, the filming took place entirely on location, utilizing the English countryside's historic and bucolic scenery.
The miniseries is notable for its unorthodox episodic structure, taking place over three separate time periods of the year, with different main characters for each section. The first chapter of The Third Day, labeled "Summer," stars Jude Law as an outsider who saves a girl from suicide only to discover that she has a connection to a sinister cult on the strange Osea Island. The third part takes place during the winter and stars Naomie Harris as a woman who investigates the island during a time of turmoil.
The standout storytelling bombshell, though, is the middle section: a live "theatre experience" entitled "Autumn" that plans on being shot in one, uncut take. The performance, according to the Punchdrunk website, will blur "the line between what is real and what is not," and will take place over the span of twelve hours to simulate a day on the island in real-time. The event will be a live stream, although before the COVID-19 pandemic the original plan was to make an interactive special in which audiences could physically visit the island.
Primary Filming Locations In The Third Day
Although the idea of an island with a disappearing land bridge may sound like fantastical and trippy geography, Osea is a very real place on the River Blackwater in Essex, England. Its causeway connecting to the mainland was built by the ancient Romans, and visitors must plan their trips according to the tide. The entire 380 acres is the property of music producer Nigel Frieda, who provided recording studios that attract the likes of Rihanna and The Weeknd. Although this is far from being a creepy cult's hideout, the innkeepers' story about the origins of Osea Island as a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center (ironically founded by the heir to the Charrington Brewery company) is historically accurate.
Not all of The Third Day was filmed there, though, especially considering how serene and uninhabited the island actually is. The crew also crossed the River Thames and traveled south of Essex, where Osea Island is located, to the county of Kent in order to populate the show's fictional space. Spots reported as shooting locations include the Romney Marsh wetlands and the Isle of Sheppey, which provided more oceanfront scenery. The most visually striking building is Hever Castle, a historic castle in the western section of the county with its own man-made lake that is also a location on the show.
Secondary Filming Locations In The Third Day
The Third Day's filming locations offer more than just picturesque nature scenery. Close to Hever Castle is the village of Chiddingstone, whose Tudor-style structures giving the impression of a town lost in time. The Ferry House Inn, a 16th-century restaurant, was used for the pub on the show, while the regent Quex Park and the stony 17-century St Clere estate allowed for further architectural flair. The Bedgebury National Pinetum, a conifer tree arboretum in Kent, provided forest environments on the show, and Grain Coastal Park, Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, and Shellness Beach expanded on the coastline setting. The crew also utilized the lighthouse-like Fog Signal Station on the shore of southern Kent, as well as the local Allens Farm in the western part of the county.