Netflix's The Dead Don't Die recently caused a renewed interest in what real-world locations the movie used for filming.
The 2019 film, featuring a star-studded cast headlined by Bill Murray (who has since appeared in other genre films like Ant-Man 3), Adam Driver, and Selena Gomez, did not light the world on fire upon its debut; however, in the time since, it has cemented itself as a cult hit among fans.
The horror movie side-steps the typical zombie tropes, offering an absurdist comedy take on the genre. It tells the tale of two police officers in a sleepy New York town who are witness to the dead rising and all the bloody horror that comes with such a calamity.
Where Was The Dead Don't Die Filmed?
Most of The Dead Don't Die takes place in a single location: the fictional town of Centerville, New York.
The small-town setting of the cult horror hit was meant to portray the picturesque tranquility of work-day America, perfectly contrasted by the blood-curdling terror of the dead rising from their graves.
Because Centerville was a creation conceived for the film, the movie needed a few idyllic locations for filming, which it found in several rural communities in upstate New York.
Namely, Elizaville, Ancram, and Fleischmanns, New York housed production on the film, with a handful of locations across the three communities being featured prominently in the movie.
Elizaville Diner, Elizaville
One of the primary early set pieces in The Dead Don't Die is a diner in which the first signs of a potential zombie outbreak emerge.
The Elizaville Diner in Elizaville, New York was that diner (at least from the outside). The Elizaville staple served as the exterior facade for the restaurant seen in the movie, offering a picture-perfect 'trapped in an era' diner vibe with its silver chrome trim and '50s-style baby blue siding.
The Elizaville Diner has operated in some form or another since 1956, actually having been moved in 2005 across state lines from its original home in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
Outside of its appearance in the film, the Elzaville Diner is known to many for its appearance on the cover of Michael Engle's Diners of New York book.
West Taghkanic Diner, Ancram
As for the interior of the film's central greasy spoon, that was shot 11 miles down the road from Elizaville in Ancram, New York.
The actual diner fans see in the movie, with its red booths and old-timey counter, is the West Taghkanic Diner in Ancram.
This is where the movie begins, showing two diner employees being massacred by the undead and where Danny Glover's Hank character finds the bodies, setting off the alarm for a potential zombie apocalypse.
As of writing, the West Taghkanic Diner is closed for major renovations (via its official website); however, it is expected to reopen by Spring 2025.
Delaware Court Motel, Fleischmanns
Another filming location that sees its fair share of bloodshed in The Dead Don't Die is the central motel setting.
The Moonlight Motel scenes (both inside and out) were filmed at the Delaware Court Motel in Fleischmanns, New York.
Located at the North end of Fleischmanns' short Main Street, the Delaware Court Motel is where Adam Driver's Officer Ronnie Peterson and Bill Murray's Chief Cliff Robertson come across more dead bodies as the zombie apocalypse takes hold.
It is also where the leading police officers cross paths with former Disney star Selena Gomez (who recently returned to her Disney Channel roots on the long-awaited Wizards of Waverly Place reboot) as a young traveler named Zoe.
Cornerstone Bible Baptist Church Cemetery, Fleischmanns
The last primary Dead Don't Die filming location was also in Fleischmanns, New York.
The film was shot in the small town's Cornerstone Bible Baptist Church Cemetery. This burial site is where many of the zombies in Centerville seem to be coming from, seen in a sequence where the undead overwhelm the police car being driven by Adam Driver and Bill Murray's local lawmen.
It is also where the culminating twist in the movie takes place: Tilda Swinton's Zelda is shockingly beamed up by a UFO to end the film, adding aliens to the movie's supernatural mix.
The Cornerstone Bible Baptist Church Cemetery is next to Fleischmanns Cornerstone Bible Baptist Church, where people have been congregating for over 100 years.
The Dead Don't Die is streaming on Netflix.
