Where is The Watcher filmed? Real locations featured in the Bobby Cannavale Netflix mystery thriller

Bobby Cannavale and Naomi Watts were spotted at multiple locations when filming The Watcher, and here’s exactly where the action was shot.

Mystery thriller The Watcher has taken Netflix by storm, and shot straight to the number 1 spot on the streamer’s popularity chart. This comes as no surprise when The Watcher true story is considered - it's so spine chilling, the public were bound to be captivated by it and discuss it at every turn. Along with a breakdown of the terrifying story, viewer attention has also turned to filming locations for the series. Fans are wondering if the real house where The Watcher terrorised the Broaddus family in 2014, and other locations from the real version of events were actually used. Read on to find out exactly where The Watcher was filmed, and where the stars of the show were spotted when shooting took place.

For those yet to see episodes of The Watcher and are wondering how many episodes there are and what the critics are saying, we've got you covered.  Viewers who have binged the series and want to know if The Watcher ending revealed the stalker's true identity, look no further. 

Where is The Watcher filmed?

The Watcher is filmed entirely in New York, specifically Westchester County and New York City. 

Fans asking if the real Watcher house was used in the production, might be disappointed to learn that a different property was used. While the infamous address of 657 Boulevard is where the real family were terrorised, the Braddock family home in the series can be found at 1 Warriston Lane, in the city of Rye. 

According to the Cinemaholic, there are many differences between the real house and the one used for filming. In the show, the family home purchased is said to have been constructed in 1921 and consisting of of five bathrooms, four bedrooms, and a swimming pool - it was actually built in 2016. The actual Broaddus house was built in 1905, featuring six bedrooms, four bathrooms, and no swimming pool. On Instagram, someone involved with filming shared a video of crews setting up outside the fictional Rye property. 

In New York City, cast and film crews were spotted in McCarren Park at 776 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn. East of the city, some sequences were shot at The Tides Motor Inn at 888 Bayville Road Locust Valley.

An excited Instagram user shared stills from the show depicting Bobby Cannavale and Naomi Watts, saying they were on the street they live in Tuckahoe, New York. The stills were captioned "loving this series and tagging with these scenes because they are on main street Tuckahoe. Excited to see the footage that was shot outside my house last year!!! Hoping those episodes are coming up in my binge-watching this series!!!"

Where is The Watcher set?

Although the series was filmed in New York, the real story of The Watcher took place in Westfield, New Jersey. 

Maria Broaddus had grown up in the area, and dreamed of one day owning her own home there. It was therefore a dream come true for the family to purchase 657 Boulevard and begin renovations. The family never made it inside the property however - sinister letters received from The Watcher outlined how they'd lure the Broaddus children to them and the parents "wouldn't be able to hear them scream," meant they put the house back on the market without ever living in it.

Not the only terrifying true crime case to happen in the area, the story of an accountant who murdered his family happened nearby in Westfield - and is referenced in the show. In 1971 in Westfield, John List became increasingly despondent about life and his failings, that he decided he had no option but to kill his family. It was a month before the bodies of List's mother, wife, and three children aged 16, 15, and 13, were found.

List fled and began a new life. He even remarried and it was 18 years before he was discovered and apprehended by police. He died in prison in 2008, and is often referred to as "The Boogeyman of Westfield". 

When was The Watcher filmed?

The Watcher was filmed between September 2021, and March, 2022. 

On March 2, 2022, actress Naomi Watts shared a picture to her Instagram account to mark her final day of shooting The Watcher. She said " Last day on @thewatchernetflix! So sad to say farewell to the cast and crew! Watch out for The Watcher… Coming out on @netflix later this year.. you’ll be glued to your seats."

Speaking to Netflix Tudum about what filming was like, actress Jennifer Coolidge said "If you think about the cast that we have for The Watcher, everybody from Margo Martindale, Naomi [Watts], Bobby Cannavale to Mia Farrow, you think, Oh my god, does it get any better than this?' For instance, there was this subtle thing that both Naomi and Bobby did that I didn’t even expect in their performances. There was sort of a denial going on. Some people really do go into this denial thing because playing with the idea that something really awful exists is too big for some people. I just thought that was genius and made [the story] even more fascinating. I had many moments like that on set."

Will there be a season 2 of The Watcher?

Although no official announcement has been made about a possible second series, season 2 of The Watcher appears unlikely. It is billed a limited series, and the story of the Broaddus family has now been told in its entirety.

A limited series usually always means the series is standalone. Apart from a small number of past exceptions, this is the general rule. The story also had a full conclusion, and there is no further source material to be used for any more seasons of the show. 

There were mixed reactions on social media to the possibility of a second season. One viewer wrote on Twitter "If the producers of The Watcher exercise good reasoning, there will not be a season 2".

However, another viewer felt the lack of available material for a second season was good, arguing the show could now be taken creatively in any direction. They said "It Left me wanting more. Hoping for a season 2. Mia Farrow in Pig Tails could be her own spin off. The foundation was set, now Ryan Murphy can go in any direction with it that he wants. #thewatcher".

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