Where Was The Lost Boys Filmed? A Terrific Black Comedy Film Of 1987!!

Do you have a thing for films about nosferatus? The vampires do have a certain level of spine-chilling attitude and spookiness attached to them, don’t they? Now, if you happen to find them desirable as well, check out this article where I present to you the supernatural film, The Lost Boys. And later share with you where was The Lost Boys filmed.

This American supernatural black comedy film, The Lost Boys, was released in 1987! The title of the film was inspired from ‘Lost Boy’ in Peter Pan’s Neverland, about the boys who don’t grow up! Director Joel Schumacher, in this film, presents the story of Michael and his brother Sam encountering vampires after they move into a new town.

The movie did well as far as the audiences’ and critics’ reviews go. Commercially The Lost Boys proved to be successful as well, quadrupling the budget of the film. It even went on to encourage the filmmakers in creating two more installments in The Lost Boys film series.

Time for us to discuss the plot in brief, so that you can grasp the storyline of the film. Additionally, I will also discuss where was The Lost Boys filmed, later in this article.

Plot Of The Lost Boys | What’s It About

The movie kicks off by introducing us to the central character of Michael Emerson (played by Jason Patric). He’s shown to move into his grandfather’s home in the fictional town of Santa Carla, California, along with his brother Sam, and recently divorced mother, Lucy.

Soon after, Michael and Sam go out to explore the new area, as the protagonist stumbles upon a beautiful girl named Star. As Michael develops interest in her, he gets introduced to Star’s other friends from a biker gang. David, the leader of the group, forces the protagonist to drink blood, in order to be inducted in the gang.

Star eventually reveals to Michael about David’s plan about turning him into a vampire. Sam confirms the same as he notices a weird change in his elder brother. Startled at first the hero and his younger brother, formulate a plan to impale David, thinking it would turn him back to a normal human again. 

Finally, after killing David, the protagonist discovers that a guy named Max, is actually the head vampire. Max is shown as the main architect behind the evil plot, and his main objective was to turn Lucy into a vampire. To get a mother for his ‘lost boys’. In the end, Michael’s grandfather is shown to thwart Max’s plan, by crushing him against a wooden fence with his truck. 

Everyone turns back to normal, as Max’s body bursts into flames. Michael and Star rejoice and kiss each other, as the ending credits roll! Right, now let us check out where was The Lost Boys filmed. So that you can enjoy the drop-dead gorgeous filming sites that were used for this supernatural flick!

Where Was The Lost Boys Filmed? Let’s Know The Supernatural Movie Closely!!

The award-winning film, The Lost Boys, is set in the fictional town of Santa Carla, California. Director Joel Schumacher with his filming crew did a thorough recce in order to find a suitable filming spot. The production unit then decided to shoot the film in parts of Santa Cruz and Burbank, California. 

Majority of the filming took place in California, while only some interior scenes were filmed in Warner Brothers Studio, in Burbank. The principal photography began on 2 June 1986 and was completed in just 21 days! The fast and precise filming was possible due to the fact that none of the production took a single day off during shooting. Plus, they even worked twice as harder than they were paid to because of the encouragement shown by director Schumacher.

Now, allow me to share the precise filming locations of this movie that you are eagerly waiting for.

Santa Cruz, California

The fictional town of Santa Carla shown in the film is in reality Santa Cruz, a thriving city located on central California’s coast. The city has a prosperous economy along with beguiling backdrops. Thus, the director did not shy away from exploring and  using the locations to set up the story of the film. 

Outdoor sequences such as the boardwalk scene where the protagonist meets Star, for the first time, was filmed at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Located at 400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, the location was perfect for shooting the sequence, although the crew had to struggle with the lighting issues. Atlantis Fantasy World, at 1020 Cedar Street Santa Cruz, dubbed as Frog Brothers Comic Book shop in the film.

Other sequences which showed Max’s Video Store and later in the movie Max’s dinner date with Lucy, were filmed at Municipal Wharf Suite B & D respectively. Notable to mention the outdoor scenes of ‘grandpa’s home’ in The Lost Boys was shot at 333 Golf Club Drive, in Santa Cruz.

Burbank And Other Filming Locations, California.

Interestingly, the indoor scenes of ‘grandpa’s home’ were shot in a different location than Santa Cruz. Warner Brothers Burbank Studios at 4000 Warner Boulevard, was utilized to film this particular sequence, along with the ‘cave interiors’.

The vampire cave entrance, however, was not shot in the studios. Instead director Schumacher thought of using the cliffs at Marineland of the Pacific located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California to film the same.

Here’s a list of noteworthy films and shows that you can check out, such as Father Stu, NCIS, Topgun, & The Office were also filmed in California.

Final Words

Ok, so I hope after knowing where was The Lost Boys filmed, you will look up these beautiful and idyllic locations. You can access most of these locations, which means you can also plan your next trip around these sites!

But if the plot has intrigued you more, you can definitely watch the film. And if you’d like to find out about other films, and know where to watch them, you can visit Viebly to check out other entertaining and informative articles.

Until then, peace out!