'Sweet Tooth' Is Mainly Set in Yellowstone and Alaska, but That's Not Where It Was Actually Filmed

Spoiler warning: This article contains spoilers for Sweet Tooth.

The Netflix comic book adaptation, Sweet Tooth, is a binge-worthy three season series set in a post-apocalyptic America. Executive produced by Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan, the story follows a tale about a half-deer, half-human boy named Gus. In Season 1, Gus lives with his father, aka Pubba, in a forest in Yellowstone National Park, and later travels to Colorado and Alaska.

While there are few scenes in between Gus's travels to find his mom, and the cure for The Sick, that take viewers outside of these three locations, many often wonder where Sweet Tooth was actually filmed. Here's everything we know!

The story of Sweet Tooth is set in a post-apocalyptic future, where an event known as "The Great Crumble" led to a pandemic that coincided with children being born with half-animal properties, aka hybrids. Gus and his father live in the forest, but after his father dies, Gus must embark on a journey to safety with a man named Tommy Jepperd, aka Big Man (Nonso Anozie), to reach a sanctuary for hybrid people like himself. The series starts in Yellowstone National Park but eventually expands into a cross-country trek.

In Season 2, we see Gus and his gang make it to Colorado, and later embark on a mission to Alaska to find his mom, Birdie (Amy Seimetz). The third and final season of Sweet Tooth concludes with Gus, his hybrid friends, Jepp, and Becky returning to Yellowstone where they build a new home.

The series closes with an old Gus (played by James Brolin) telling his story to a group of young hybrids. At this point, Jepp and Becky are no longer in the picture as it is hinted they lived out the remaining years of their life until only hybrids are left.

The Cinemaholic notes that in July 2020, the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) permitted several productions to shoot in the country, even though travel was mostly barred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Actor Christian Convery, who plays Gus, posted several Instagram photos of himself in New Zealand to confirm Sweet Tooth was filming, but filming halted as the pandemic worsened.

When filming was allowed to resume, several crew members, including show developer Jim Mickle, took to Instagram to show off their beautiful filming locations in Auckland and the surrounding area. Filming also took place in Queenstown, which was also the filming location of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

New Zealand is well known for its lush evergreen setting. It rose to global prominence for its natural beauty thanks to Lord of the Rings and its sequel series The Hobbit. It looks like the actors had a blast exploring the forested areas, trails, and national parks when they weren't filming the show!

For anyone thinking that loner Jepperd seemed familiar, they're right! According to a Vertigo Comics interview with Sweet Tooth creator Jeff Lemire, he based Jepperd on an aged Frank Castle. Frank might be more familiar to fans as the Marvel vigilante The Punisher.

"The protagonist’s aging gray-haired Frank is amazing to behold and truly an unstoppable force of nature," he said. "This design ended up being a huge influence on Jepperd’s character design in Sweet Tooth."

While watching a show about a pandemic after recently emerging out of a pandemic might not seem like the most appealing experience, Sweet Tooth's hopeful message, compelling characters, and beautiful scenery speak for themselves.

Seasons 1 through 3 of Sweet Tooth are now streaming on Netflix.