Where is Netflix's The Stranger filmed? Manchester location guide
The action for the adaptation of Harlan Coben's bestselling novel has been transferred from the US to the UK
Fans of Harlan Coben’s 2015 bestselling thriller novel The Stranger might notice that one or two changes have been made for the show’s Netflix adaptation – and perhaps the biggest of all is where the series takes place.
While Coben’s novel unfolds in various locations across the US, including New Jersey and Ohio, the action has been transferred to the UK for the adaptation.
But where was it actually filmed? Here’s everything you need to know about the locations used…
Where in the UK was The Stranger filmed?
The vast majority of the scenes were shot in Manchester and surrounding areas in the north of England – including Bolton and Stockport, with the locations used to serve as a fictional area called Cedarfield, Greater Manchester.
Some of the locations used on the series include the city’s St Peter’s Square and Whalley Range, as well as the disused Moor Lane Bus station in Bolton, the Plaza theatre and cinema in Stockport, and the Peel Memorial in Bury.
Meanwhile scenes involving the Price's house are filmed in the suburban district of Didsbury in Manchester, the sports club used is Monton Sports Club in Eccles and the animal farm scene was shot at White Peak Alpacas in Mobberley, Cheshire.
The café owned by Jennifer Saunders' Heidi is actually Café At The Cathedral, which is situated in central Manchester, close to Manchester Cathedral, while the row of houses set to be demolished, where Martin Killane lives, is shot in Clayton.
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And it seems like the cast enjoyed shooting in the city – with Anthony Head taking to Twitter last August to write, “Last day filming #TheStranger - lovely experience - a great cast, fabulous crew and I just love Manchester.”
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Why was the action moved from the US to the UK?
This actually isn’t the first Harlan Coben project that has shot in the north of England – his earlier Netflix series Safe was also filmed in Manchester and the surrounding areas.
Coben explained the reasoning to Manchester evening News, saying, “We filmed all across Manchester for the most part, as well as places around the city like Bolton,” he told the Manchester Evening News.
“It’s a great place to shoot TV. There is some really incredible architecture in the region that looks great on screen.”
Shooting in the UK as opposed to the US also allowed the series to become a bit more confined than in the book, with Coben telling BT TV, “We condensed the world. In the book, The Stranger is dropping bombs all over the country, here The Stranger is dropping the bombs in one community.”
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
