Witchboard (2025) is a supernatural horror film written and directed by Chuck Russell, known for hits like The Mask and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. This new version of the cult horror classic from 1986 stars Jamie Campbell Bower, Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez, Antonia Desplat, and Charlie Tahan. It has a modern twist.
Emily and her fiancé, Christian, move to New Orleans to open an organic café in the French Quarter. This is the main plot of the story. Emily finds a strange pendulum board hidden on the property, which makes their new start even scarier. As dark forces awaken, they turn to an occult expert and begin unravelling secrets about spirits, witches, and a malevolent entity tied to the board.
At NetFilming, we tracked down all the hauntingly atmospheric locations used to bring Witchboard to life—and the results are just as chilling as the film itself.
Witchboard Filming Locations
The movie primarily took place in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Montreal, Quebec. Some scenes were also filmed at the Morgan Arboretum in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, which is just outside of Montreal. These places really capture the movie’s spooky mood. Let’s look at each one and talk about why it was chosen, as well as some interesting facts about other famous films that were made there.
Louisiana’s New Orleans
Witchboard is all about New Orleans, especially the French Quarter. With its cobblestone streets, lively nightlife, and stories of ghosts and voodoo, the city’s historic charm makes it a great setting for a supernatural horror story. The old buildings and mysterious atmosphere of the French Quarter make it the perfect place for Emily and Christian’s café, where the cursed pendulum board is found.
Some of the main places in New Orleans that are shown in the movie are:
- St. Louis Cathedral: This famous church is in Jackson Square and is one of the oldest cathedrals in the US. Its gothic style, with tall spires and stained-glass windows, gives some scenes a creepy but grand feel. The cathedral’s history and creepy atmosphere make it a wonderful place for the movie’s supernatural themes.
- Bourbon Street: This street is known for its lively bars, jazz music and colourful crowds. It gives Witchboard a lively but unsettling energy. The street’s bright lights and busy atmosphere make a thrilling background for the dark events that are happening in the story.
The production team also used old buildings and carriage houses in the French Quarter to make the café setting that is at the heart of the story. These places are part of New Orleans’ rich cultural and mystical history, which makes the horror feel very real.
Fun fact: New Orleans is a popular place for filmmakers. The French Quarter’s hauntingly beautiful architecture and supernatural stories have made it a popular place to shot films like Interview with the Vampire (1994), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and American Horror Story: Coven (2013). The city’s unique mix of history and mystery makes it a popular place for horror and drama projects.
Quebec City, Montreal
Witchboard takes place in New Orleans, but most of the filming was done in Montreal, Canada. Montreal is a great place to film because it has both old European-style buildings and modern cityscapes. Its different kinds of buildings make its streets and interiors look like those of other cities, like New Orleans. Montreal was used for indoor scenes and to recreate parts of the French Quarter in Witchboard when it wasn’t possible to film in Louisiana.
The production team made a good choice by choosing Montreal because it could stand in for many different places. Chuck Russell’s vision also came to life thanks to the city’s film-friendly infrastructure and skilled crews. Montreal added depth to the film’s creepy look, from its creepy interiors to its spooky streets.
Fun fact: Did you know that Montreal is a big centre for making films and TV shows? There were also TV shows like The Handmaid’s Tale and films like X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) filmed here. It can look like places all over the world, from Paris to New York, which is why filmmakers from all over the world come here.
Morgan Arboretum is in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec.
The production team went to the Morgan Arboretum, a wooded area just outside of Montreal in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, to film some of Witchboard’s scarier scenes. This 245-hectare nature reserve, with its thick trees, winding paths, and quiet atmosphere, was probably used for scenes with witches, rituals, or other supernatural events. In late May 2023, filming took place here. The setting added a creepy, natural feel to the movie’s darker parts.
The arboretum’s quiet, wooded setting is very different from the busy streets of New Orleans and Montreal, which gives Witchboard a wide range of visuals. The film’s more disturbing scenes are set in this place because it is remote and beautiful.
Fun fact: The Morgan Arboretum has been in other films and TV shows, like the horror movie The Lodge (2019) and a number of Canadian TV shows. The large, untouched forests make it a popular choice for scenes that need a remote or mysterious feel, especially in horror and thriller films.
Production Timeline
Here’s a quick overview of Witchboard’s filming schedule:
| Date | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| April 2023 | Main filming begins | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Late April 2023 | Interior scenes, soundstage setup | Montreal, Quebec |
| May 2023 | French Quarter & cathedral scenes | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Late May 2023 | Ritual scenes, forest shoots | Morgan Arboretum, Quebec |
| Early June 2023 | Final production wrap | Montreal, Quebec |
Filming wrapped in June 2023, with production continuing under an interim agreement during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. This allowed the team to complete the project on schedule despite industry challenges.
Witchboard Behind The Scenes
The cast and crew of Witchboard (2025) had a very stressful but creatively rewarding time filming it. Chuck Russell, who is known for his bold visual style in The Blob and The Mask, had a new idea for this remake. He aimed to blend psychological horror with a deeper dive into spiritual folklore.
“We wanted to create a film that feels rooted in real-world beliefs about witchcraft and possession,” Russell explained in an interview with Filmmaker Magazine. “The original had charm, but we wanted to go darker and more grounded this time.”
Much of the film’s eerie tone was achieved through practical effects and carefully chosen locations. Madison Iseman, who plays Emily, revealed, “The set atmosphere in New Orleans was electric. You could feel the energy of the city—it made some scenes genuinely chilling to shoot.”
To stay true to the supernatural theme, the filmmakers consulted real occult historians and spiritual advisors. Producer Greg McKay shared, “We didn’t want to lean on jump scares alone. The idea was to build a mood that lingers with the audience.”
The forest scenes shot at the Morgan Arboretum were especially challenging. Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays the mysterious occult expert, said, “There were days we’d film deep in the woods with fog machines and fire rituals. It was cinematic—but also a bit terrifying.”
Every detail, from the lighting to the costumes, was carefully planned to give a modern but real look at supernatural horror. Witchboard stands out in the 2025 horror lineup because the team cares more about telling a story than putting on a show.
Witchboard Official Trailer
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