Netflix’s upcoming horror film Fear Street: Prom Queen has fans of the slasher genre excited—and for good reason. Directed by Matt Palmer, this new chapter in the Fear Street series brings back the chilling vibes of R.L. Stine’s original books. Set in 1988, the film follows a suspenseful prom night at Shadyside High, where prom queen candidates begin disappearing one by one. With its eerie high school setting and mysterious masked killer, the film creates a dark and nostalgic atmosphere.
Here at NetFilming, we’re breaking down where this creepy teen thriller was filmed and what makes these locations the perfect backdrop for the horror story.
Overview of Fear Street: Prom Queen
Fear Street: Prom Queen takes place at Shadyside High School, where the senior prom is just days away. The race for prom queen is fierce, with students competing for the crown through charm, schemes, and everything in between. But a curse haunting Shadyside resurfaces, and a masked killer starts picking off the candidates, turning prom night into a nightmare. With stars like Ariana Greenblatt, Lili Taylor, and Katherine Waterston, the film promises gore, suspense, and ‘80s nostalgia. It’s rated R for its intense violence and teen drama, hitting Netflix on May 23, 2025.
The movie’s creepy atmosphere relies heavily on its settings—a high school, a cursed town, and shadowy corners perfect for a slasher. To create this world, the production team chose Ontario, Canada, specifically Toronto and Hamilton, as their filming hubs. Unlike the previous Fear Street trilogy, shot in Georgia, this film shifted to Canada for its versatile locations and production perks. Let’s break down these key spots.
Fear Street: Prom Queen Filming Locations
Fear Street: Prom Queen was shot entirely in Ontario, Canada, with the two main filming locations being Hamilton and Toronto. The production kicked off in late March 2024 and wrapped up around mid-May 2024. Unlike the earlier Fear Street movies that were mostly filmed in Georgia, this installment made a smart move to Canada, likely for its diverse settings and production-friendly environment.
Hamilton, Ontario
One of the main filming locations for Fear Street: Prom Queen was Hamilton, Ontario. The city perfectly complemented the eerie atmosphere. The crew used Delta Secondary School, located at 1284 Main Street East, to film both outdoor and some indoor scenes. Hamilton’s oldest school, which is now closed, has a striking modern Gothic design that fits the movie’s creepy tone. It looked more real because it was abandoned, which made it a great stand-in for Shadyside High. To complete the transformation, the production team swapped out the school’s real sign for one reading “Shadyside High,” immersing viewers in the fictional town.
Hamilton is a lively port city on the west end of Lake Ontario. It was named after its founder, George Hamilton. Dundurn Castle, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and the lively Supercrawl arts festival are some of the things that make it famous. The Art Gallery of Hamilton and other places in the city are part of its growing art scene, which makes it a cultural center. Other shows, like The Handmaid’s Tale and The Boys, have come to film there because of the mix of old and new settings. For Fear Street: Prom Queen, Hamilton’s strange buildings and quiet streets helped create the spooky, small-town feel of Shadyside.
Filming in Hamilton took place from March 25, 2024, to May 14, 2024, as confirmed by industry sources and cast member Dakota Taylor’s social media. The production team made a smart choice by choosing the city because it was cheap and could also be an American town.
Toronto, Ontario
The second major filming location was Toronto, Ontario, often called “Hollywood North” for its booming film industry. Many of the movie’s indoor scenes, like hallways, classrooms and prom venues, were probably filmed in Toronto’s state-of-the-art studios. Studios have flexible sets that can be changed to fit the needs of a story, unlike real places. This was important for recreating the look of the 1980s in a slasher like Fear Street: Prom Queen. Think neon lights, old-fashioned furniture, and dark corners where a killer could hide.
Toronto’s film studios have great soundstages and backlots that are perfect for making the fictional Shadyside. Filmmakers can also save money by getting tax breaks from the city. These benefits probably helped the crew make detailed sets that look like a high school in the 1980s, with real-life effects for the movie’s bloody scenes. Toronto is a popular place for projects like Motorheads, Another Simple Favor, and Bet because it can look like any place.
Beyond studios, Toronto’s diverse neighborhoods could have doubled for Shadyside’s streets or homes. The CN Tower, Casa Loma, and Kensington Market are some of the city’s most famous landmarks, but they probably didn’t show up in the movie. Toronto is a great place for movies because it has events like the Toronto International Film Festival that make it even better. The city’s resources helped bring the dark, nostalgic world of Fear Street: Prom Queen to life.
Behind the Scenes of Fear Street: Prom Queen
Bringing Fear Street: Prom Queen to life was a creative journey that blended nostalgia with modern filmmaking. Matt Palmer, the director, wanted to make a movie that felt like a “lost slasher classic” from the 1980s. He got ideas from classic movies like River’s Edge and Blue Velvet to get the real look of the ’80s and the gritty feel of Shadyside. The visual style gets more intense as the story moves toward prom night, which is similar to the style of classic slasher movies and Italian giallos. Palmer said that directors like John Carpenter, Dario Argento and David Lynch had a big impact on how the movie looked.
Author R.L. Stine, while not directly involved in the production, appreciated the film’s direction. He noted the significant increase in on-screen violence compared to his 1992 novel, where all murders occurred offstage. Stine remarked, “I went back and read the book, because I wrote the book 30 years ago, and all the murders in the book take place offstage. That’s the major change in the movie.” He called this a “good change,” acknowledging that audiences enjoy the heightened scares.
The cast also shared memorable experiences from the set. Fina Strazza, who plays Tiffany Falconer, described the filming as immensely enjoyable. She recalled, “We got along so fantastically. We spent nearly all our waking hours together and lots and lots of sleeping hours too. We’d pile up for naps on mattresses they laid out in the deserted classrooms of the abandoned high school set, and we’d explore its dimly lit halls or play ball outside.”
The production team utilized the abandoned Delta Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario, to enhance the film’s eerie setting. This location provided the perfect backdrop for the haunting events at Shadyside High. Additionally, Toronto’s advanced studio facilities allowed the crew to recreate detailed 1980s high school environments, ensuring authenticity in every scene.
Fear Street: Prom Queen Official Trailer
Whether you’re a fan of the Fear Street series or just love a good scare, knowing where the movie was filmed adds an extra layer of excitement. Mark your calendars for May 23, 2025, and get ready for a prom night you won’t forget!
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