TNT’s period drama The Alienist (2018) masterfully transported viewers to the gaslit streets of 1896 New York City. Faced with the impracticalities and high costs of filming in modern Manhattan, the production turned to Budapest, Hungary, to recreate 19th-century New York with remarkable authenticity.
Budapest as 1896 New York
Production designer Mara LePere-Schloop spearheaded the transformation, constructing ten city blocks of old New York from scratch at Origo Studios. This expansive backlot featured authentic cobblestone streets, period storefronts with hand-painted signage, gas-lit streetlamps, and a massive outdoor set piece replicating the Williamsburg Bridge under construction. Additionally, a full-scale replica of Castle Garden, the historic immigrant processing center at Manhattan’s Battery, was built.
Beyond the backlot, the production utilized real locations in Budapest to stand in for New York’s interiors. The Hungarian National Museum’s elegant rooms became upper-class dining parlors, notably serving as a stand-in for the famous Delmonico’s restaurant. The Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library perfectly mimicked a posh 1890s club or restaurant, providing the decadent Gilded Age interiors that modern New York lacked.
Efficient Production Hub
The production’s base at Origo Studios, just 12 km from downtown Budapest, offered an efficient hub with co-located production offices, workshops, stages, and the vast backlot. This setup enabled two full units to film simultaneously, maximizing efficiency. Hungarian set builders and artisans contributed significantly, crafting the backlot city with convincing realism, down to layers of grime and lived-in details.
Budapest’s less congested environment compared to New York allowed the production to achieve shots that would be impossible on location in Manhattan. This logistical advantage, combined with the city’s architectural versatility, made Budapest an ideal stand-in for 19th-century New York.
References
- Vulture – How The Alienist Re-created 1896 New York in Budapest
- Town & Country – How The Alienist Recreated 1897 New York City in Modern-Day Budapest
- TV Insider – The Alienist: Angel of Darkness: How Budapest & a Backlot Turned Into 1890s NYC
- We Love Budapest – Tour the set of The Alienist with Luke Evans in Budapest
- The Alienist Wiki – Images from Behind the Scenes
