"Mystery Island"
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ newest film, “Mystery Island,” premieres on Friday, September 29, at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central. If you have access to Peacock, you can also stream the new feature for up to 72 hours following its premiere. The movie stars Elizabeth Henstridge and Charlie Weber. Read on to learn all about where it was filmed and the cast involved.
‘Mystery Island’ Was Filmed in Panama
Hallmark“Mystery Island”
“Mystery Island” was directed by Nicholas Humphries, who said in an interview with Pepper Tree Villa that the movie was filmed in Panama.
Humphries shared that the movie was filmed where “the Obamas stayed,” referring to the Villa Bonita mansion in Panama.
“I got to shoot scenes in the jungle for the first time in my life, which sounds really cool but it’s actually quite hot and howler monkeys are kind of a sound issue,” he said. “And just when you thought the sun would kill you, there would be a crack of thunder and everything would be as if you’re just standing underneath a showerhead.”
Filming in the jungle does have its downsides, but it made for some beautiful scenes.
Humphres said they filmed for 15 days and he made new friends for life during his time working in the middle of the jungle. He shared a lot of funny stories, including talking about a sloth who made its way to one of the stars while they were filming a scene.
Actress Kezia Burrows commented on September 7 that filming the movie was “another bucket list checked off.” She added the hashtags #Panama, #dreamlocation, and #slothsrule to her post.
Writer John Christian Plummer told the Hallmark Mysteries & More podcast that this movie will appeal to “Mystery 101” fans. He told TV Shows Ace that he would love this Panama-filmed movie to turn into a series.
“If people enjoy this, I urge them to let Hallmark know by sharing on social media and asking for more. We could do countless episodes,” he said.
Meet the Cast
Hallmark“Mystery Island”
Hallmark’s synopsis reads:
London Police psychiatrist Dr. Emilia Priestly needs to take a relaxing break from her stressful job, so her wealthy friend invites her to Mystery Island, an immersive murder-mystery-themed resort hosting a special retreat for the original investors. As the mystery game begins, tragedy strikes when the resort’s reclusive founder is murdered. Emilia “partners” with local detective Jason Trent to investigate.
Elizabeth Henstridge plays Dr. Emilia Priestly. According to her bio, she’s originally from England, and begin her career with classical training and stints in theater and film before making her way to Los Angeles in 2012. Recently, you might have seen her headlining the Apple TV+ series “Suspicion,” where she shared the screen with Uma Thurman and Noah Emmerich. She also is known for her role as Agent Jemma Simmons in Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” which ran for seven seasons. She’s also been making her mark behind the camera, directing episodes like “As I Have Always Been” for “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” as well as working on episodes for “Superman & Lois” and “Gotham Knights” on The CW.
She shared this photo of her partner, Zachary Burr Abel.
Charlie Weber plays the role of Jason Trent in the movie. According to his bio, he’s well known for his role as Frank in “How to Get Away with Murder.” He recently completed filming the action thriller “The Painter,” and also starred in feature films like “Panama” alongside Cole Hauser and Mel Gibson, and “As They Made Us” opposite Dustin Hoffman. He was also in the action movie “The Locksmith” and “After We Collided.” On the festival circuit, he’s in “Coyote Lake” alongside Adriana Barraza and Camilla Mendez, and appeared in “Christmas Bedtime Stories” for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Also starring in the movie, according to Hallmark’s press release, are:
- Kezia Burrows (Baroness Janey Alcott)
- Yimarapérez Royko (Chief Gloria Espinoza)
- Henry Twohy (Fredricks)
- Francisco Labbe (Carlos del Fuego)
- Matthew Chambers (Sarge)
- Andrés Morales (Riley Peel)
- Melanie Martínez (Morgan del Fuego)
- Kara Lane (Pheonix Green)
- Noelia Rothery (Lucia)
- Randy Dominguez (Ray Romero)
- Robert Getman (John Murtaugh)
- Roberto Thomas (Lorenzo)
- Luke McGibney (Ken Wilcock)
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Where Was ‘Mystery Island’ Filmed? See Cast Stories & Locations