Mohonk featured in Amazon’s ‘Upload’
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. » The exterior of the Mohonk Mountain House sets the scene for a new Amazon Prime series called “Upload,” which will begin streaming Friday, May 1.
The 10-part series uses the exterior of the Mohonk Mountain House, according to a press release from the Hudson Valley Film Commission. The series was created by Greg Daniels of “The Office” and stars Robbie Amell and Andy Allo. Filming at the location occurred in November 2017, the commission said.
In October 2017, location managers for the project reached out to the film commission regarding scenes for an “afterlife” in the show, the release said. The release said the commission also referred several local crew members for “what was essentially production on background plates.”
“The Mohonk Mountain House is a national treasure so it’s not surprising that productions want to film there,” Laurent Rejto, director of the film commission, said in a statement. “It’s as idyllic and picturesque on the screen as it is in real life.” He said even though the Amazon Prime series uses a lot of post-production special effects, “the movie magic with a venue like that” all derives from the location.
The trailer for “Upload” includes several clips of the Mohonk Mountain House. Founded by the Smiley Family in 1869, the Victorian castle resort is surrounded by 40,000 acres of forest.
In “Upload,” Amell plays Nathan Brown, who is digitally uploaded into a virtual reality afterlife after his self-driving car crashes. Allo portrays Nora Antony, a customer service representative for the “Lakeview” digital afterlife.