On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more. This time, we take a look at The Lord of the Flies.
A group of young boys find themselves stranded on a deserted island following a plane crash, left to fend for themselves in the absence of adult supervision after discovering the bodies of perished pilots. Initially a beachy utopia where the children run free among nature, things become increasingly savage as help appears to be ever further away.
This is the premise of William Golding’s debut novel, Lord of the Flies—a tale familiar to many who worked their way through the British educational system. After an initial draft that referenced nuclear war and God-like beings was edited by Charles Monteith, the copy gradually became a critical success, selling more than 10 million copies to date.
Several silver screen adaptations followed, including Peter Brook’s 1963 take and Harry Hook’s 1990 movie. However, it seemed the tale wasn’t destined for the small screen until the BBC announced that British production company Eleven Film would produce the first-ever television adaptation of the novel, written by screenwriter Jack Thorne, in April 2023.
Almost three years later, a 30-strong ensemble of young boys, many making their professional acting debuts thanks to open casting calls, is transporting us to their unruly island in a four-part BBC series, with episodes airing on Sundays and the entire series available on BBC iPlayer.
But where was Lord of the Flies filmed? Are the destinations behind the filming locations real-life paradises or a land as wild as we see on-screen?
