In March 2024, MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, announced that he would be hosting a reality TV game series on Amazon Prime Video. The show, Beast Games was expected to feature 1,000 contestants battling it out for a cash prize of $5 million, although MrBeast would later increase the competition sum to a whopping $10 million at the end of the series. Nonetheless, the show premiered in December of 2024 and set in motion perhaps the biggest unscripted series in this decade.
Beyond the psychological pressure that was evident throughout the show, another unmistakable element was the quality of the set. The show took viewers on an impressive journey to unique locations that made the games even more competitive. Were you left wondering where Beast Games was filmed? Kate Richardson, leading movie and TV show critic walks us through the different live sets where the games were filmed.
Introducing Beast Games: What was the Inspiration for the Show?
Prior to the creation of the show, MrBeast had always been known for his intense and high-budget stunts which he published to YouTube. Officially, he holds the record for the highest number of subscribers on a YouTube channel while also being the third-most-followed TikTok account. So, it was just natural that he’d be one to roll up multiple stunts into one elaborate reality show.
However, more importantly, the reality series drew inspiration from Netflix’s record-breaking series, Squid Game. Although the Netflix series was fictional and involved a great deal of horror, MrBeast and Amazon Prime conceived a more realistic competition with different challenges where contestants could get eliminated or progress towards winning.
“All I do is wake up every day and obsess over how to make the best videos possible. It’s all I care about. It’s the only thing that’s ever really made me happy,” MrBeast once remarked.
Despite the controversy that surrounded the series, it sure looked like Donaldson had a good time filming.
Now that you know what inspired the reality television show, it’s time to consider all the filming locations used.
All of the Locations Where Beast Games Filmed
The filming of Beast Games took place across two major locations, namely Las Vegas in Nevada and Downsview Park in Toronto, Canada. In the sections that follow, let’s look at each episode and explore the particular locations where they were all filmed.
Episode 1
According to the show’s producers, episode one was filmed in Toronto, the capital city of Ontario. The exact location used in the first episode was the Downsview Hangars which was a former aircraft manufacturing company later converted into a sporting arena. Contestants stood on towers barely 9 feet tall, but thanks to CGI, it appeared there was an abyss right beneath them. Overall, the total size of the venue was 77,000 square feet.
Episode 2
For episode two, filming took place at the Downsview Airport in Toronto. Not too much of a distance from the location for episode one, the site here was specially converted into Beast City for the 500 competitors. The city had a basketball court and other important features needed for filming.
Episode 3
Like the second episode, the third episode was also filmed in the airport area in North York, Toronto. However, for the solitary cube challenge, it is believed that the location was the hangar used in episode one which is not too far from Beast City itself.
Episode 4
Much of the plot from episode 3 continues into the fourth episode, with contestants still in that North York area facility. This makes Beast City the location where the show was filmed in for the longest.
Episode 5
A mini competition kicks off starting here, taking contestants to Beast Island. The island is said to be La Vivienda Island, a part of an archipelago in the Gulf of Panama. But unlike other parts of the contest where participants competed for the 5 million prize, this location had the contestants battling out for the island valued at 1.8 million dollars. The island being uninhabited was perfectly fitting for the competition that was hosted in it, including a search for participants by Navy Seals.
Episode 6 to 10.
In episode 6, contestants were sent back to Beast City to continue what had now become a heated contest. However, over the course of the series, new locations would emerge. According to people involved in the production, the show also filmed at the Allegiant Stadium near the Las Vegas strip between July 18 to July 21.
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World Records Broken By the Prime Video Reality Game Show
“Guinness just dropped off some of the world records we broke while filming Beast Games lol. IM SO EXCITED TO DROP THIS SHOW IN 22 DAYS 🥰,” MrBeast tweeted on X on November 27, 2024.
And we all know what that means! The show is reported to have broken 40 Guinness World Records, not a mean feat by any standards. If you’re curious, here are some of the records it broke:
- Highest amount of bribes offered in a competitive TV series ($6,719,996)
- The largest physical cash prize shown on set ($5,000,000)
- The highest amount of money turned down on a competitive show ($1,000,000)
- Most money won in a single episode of a show ($2,020,000)
- Largest pong cup (10ft)
- Largest area of land won on a competitive TV show — 67 acres
- Most people simultaneously dropped through trap doors (83 people)
- Most money won/lost on a coin toss on a competitive series — $5,000,000
- Most LED light strips used on a competitive reality show — 1000
- Youngest series director of a $100 million competitive reality TV show — Tyler Conklin (USA), at 26 years and 60 days
While there are more records broken, these are just a few of them to consider.
Overall Budget It Took for MrBeast to Develop Beast City and Film the Games
The budget of the Beast Games was also in itself a world record. It cost a massive US$ 100 million to make the Amazon reality show. However, after the show was released, Donaldson would later remark that he spent way more on the show than was reported. However, it is yet to be seen if that was the budget for one season or if the series would be renewed for subsequent iterations.
Concluding Remarks on the Filming Locations for Beast Games
To wrap things up, the Beast Games was a cinematic masterpiece. Although critics are divided on the quality of the show, there is no doubt that the locations were near-perfect and a lot went into pulling off the series. With the whole world wondering if this would be a continuous series, this is a good time to watch the first season of Beast Games and see the awesome locations for yourself, if you haven’t.
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