NEW ORLEANS, La. (KLFY) – CBS’ new summer show Zoo is about animals turning on humans and attacking them. It’s based on James Patterson’s best-selling novel. He’s also involved with the show. Like NCIS: New Orleans, it’s also filmed in the New Orleans area.
Zoo shoots all over New Orleans but its sound stages are located in a warehouse in an older neighborhood in Algiers right across the river from New Orleans. Inside the warehouse, you’ll find permanent and temporary sets. One shows the aftermath of an animal attack. Production on Zoo began back in January.
James Wolk is the main character – Jackson Oz – a zoologist who runs a safari camp in Africa. Oz’s father had a theory that animals would turn on humans, which comes true on the show. Oz’s father was ostracized by the medical community and committed suicide.
“You find a guy who’s kind of set on a journey to figure out was his father correct or was he not delusional and so he’s kind of driven by that necessity to prove his father right,” Wolk said.
Wolk said the show uses real animals as much as possible along with computer generated imagery or CGI.
“It will be a combination of everything. I think as an audience and as a viewer it will be exciting because it will feel authentic because in many ways it is, I mean we have a lot of live animals on set,” he said.
Although they’re based inside this building, the cast and crew spend most of the days filming off set in the New Orleans area. Billy Burke, who Twilight fans know as Bella’s dad, plays veterinarian Mitch Morgan.
“New Orleans has doubled for Africa and just recently Rio de Janiero. Where are we doing next? Oh, we’ve been to Japan, now we’re in Washington, D.C. right here in New Orleans,” Burke said.
“We’ve been out in like the swamp on a boat like where they do gator tours, we’ve been a little bit of everywhere and it’s been awesome,” said Kristen Connolly. She plays Jamie Campbell, a Los Angeles reporter who starts investigating the strange animal behavior.
“I think that the story is really exciting and it’s suspenseful and it’s mysterious,” Connolly said.
Nonso Anozie – who’s from London, England – plays a Kenyan zoologist named Abraham Kenyatta. His character is best friends with Oz.
“I think it’s going to be something really fresh and new for a lot of people. I think Zoo is very fast-paced. There’s something new and different happening every week,” Anozie said.
The stars say they enjoy shooting a series in New Orleans.
“There’s so much culture, so many restaurants and great things to do and I hear that Lafayette is the same and so I think as far as having a city to play in when you have some time off it’s wonderful in that regard,” said Wolk.
One cast member has ventured west in her free time. Nora Arnezeder plays Chloe Tousignant.
“I’ve been to Lafayette actually. I’ve been playing music in Lafayette and New Orleans,” Arnezeder said.
She said she’s performed at the Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette and said she comes to Lafayette about four times a year. “I think it’s beautiful, amazing nature, amazing musicians, I love it,” she said.
The cast and crew won’t wrap up shooting until next month. They have a lot riding on Zoo, which they hope will become another hit show for CBS.
Zoo premieres on Tuesday, June 30 at 8 p.m. here on KLFY-TV 10. University of Louisiana at Lafayette graduate student Cris Matochi has a speaking role as a police sergeant in an upcoming episode.
