Post apocalyptical Manhattan? Downtown Worcester gets zombie makeover for 'The Walking Dead'

WORCESTER — Downtown Worcester is getting a zombie makeover of sorts for the latest spinoff from AMC’s “The Walking Dead” television series.

Scenes from the show will be filmed in the city in the coming week.

In recent days, Norwich Street has been getting prepped for “The Walking Dead: Dead City" Season 2 slated to film there Wednesday and Monday, May 6.

Monday afternoon, the most noticeable giveaway that "The Heart of the Commonwealth” was in the midst of being transformed into a zombie-bitten Big Apple is the frosted storefront window at 8 Norwich St. with the words "Salvatore New York City” detailed on it.

Filming will comprise both interior and exterior scenes and occur approximately from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, May 6.

For the Worcester shoot, Norwich Street, between Foster and Mechanic streets, will be closed from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday and from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, May 6.

In addition, Mechanic Street, between Main and Commercial streets; and Foster Street, between Waldo and Main streets, will be closed from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, May 6.

Motorists should be aware of no-parking signs in the area of Norwich Street.

According to Kendall Cooper Casting, “Dead City” Season 2 will be filming in Boston and surrounding areas starting April through July.

So if you’re walking past barriers onto Norwich Street later in the week and you think you have been magically transported to post apocalyptical Manhattan (where the show takes place), your eyes are not playing tricks on you. It’s courtesy of a little bit of Hollywood magic.

“The Walking Dead: Dead City” stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan.

If you see veteran zombie survivors Negan and Maggie (aka Morgan and Cohan, respectively) a stone's throw away from the back entrance of Midtown Mall, you might not be dreaming or having a nihilistic nightmare.

Then again, it is unknown if the show’s two stars will be here in Worcester for the filming.

And if you’re out on your lunchbreak and you’re thinking you’re being trailed by a pack of hungry “walkers” wanting to feast on your steaming entrails, you might be right. Then again, it’s, most likely, zombie extras.

Although the juxtaposition is merely coincidence and not for dramatic effect, across the street (and clearly reflected in reverse on the storefront’s glass) is Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Worcester Campus, which is chiseled alongside the A.S. Lowell Building across the street.

Although Stalwart Production LLC doesn’t say specifically the name of the series and would not confirm or deny on the phone, Stalwart Production LLC is in charge of “The Walking Dead: Dead City" Season 2 and the Taunton Daily Gazette reported April 14 that the town was experiencing a zombie infestation and end of days upheaval due to “Dead City” taking over Taunton.

Even if Negan is spotted swinging his trusty barbed wired covered baseball bat named “Lucille” in Worcester (which happens to be the birthplace of barbed wire), this will not be the first time Morgan has filmed scenes in Central Massachusetts.

In March 2020, scenes for “The Unholy” (originally called “Shrine”) starring Morgan — playing a disgraced journalist (Is there any other kind?) who discovers a series of seemingly divine miracles in a small New England town and uses them to resurrect his career — were shot in several locations in Clinton including the Holder Memorial and the Clinton Historical Museum and at Sunrise Boutique on High Street.

“The Unholy” was released Easter weekend 2021.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Downtown Worcester gets zombie makeover for 'The Walking Dead'