Ever since making its Amazon Prime Video premiere on April 3, 2020, the inaugural season of science fiction drama Tales from the Loop has continued to mystify its limited viewers. Unfortunately, the lack of viewership made Amazon decide to not move forward with a second season and canceled the show after just eight hour-long episodes.
Given the mysterious nature of the show, there's still a lot to learn about what went into the production, how it manifested, what talent worked behind the scenes, and how the show was received by critics, award circuits, and general audiences alike.
Inspired By Simon Stalenhag
Tales from the Loop was inspired by artwork created by Swedish visionary Simon Stalenhag. The technological devices and bizarre architecture depicted in the series are based on Stalenhag's personal illustrations, many of which can be found in his 2014 art book that the series is named after.
Since Stalenhag's art often features Swedish vehicles, the show pays homage by employing several Volvo and Saab car models dressed up to appear more robotic and futuristic.
New Additions
While many of the strange contraptions in the show come from Stalenhag's narrative artbook Tales From the Loop, writer/producer Nathaniel Halpern has stated that new devices were created from whole cloth but mean to fit within Stalenhag's aesthetic.
For example, Halpern created a stasis device in Episode 3 to appear as a "thermos-shaped" object. Halpern then asked Stalenhag what the device should look like and Stalenhag designed it to the exact specs he had in mind. As a consultant on the show who visited the set one time, Stalenhag also designed the Father's bionic arm.
Filming Location
Although Stalenhag's book takes place in Mercer, Ohio, and follows the lives of very specific townsfolk from the region, Tales from the Loop was actually shot in Canada during the winter.
According to ascmag.com, the pilot began production in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the winter of 2019. The location was chosen for its immaculate winter aesthetic, but harsh -30-degree weather provided all sorts of logistical nightmares. Additional episodes were filmed in Morden, Manitoba, and Regina, Saskatchewan.
Big-Name Producers & Directors
Even if close attention is paid to the credits of the series, it's easy to miss the big-name talent involved with the show. For instance, The Batman director Matt Reeves is listed as an executive producer. So too is Never Let Me Go director Mark Romanek.
In addition, each episode is directed by a different filmmaker. In chronological order, the directors include such esteemed international talent as Romanek, So Young Kim, Dearbhla Walsh, Andrew Stanton, Tim Mielants, Charlie McDowell, Ti West, and Jodie Foster.
Shot Digitally
Despite the frigid conditions of filming in the Canadian wintertime that could limit the kinetic range of the cameras, Tales from the Loop employed digital photography. According to Romanek in the ascmag.com interview, "two or three years ago, we probably couldn't have shot this digitally."
Romanek goes on to say "Digital has arrived only just now, thanks to large-format cameras and the quality of the sensors. I am overjoyed with the way this pilot looks...I'm happy because the advantages of digital are now outweighing the disadvantages."
Deliberately Spare On Dialogue
According to Halpern, his natural aversion to writing dialogue made him rely on visual storytelling from the very beginning of adapting Stalenhag's work.
Speaking with Forbes, Halpern itted that "this show is just filled with private moments so I knew I was going to have to have actors who can behave in isolation...so it was really finding actors who I felt were very compelling just to watch behaving, while also allowing you that window into their thoughts and feelings. Jonathan Pryce, Rebecca Hall, Ato Essandoh, and Paul Schneider - they have this talent in spades."
Movie Theater Marquee
Eagle-eyed viewers of the show may notice a movie marquee shown onscreen during episodes 1 and 3. In both instances, real movies are d in ways meant to underscore the show's themes.
In the pilot episode, Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman's 1953 film Summer With Monika is presented on the marquee. In episode 3, Greek filmmaker Costa-Gavras' 1982 movie Missing is d. Bergman's film was chosen to reflect Stalenhag's Swedish roots but also to establish the aesthetic of the filmmaker's longtime DP, Sven Nykvist. Meanwhile, Missing alludes to the disappearance of multiple characters in the show.
Role-Playing Tie-In
Ardent and casual Tales from the Loop fans alike are probably unaware that a tabletop role-playing game based on Stalenhag's book was released in 2017. Published by Free League Publishing and designed by Nils Hintze, the game was named Best RPG of 2017 by Geek & Sundry.
The alternate history sci-fi game features settings in the Malaren Islands near Stockholm, Sweden, as well as a reimagined Boulder City, Colorado. The game was funded entirely on Kickstarter.
Sights & Sounds
Tales from the Loop's A-list pedigree is bolstered by two more behind-the-camera talent that viewers may not be aware of. Mark Romanek's longtime cinematographer and two-time Oscar nominee Jeff Cronenweth (The Social Network, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) shot the pilot episode. Cronenweth often shot dusk-for-night to recreate Stalenhag's haunting imagery.
In addition, three-time Oscar-nominated music composer Philip Glass (Kundun, The Hours, Notes on a Scandal) wrote the chilling score for all eight episodes, working alongside Scottish composer Paul Leonard-Morgan (Dredd, Cyberpunk 2077).
Stranger Things Connection
After working on 17 episodes of the Netflix hit series Stranger Things, head visual effects producer Andrea Montana Knoll was recruited to work on Tales From the Loop. According to Deadline, Knoll's aim was to maintain the painterly quality of Stalenhag's artwork.
For her stunning visuals, Knoll and her team earned an Emmy nod for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a ing Role. Jordan Croenenweth also earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour).