Production for Hulu’s How I Met Your Father spinoff starring Hilary Duff is underway, and the first set photo shows the cast hanging out on the virtual set powered by Industrial Light and Magic. The same tech used to power shows like The Mandalorian.
As revealed on Variety, filming for How I Met Your Father takes place on the Infinity, Industrial Light and Magic’s new virtual production stage on Disney’s Burbank lot.
According to showrunners Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, the virtual set was an ideal alternative to flying Duff and the cast to New York to film on location. The Virtual Stage was able to recreate the Brooklyn Bridge without the rest of New York getting in the way.
While virtual stage technology has been used to film fantastical locations, like the ones seen in The Mandalorian, it appears the use of this technology may seep into more and more shows, even ones that aren’t set in outer space. The Batman, for example, is using a similar virtual set.
The Infinity Stage is built on the same stage where Disney filmed the 1940 animated film “Fantasia” and includes 700 LED panels to create a 1,600 square foot LED canvas. It will be used for “hundreds of Walt Disney Company Television Productions” and could be rented to other studios and producers.
How I Met Your Father stars Hilary Duff as Sophie. Similar to the plot of How I Met Your Mother, Duff’s Sophie is telling her son how she met his father. Sophie’s story is also set in New York and she will be surrounded by a cast of friends as they go through her romantic misadventures.
The original How I Met Your Mother ran for nine years and was one of the biggest romantic comedies airing on TV. The Hulu spinoff has been ordered direct to series for a 10-episode season, and Duff recently shared a photo of her and actor Josh Peck from the set.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.