A Wellington Paranormal spin off is set to begin filming in Palmerston North later this year, with producers saying the Manawatū was chosen after a location scout spent 45 minutes in The Plaza car park and “felt something move through him that no camera could explain.”
The new series, tentatively titled Palmerston North Isn't Normal, will follow a specialised unit investigating strange and unexplained events around the city, including flickering streetlights, mysterious noises near the Square, and the deeply disturbing phenomenon of someone voluntarily spending a Saturday afternoon on Broadway Avenue.
According to the show’s production team, Palmerston North offered the perfect mix of supernatural dread, low cloud cover, and architecture that makes viewers ask, “Was this abandoned, or is it open?”
“It’s scary enough without ghosts,” said one producer, who asked not to be named after accidentally making eye contact with a possum behind the old post office. “In Wellington, we had to create tension. In Palmerston North, you just point a camera at an empty bus stop after 8pm and the scene writes itself.”
The first episode will reportedly focus on a series of paranormal sightings near the Square, where witnesses claim to have seen a shadowy figure wandering in circles, muttering about parking, before vanishing into the public toilets.
Police have since clarified the figure was probably just a local man trying to find his car.
Other planned investigations include a haunted motel room on Fitzherbert Avenue, a poltergeist at Massey University that keeps moving assignments to the due date, and a mysterious entity known only as “The Man Who Still Thinks Downtown Will Come Back.”
A council spokesperson welcomed the production, saying it was exciting to see Palmerston North recognised on screen for its “unique atmosphere, strong community spirit, and large number of places where a ghost could reasonably live without being noticed.”
“We see this as a fantastic opportunity to showcase the city,” the spokesperson said. “There’s the Clock Tower, the river walkway, Te Manawa, and at least three intersections where reality appears to bend slightly.”
Local businesses are also expected to benefit from the filming, with one café owner saying the production crew had already ordered six flat whites, two cheese scones, and asked whether the uneasy feeling outside was “normal.”
“I told them yes,” she said. “That’s just Palmy before lunch.”
However, not everyone is thrilled. Some residents have raised concerns that the series could reinforce negative stereotypes about Palmerston North being gloomy, strange, and full of unexplained noises.
“That’s unfair,” said one resident. “Some of the noises are completely explained. It’s usually a modified Subaru or someone dragging a wheelie bin down the street at midnight.”
Producers say the show will be respectful to the city, while still leaning into its natural horror elements, including wind tunnels, closed shopfronts, and the emotional experience of arriving at the airport.
The spin off’s climax is expected to feature the officers confronting a powerful supernatural presence beneath the Square, only to discover it is simply the lingering collective disappointment of every person who has ever missed the last bus to Feilding.
Filming is expected to begin soon, pending final approval from council, local iwi, and whatever lives in the back corner of the Downtown carpark.
The production team says they are still looking for extras, preferably people who can “stand silently in the background and look like they’ve just remembered they live in Palmerston North.”