Chinese Developer's $100B Malaysian Ghost Town Has A New Purpose: Filming Location For Reality Shows And Documentaries Like Netflix's 'The Mole'

In a surprising turn of events, the Forest City, a $100 billion ghost town in Malaysia, has found a new purpose as a filming location for reality shows and documentaries.

What Happened: The deserted city, located near the western border of Singapore, was used as a set for an episode of Netflix Inc.'s reality show “The Mole,” reported Business Insider.

The show’s second season, which premiered last week, was entirely shot in Malaysia, featuring the Forest City, Kuala Lumpur, and Tioman Island.

Contestants from diverse professional backgrounds participated in challenges such as treasure hunts, free diving, and abseiling down a 38-story building in Forest City.

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Other shows that have used the city as a backdrop include South Korea’s KBS’ travel reality series “Battle Trip,” Germany’s ProSieben TV’s short documentary about Forest City, and an Austrian documentary titled “Hungry: Tipping the Scales.”

Living Paradise Or A Ghost Town?

The Forest City, developed by Chinese developer Country Garden, was initially promoted as a “living paradise” meant to house 700,000 people in luxury high-rise condominiums and villas.

However, the project has been largely unsuccessful, with only a few thousand people living there, despite construction beginning eight years ago.

Despite the city’s failure to attract residents or tourists, it has found a new lease on life as a filming location for international shows and documentaries.

What’s Next: The Forest City’s transformation into a filming location may provide a new source of revenue for the developers, potentially mitigating some of the financial issues they are currently facing.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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Photo courtesy: Wikimedia