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05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
I Genuinely Cannot Watch "Yellowjackets" The Same Way After Learning These 23 Fascinating Facts
🚨 Warning: There are MASSIVE spoilers ahead! 🚨 1. In the original pitch for the show, the series was supposed to take place 20 years earlier, with the plane crash happening in the 1970s and the "present-day" being the 1990s. However, the timeline got pushed ahead in order to make the setting feel more familiar to viewers. 2. The idea for the series was also heavily influenced by Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, a flight carrying a rugby team that crashed in the Andes mountains in 1972. Only 16 of the 45 passengers survived. 3. William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies also served as inspiration for this series. While many were skeptical that young girls would turn to the same savagery as the boys in the book, creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson felt this premise was a "metaphor for teenage hierarchy." Ashley explained, "The real question is how did normal girls get from point A to point B? How do they go from having the most typical suburban teenage experience to doing the most extreme thing a human being can do? The show is a metaphor for teenage hierarchy. These girls were already ravaging one another in 1996." 4. The creators pitched the series to "16 or 17" different networks, including HBO, which was very excited by the idea. However, at the time, HBO was developing Euphoria and didn't want to focus on multiple shows with teenage protagonists. "There's a difference between shows that feature teenagers that are aimed at teenage viewers and shows that feature teenagers that are aimed at a more adult audience," Ashley explained. "We always point to The Virgin Suicides, which is very much about teenage girls but does not feel like YA. That being said, I think the networks are very aware of their brands and don't tend to look at things that way. Shows about teenagers or that feature teenagers with ambitions to be something other than a classic YA show tend to frighten people a little bit. They aren't something with a long track record. That is something we came up against when we were pitching it. The flip side of that was how there were a couple places that very much saw it as a YA show and that wasn't our intention. So we ultimately felt like those networks were not the best fit." 5. The name Yellowjackets actually came from Ashley and Bart Googling sports team names. They felt that yellowjackets fit the theme of the show best. Ashley told Deadline, "The yellowjackets as a species are very dependent on a queen, and the dynamics of the hive are very specific. It sounds so corny, but it's a small creature with a large sting. We felt that was just right. 6. Several of the actors wear colored contacts on the show. Like, Sophie Nélisse, who plays teen Shauna, naturally has blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. To better match Melanie Lynskey's features she dyes her hair dark and wears brown contacts. Tawny Cyprus, who plays adult Tai, wears brown contacts to match Jasmin Savoy Bown's eye color. Samantha Hanratty, who plays teen Misty, wears brown contacts too, to match Christina Ricci's eye color. 7. In the opening scene of the pilot episode, we see the Yellowjackets covered in masks and fur, as well as the infamous Antler Queen. Only Misty shows her face, but the rest of the stand-ins in that scene are actually stunt coordinators. So the actors actually have no idea which characters (besides Misty) are actually meant to be in that scene. Showtime Samantha said, "We all have our theories on who that is too, and we have a group chat in our cast where we try to come up with theories ourselves of what's going on and who we think is who." 8. Sophie Nélisse took Jackie's ear home with her after her scenes wrapped. She recalled sticking it back in her pocket, because no one on set asked for it back. Then, five months later she found the ear again and decided to take it home with her. 9. Jackie's dummy body was made out of jackfruit and rice paper soaked in "barbecue sauce-y stuff" — the cast even nicknamed the prop Jackie-fruit. @sammyhanratty / Jonathan Lisco, who wrote Season 2, Episode 2 — aka the episode where the Yellowjackets eat Jackie — said, 'Our young cast, who knew they were about to do something intense, was, in some ways, mimicking art because they were using humor to process it. There was a lot of joking around. They called it Jackie-fruit. The whole thing was bizarre. There was this weird duality of reverence for what we were about to portray but also the sort of human need to make it funny in order to engage it.' Several of the "teen" cast members gagged and threw up in between takes because of the taste, smell, texture, and, well, the idea of eating a human body. 10. Javi's heart was made of a "gummy bear" -like substance, which ended up being tastier than Jackie's body. 11. Sophie Thatcher, who plays Natalie, showed up to the first soccer practice wearing leopard print pants and high heels. Sophie Nélisse and Courtney Eaton said it was a great first impression. 12. Van was actually meant to die shortly after the pilot episode, meaning the adult Van (played by Lauren Ambrose) arc was never meant to happen. The producers loved Liv Hewson's performance so much that they decided to expand the character's story. Kailey Schwerman / Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME Series creator Ashley Lyle told Vulture, "Liv, who plays young Van, was not initially meant to be long for this world. Liv is such an incredible actor, and they brought so much to so little in the pilot. We wrote the pilot, we shot the pilot, and then COVID happened, so we had quite a bit of time before we actually had a writers' room and got green-lit. In that interim, we were able to see what Liv could do. We said, 'We can't kill Van! We can't do it!' And then here we are, Season 3!" 13. In another version of the pilot, Amy Okuda played Cat Wheeler, who was another teacher meant to chaperone the Yellowjackets' trip. Her character ended up being cut from the series. 14. The "teen" cast is actually well into their 20s and 30s. As of 2025, Sophie Thatcher is 24. Sophie Nélisse is 25. Ella Purnell is 28. Samantha Hanratty, Liv Hewson, and Courtney Eaton are 29. Jasmin Savoy Brown is 31. And Kevin Alves is 33. L-R: Anisa Harris as Teen Robin, Samantha Hanratty as Teen Misty, Kevin Alves as Teen Travis, Jasmin Savoy Brown as Teen Taissa, Silvana Estifanos as Teen Britt, Nia Sondaya as Teen Akilah, Liv Hewson as Teen Van, Vanessa Prasad as Teen Gen, Jenna Burgess as Teen Melissa, Courtney Eaton as Teen Lottie and Sophie Nélisse as Teen Shauna in Yellowjackets, episode 4, season 3, streaming on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, 2025. Photo Credit: Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. 15. Sarah Desjardins, who plays Shauna's 16-year-old daughter, is 30 in real life. She originally auditioned to play teen Shauna. 16. Juliette Lewis was one of the first actors considered for starring in the series. The creators had pictured her way back when they originally pitched the show. "As part of our visual aids we had the original high school yearbook photos from some actors, and Juliette was actually in our pitch, which is funny," Ashley said. 17. Ashley Sutton, who plays Hannah Finch, originally auditioned for the series way back in Season 1. Years later, she got a call asking if she'd be willing to audition for Hannah, the frog scientist. 18. Samantha Hanratty and Christina Ricci have both played Misty while pregnant. Christina was pregnant while filming Season 1 and Samantha was while filming Season 3. 19. Samantha initially went in to audition for teen Natalie. "I went in with a black zip-up hoodie, with dark eye makeup [and a] I-don't-care attitude that had this almost forced darkness. I'm not Natalie and that's totally fine," she explained. @sammihanratty / Instagram: @sammihanratty She told Collider, "I could be totally wrong, and I don't want to offend anybody, but I'm like, I don't even know if our writers knew what they were looking for with Misty. I don't really know if anybody had a clear vision of what this character was gonna fully look like and bring. I think they had an idea, but I think I came in and was kind of wrecking that idea a little bit. Because I came in and auditioned like five times. It was not like I came in and they were like, 'That's Misty!' I think I just brought this chaotic, crazy energy that they were like, 'Okay, what are we gonna do with this girl?'' 20. Jane Widdop also auditioned for teen Shauna before being cast as Laura Lee. 21. The school scenes in the pilot were shot at John Marshall High School in Los Angeles. Other iconic projects like Grease, Hannah Montana, Pretty in Pink, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and School of Rock were also filmed there. 22. Meanwhile, the rest of the series is shot in Vancouver and British Columbia. Most of the series was shot on a soundstage, but a nearby paintball park was transformed into the crash site where the Yellowjackets regrouped after the plane crash. @sammihanratty / Instagram: @sammihanratty 23. And finally, the cast has a tradition of throwing "death parties" for their fellow castmates when their characters die on the show.
The National
30-01-2025
- The National
Langkawi beyond the beach: New and enduring adventures on one of Malaysia's best island destinations
Every time I visit Malaysia I make sure to escape for a few days to Langkawi, a paradise bolthole of palm-fringed sandy beaches, tropical mangroves and 500 million year-old rainforest. With its idyllic archipelago of tiny islands rising out of the Andaman Sea, this destination is one of those rare getaways that remains unspoilt and under the radar of mass tourism. Instead, the island attracts curious independent travellers attracted by its fantastic wildlife, innovative sustainable initiatives, arts and literary festivals, and outdoor activities that range from a 2,500-competitor Ironman contest to exclusive sailing regattas. In 2025, Langkawi looks set to boost its global reputation, with filming of the BBC series adaptation of William Golding's novel Lord Of The Flies under way. For travellers there are also plenty of new attractions, as I found out on my latest visit. Resisting the temptation to laze on the beach, I instead head straight for Pantai Rhu where local sports outfit H2Ocean rents out kayaks, paddle boards and catamaran bikes. These are perfect for exploring the surrounding coast's deserted beaches, hidden caves and mangrove forest without leaving a carbon footprint. Countless local boat operators also offer tours out to the tiny islets of Langkawi's archipelago, especially to Pulau Dayang Bunting – Pregnant Maiden Island – and its spectacular lake, but the trips can get busy. Another way to explore the islands is offered by Hussein Mohd Said, originally from Kuala Lumpur, who runs water sports company Mega Water Sports. It has a fleet of about 200 jet skis, and organises two-hour guided excursions to secluded islands and beaches. As the sun sets, a taxi takes me from my hotel to the centre of the island to visit Dream Forest, the biggest attraction to have opened in Langkawi since my last trip here. This rainforest night walk invites travellers to explore a fantasy world of giants, warriors and mythical creatures, created by colourful illuminations, projection mapping, music and dance. The must-do experience, it is a unique attraction that also adds some exciting nightlife options to a destination not known for it. Impressively, it was created within the forest environment without cutting down a single tree. When it comes to eating out, Langkawi is still on the slow road of post-Covid recovery with few new locations to speak of. But the street food scene is booming in traditional night markets, where travellers can indulge at scores of stalls in a different village each night of the week. On a Tuesday in Kedawang, the market is a seething mix of locals and tourists feasting on generous plates of fried noodles, spicy papaya salad, satay sticks, and fiery beef and chicken curries. Over on Pantai Tengah, there is an important address that gourmet tourists will want to visit: Chinese restaurant Orkid Ria which recently reopened after being closed for more than four years. A favourite with locals and tourists alike, the owners have built a palatial new locale with verdant landscaping, modern architecture, live music, and the freshest, most delicious locally-sourced seafood you have ever tasted – giant tiger and mantis prawns, mud and soft-shell crabs, lobster, grouper and pomfret. Next morning, as I drive around Langkawi it is clear that the hotel scene is lively right now. There is a buzzing backpacker and budget scene at the two main beach resorts, Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah, while luxury travellers are tempted by the island's renowned international resorts. This year, Hilton Burau Bay Resort Langkawi will provide more choice in this market, opening along on the western coast. For now, Four Seasons Langkawi remains the most desirable hotel, and added two renovated bedroom beach villas last year and a new restaurant. Hava is the place to go to sample a gourmet menu of Indian dishes such as delicate Kashmiri gucci shorba soup of morel mushrooms with saffron, or tandoori samundri ratan, chargrilled locally-fished lobster and succulent river prawns, all the work of Himalayan-born chef Barwan. The hotel is a short boat ride away from a maze of steamy mangroves, part of Langkawi's famed Unesco GeoPark. I have taken this excursion many times, but today the nature guide puts much more emphasis on educating us not just on the wonders of the flora and fauna, but also travellers' collective eco-responsibilities, including respecting the natural environment by not feeding the greedy monkeys and swooping sea eagles that have been spoilt by tour groups thoughtlessly throwing them food to get souvenir photos. Over at The Datai, Langkawi's most exclusive retreat, there are also new sustainable projects including a craft workshop, surrounded by dense jungle, that is dedicated to upcycling, where guests learn to create everything from candles, soap, jewellery and bags out of recycled rubbish. This year, The Datai's innovative Chef Series will bring some of the world's most celebrated chefs to Langkawi to cook in the hotel's kitchen. Exclusive dinners will be prepared by the likes of Ana Ros from three Michelin-starred Hisa Franko in Slovenia and Jordi Artal of Cinc Sentits, a two Michelin-star restaurant in Barcelona. Visitors seeking to stay in a Malay stilt house can still find this at Bon Ton, Langkawi's pioneering boutique heritage property, where owner Narelle McMurtrie has also introduced new attractions. These include a boutique of Malaysian designer Ehka's sought-after upcycled bracelets, necklaces and handbags, a dedicated children's atelier and Copycat Cafe, dedicated to cat-lovers, where purchases go towards supporting animal welfare work on the island. For travellers seeking the ultimate hideaway, Langkawi boasts what for me is one of the most distinctive glamping concepts, Coconest. This eco-friendly, coconut-shaped pod floats just offshore, accessible by boat from Tanjung Rhu jetty. It is the brainchild of two local architects and won a 2022 Airbnb competition for creative holiday rental proposals. The solar-powered retreat is expanding in 2025 with additional pods, a new cafe, and a hangout space, making now the best time to go and sleep under the stars on the Andaman Sea.
