Malaysia’s $100 billion ghost metropolis was meant to deal with 700,000 individuals. After few individuals moved in, builders tried in useless to make it right into a vacationer hub.
Now, the mega-development is serving as a set for a handful of actuality exhibits and documentaries.
The empty metropolis, simply over Singapore’s western border, was used for an episode on the second season of Netflix actuality present “The Mole,” which debuted final week.
The competition-style actuality sequence follows 12 contestants finishing challenges whereas one among them secretly sabotages the opposite gamers. They race to develop a cash pot prize and uncover who the traitor is amongst them.
The present’s 10-episode second season was filmed fully in Malaysia and options Forest Metropolis, Kuala Lumpur, and Tioman Island. Filming began in July 2023 and lasted for six weeks, based on native media.
The contestants, who come from numerous skilled backgrounds, full treasure hunts, free dive, and abseil down a 38-story constructing in Forest Metropolis.
Within the third episode of the season, present host and former NPR journalist Ari Shapiro launched Forest Metropolis: “An ideal spot for a glamorous vacation house, for many who can afford it. And a lot of the yr, they lie empty.”
Town was additionally featured in current exhibits.
South Korea’s KBS filmed an episode of the journey actuality sequence “Battle Journey,” whereas German ProSieben TV filmed a brief documentary about Forest Metropolis. An Austrian documentary titled “Hungry: Tipping the Scales” shot there.
Introduced in 2006, the luxurious housing mission was meant to function flats, a waterpark, and lodges. The entire mission price its builders $100 billion.
However, eight years after building started, only some thousand individuals stay there. The mission has became a ghost city — and a serious legal responsibility for its developer, Nation Backyard, which is dealing with sizable monetary points elsewhere.
As of final yr, solely about 15% of the deliberate property had been accomplished, whereas most completed flats seem by no means to have been lived in.
Netflix and Forest Metropolis didn’t reply to requests for remark.
