So you have folks coming into town for the Final Four or spring break soon? Or maybe you’ve just wondered what the heck is messing up your commute when camera crews have suddenly sprouted up on your route.
Whether you’d like to entertain visitors or just glean a few tidbits about our town, we’re here to help. Since the Georgia Legislature enacted tax credits in 2008 to entice movie and television projects, we’ve been blessed (or besieged, depending on your perspective) with tons of filming projects. Here’s a look at a few of Atlanta’s most recognizable shooting spots, as well as a few places where visiting celebs like to dine and unwind. (Note: This list is but a tiny sample of Atlanta stargazing sites. See the interactive map on the AJC’s iPad app for more!)
The Georgian Terrace, 659 Peachtree St. N.E.: Site of the 1939 premiere gala for "Gone With the Wind," this historic gem is tailor-made for movie magic. Movies that have filmed there include "Identity Thief," which is in theaters now and stars Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy; and the 2011 buddy flick "The Change-Up," which starred Bateman and Ryan Reynolds.
The Biltmore Hotel, 50 Fifth St. N.E.: Built in 1924, it was the perfect spot for a period scene in "42," the Jackie Robinson biopic starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford. When the movie comes out on April 12, look for the Biltmore during a banquet scene set in the 1940s-era Waldorf Astoria.
Turner Field, 755 Hank Aaron Drive S.E.: The movie "Trouble With the Curve" starred Clint Eastwood as an Atlanta Braves scout who eyes new talent on the field and meets with the brass upstairs. Turner Field played itself and looked glorious onscreen.
Stone Mountain Park/Village, 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd., Stone Mountain: The "Three Stooges" movie released last year by the Farrelly brothers wasn't set here (or anywhere). But it was clear to the audience that the movie, starring Sean Hayes, Will Sasso and Chris Diamantopoulos, was filmed in Atlanta. Among the recognizable landmarks: Stone Mountain Park, done up to look like a zoo for the stooges. More recently, the CW show "The Vampire Diaries" has filmed small-town scenes in the village area.
The Georgia World Congress Center, 285 International Blvd. N.W.: The cavernous building, with lots of glass windows affording plenty of natural light, not to mention easy highway access, was used for airport scenes in both the Billy Crystal-Bette Midler comedy "Parental Guidance," which was released on Christmas Day, and "Madea's Witness Protection," a 2012 comedy that starred Tyler Perry, Eugene Levy, Denise Richards and Tom Arnold. You can also look for it in the "Hunger Games" sequel "Catching Fire," which filmed all over metro Atlanta last summer. The blockbuster starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz and Donald Sutherland comes out Nov. 22.
Atlanta History Center, 130 W. Paces Ferry Road: The Swan House was the site of a "Catching Fire" party scene.
Goat Farm Arts Center, 1200 Foster St.: Another "Catching Fire" filming location.
Piedmont Park: We thought the preggo-centric ensemble comedy starring Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Elizabeth Banks, Brooklyn Decker, Chace Crawford, Chris Rock and Rodrigo Santoro should have been called "What to Expect When You're Expecting … and Hanging Out at Piedmont Park." Atlanta's verdant jewel showed up numerous times and looked positively radiant on the big screen. "Parental Guidance" featured a scene there with pro skateboarder Tony Hawk.
The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway: In the 2010 film adaptation of the play "For Colored Girls," Janet Jackson's and Omari Hardwick's characters don't exactly have the greatest date night, but at least they're in a great place. The Cobb Energy Centre also was used for scenes in "Parental Guidance" and for the explosive finale of the first season of the AMC hit "The Walking Dead."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road: The 2011 movie "Contagion," starring Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Laurence Fishburne and Matt Damon, was a biothriller about a scary virus that suddenly starts killing people all over the world. It featured scenes at the CDC. Director Steven Soderbergh and crew were allowed on campus to shoot exterior shots.
A few spots favored by celebs in their downtime include:
Antico, 1093 Hemphill Ave. N.W.: Owen Wilson loved the pizza here so much that he autographed a pizza peel when he was in town last year filming "The Internship," scheduled to hit theaters this June. Other fans include comic actor Chris Rock and NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
Watershed, 1820 Peachtree Road N.W.: Jane Fonda, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Lawrence, Reese Witherspoon, Colin Firth, Rex Linn, Stephen Moyer and Robert Duvall are among the notables who have taken a shine to this upscale Southern comfort food mecca.
Flywheel, 102 W. Paces Ferry Road N.W.: Gyllenhaal and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow both have been spotted working out at the indoor cycling studio in Buckhead.
The St. Regis, 88 W. Paces Ferry Road: This grand hotel wins the Celeb-O-Lympics, as it is both a favorite hangout of visiting stars and a shooting site. Denzel Washington earned a best actor Oscar nomination for his role in "Flight," which featured a key scene filmed there. "Drop Dead Diva," the now-canceled Lifetime show, filmed there as well. Key figures spotted there having dinner or drinks include Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robert De Niro.
About the Author
