Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta
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Atlanta is known for a great many things. The state capital of Georgia was the birthplace of the great Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, it enjoys a prominent music legacy that continues to this day, and it has hosted memorable events, including the 1996 Olympics. But did you know Atlanta has also become something of a hub for the movie business? While the city has always been an attractive filming location – perhaps most visibly as the setting for breakout TV hit The Walking Dead in 2011 – its links with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (many MCU movies are filmed there) has led to many commentators dubbing it ‘The Hollywood of the South’. Join us as we look at a number of locations around the city that have played a part in the biggest hits of the last few years, all of which can be visited by interested fans. As ever, there may be spoilers ahead.

By Victoria Luxford

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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Swan House (The Hunger Games franchise, 2013-2015) – One thing Atlanta has in abundance is unique, ornate architecture. That’s perhaps why filmmakers behind the blockbuster Hunger Games films used Swan House, a historic mansion in Atlanta, as a setting in the fictional city of the Capitol. Built in 1928, it’s been owned by the Atlanta Historical Society since the 1960s and is open to the public, providing a glimpse into Atlanta’s past. Movie fans, however, will be intrigued because of its use as President Snow’s (Donald Sutherland) mansion in the Hunger Games movies Catching Fire (2013) and Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015). Experts will recognise its iconic frontage from the scenes set at the president’s party.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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Druid Hills (Driving Miss Daisy, 1989) – Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards, Driving Miss Daisy is a story of friendship between an elderly southern lady (Jessica Tandy) and her driver (Morgan Freeman). The film heavily relies on the lush scenery and opulence visible in certain areas of the American South, meaning the film took advantage of Atlanta’s many ornate residences. Miss Daisy’s home, where much of the film takes place, is found in the Druid Hills neighbourhood at 822 Lullwater Road NE. Though it’s a private residence not open to visitors, it is proudly listed as “Miss Daisy’s House” on various search engines – and fans of the film have been known to drive past for a photo op.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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Candler Building (Baby Driver, 2017) – Much of Edgar Wright’s fast-paced, entertaining thriller was filmed in Atlanta, but one of the most celebrated scenes was filmed at a site that you can freely visit. The Candler Building was used as the First Bank of Atlanta in the film’s opening segment, where Baby (Ansel Elgort) prepares to be the getaway driver for a gang of robbers. Once the tallest building in Atlanta, it was created by Coca-Cola Company founder Asa Griggs Candler in 1906; in 2019 it was converted into a boutique hotel. You can stay in these luxurious surrounds, safe in the knowledge that your movie-related visit won’t be interrupted by a bank heist!

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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Road Atlanta (Ford v Ferrari, 2019) – Rev-heads will be salivating at the thought of visiting a place where motoring and movie magic is made. Owned by NASCAR, Road Atlanta is a 2.5-mile (1.8km) racetrack that has played host to a number of events, including the Petit Le Mans, modelled after the famous Le Mans race in France. It’s fitting, then, that it would stand in for the 1966 Le Mans racetrack in this story of how Ford overcame the titans of Ferrari. If a race is happening, the atmosphere will be exactly what Christian Bale and Matt Damon were trying to achieve with their historical drama.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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High Museum of Art (Black Panther, 2018) – The international nature of Marvel films often means Atlanta has to ‘play’ other cities, and in the landmark first Black Panther movie, that meant one iconic structure had to move to the UK! The exterior of the Museum of London, where Killmonger (Michael B Jordan) performs a daring heist, is in fact the High Museum of Art, a cultural centre in downtown Atlanta since 1905. Featuring works by renowned artists like Auguste Rodin and John Singer Sargent, it enjoys a proud reputation as one of the busiest art museums in the world. We just ask that you avoid Killmonger’s example, and leave the exhibits where they are!

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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Atlanta Marriott Marquis (Loki, 2021-Present) – While Loki is, strictly speaking, a TV show, it qualifies as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to recommend this instantly recognisable location to Marvel fans. The 47-story building features a large, almost physics-defying atrium that doubled as the headquarters of the Time Variance Authority in the show, and was particularly featured in the first season’s finale where Loki (Tom Hiddleston) looks out at the statue of The One Who remains (Jonathan Majors). The giant statue may have disappeared, but if you want to wake up in Atlanta every day and walk through a pop culture reference, this is the place for you!

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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Tyler Perry Studios (Various, 2006-Present) – One of Atlanta’s most famous and successful businessmen, Tyler Perry is a Hollywood mogul with many hit movies to his name – most notably the Madea family comedies. His studio is a vast complex in a converted army base in Atlanta, from which he has overseen the production of films like Coming 2 America, Red Notice and the forthcoming Marvel movie Blade. Tour companies offer a partial glimpse of the studios for people who want to see where the magic is happening right now!

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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The Olympic Flame Restaurant (Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, 2013) – Here’s an association that we’re sure the owners have mixed feelings about! The sequel to the hit movie Anchorman sees Will Ferrell’s Ron Burgundy catch up with old colleague Champ (David Koechner) in his new role as owner of the Champ’s Chicken restaurant. The scene hilariously ends with Ron deducing that Champ is serving fried bat rather than chicken, with Champ insisting it’s “the chicken of the cave”. In real life, the location is The Olympic Flame restaurant in northwest Atlanta, serving standard diner fare that definitely doesn’t include bat!

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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Emory University (Hidden Figures, 2016) – A lesser-known side of history was depicted in this award-winning drama about the genius women who helped NASA put a mission into orbit for the first time. When filming, Atlanta’s Emory University was used for scenes where star Taraji P Henson made the vital calculations for the mission. Dating back to 1836, Emory itself has been touched by real-life history, having counted former presidents among its graduates and the Dalai Lama among its faculty.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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Vulcan Rock Quarry, Stockbridge (First Man, 2018) – Continuing the space theme, just south of the city lies a location that is truly out of this world! Damien Chazelle wanted an organic setting to shoot the moon landing for his Neil Armstrong biopic First Man, deciding upon these quarries for their malleable surface and ability to serve as the surface of the moon. Shooting at night, the effect was palpable, and the quarry was used again for a different location: Wakanda in the 2022 Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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Tybee Island, Georgia (The Menu, 2022) – We’ll hold our hands up and say this location isn’t in Atlanta, and in fact is a few hours’ drive away. However, it is feasible that any cinephile visiting the city might want to make a day trip to Tybee Island, the place where most of the filming for dark comedy The Menu took place. It stood in for the fictional Hawthorne Island, where unsuspecting restaurant guests were lured into an unforgettable night by twisted Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). In reality, there is of course no such restaurant, but the island’s picture-book aesthetic and coastal charm will convince you that you’ve landed at some exclusive resort.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta.
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1340 Metropolitan Avenue, East Atlanta Village (Avengers: Endgame, 2019) – We end at a house that may not be particularly pertinent to the city’s history, but it is connected to the final scene of a bonafide hero. At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) reveals that he remained in the past after completing the final part of the mission to defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin) and save the world. His reward was going back to his own time and living the life he wanted with British agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). The scene was shot at this residential house east of downtown Atlanta, and while the building itself is unassuming, it will certainly bring a tear to Marvel fans’ eyes.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Atlanta

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