Peacock’s Fight Night: Million Dollar Heist is a thrilling new series which has been set in the 1970s Atlanta. The show is inspired by a real-life robbery plot that went down in the city’s underground and enacts a gripping criminal story of a post-Mohammad Ali fight party turned robbery. Starring dearly loved actors such as Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson and many others, it is a show that gives an audience an adrenaline rush. But where exactly this action-packed show got shoot? Now let us take a look at the shooting sites that gave such a historical motion picture a perfect aesthetics.
Metro Atlanta, Georgia: The Heart of the Heist
As much as Fight Night is based in 1970s the actual shooting of the show was conducted in today’s metro Atlanta. As a city that boasts both timely and timeless skyscrapers Atlanta is perfect for recreating the world of this heist. Principal photography phase commenced in February 2024, majority of the shots were done in several locations in and around Atlanta. The city locations such as Paschal’s Restaurant & Bar, and Hotel Clermont were staged to give the feel of high-society society that forms the backdrop of heist.
Paschal’s Restaurant & Bar
One of the most significant scenes presented in Fighter Night is in Paschal’s Restaurant & Bar which is an historic soul food restaurant in Atlanta. The restaurant situated at 180 Northside Drive Southwest is famous not only for its food but also historical connection with the Civil Rights Movement. I think in the show it is one of the primary settings for the after-party scene in which the heist starts. The work of producing the space to represent the glamourous time of 1970 was well accomplished to enhance the criminal touch.
Hotel Clermont Atlanta
Another important place is the clad building which is known as the Hotel Clermont situated at 789 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast. Packed with energy and colour, which was a testament to its bohemian charm, Hotel Clermont was perfect for some of the more amorous scenes on screen. Some of its features and its overall look gives off that classic feel that gave an old world feel for the show to integrate well with the general theme of the series.
Assembly Studios: The Behind-the-Scenes Magic
Most of Atlanta’s streets featured in several scenes and stunts but the major filming took place at Assembly Studios in Doraville Georgia. While the more elaborate and carefully choreographed episodes were filmed at the state of the art studio with 22 sound stages and purpose built sets. Assembly Studios also provided for numerous production facilities including complex lighting techniques all the way to costume construction. Using all the resources available, the studio grew to be a primary place where the world of Fight Night was conceptualized.
Collier Heights: A Real Connection to History
Naturally, one of the uniquely interesting features of Fight Night might be the use of actual location of a heist in the movie. Exterior scenes were shot at the actual actual ‘Chicken Man’ party house in Collier Heights which made the realism to the series more realistic. It is interesting to note that the show had a local angle: the star of the series, Samuel L. Jackson, is intimately familiar with the setting. Not only did he get married at a church nearby 30 yrs ago, but he also lived the same time in Atlantas history. This connection made a whole lot of difference in his acting as well as his understanding of the time enriching the show even more.
Atlanta’s Living History
Atlanta is not only a setting where Fight Night was filmed but it plays much bigger part in the show. The role of the city is rather significant as the cultural and historical background of the composition. Creator Shaye Ogbonna also.at how Atlanta’s racial dynamics shaped the show during the time it was set. The separated facilities emphasized the existence of racism in society in which black police officers were prohibited to arrest whites and vice versa; whites only. This is not a typical case of robbers and thieves; it is a social commentary on an important point in Atlanta’s history and Atlanta turns into a character in the play.
Wrapping Up the Shoot
Principal photography was completed in June 2024 when the four hectic months of shooting this crime drama thriller successfully took place elaborated below. In the words of director Shaye Ogbonna who stated that work was one of the most inspiring projects he has ever worked on in his career. What makes this series stand out is that one can truly see that the cast and crew members all care about the telling of this story and the history of Atlanta play an important role in this.
In the end, Fight Night: Akin to most Tarantino movies, The Million Dollar Heist is as much a story about the narrative city of Atlanta as it is a narrative about the robbery itself. Shooting in Metro Atlanta with many historical backgrounds and modern studios gave the possibility to film a bright realistic story based on real events. It’s a show that tells the story of the time, place and people and Atlanta you can see the character of that city in every frame.
If you are looking for a modern heist drama full of suspense, do not miss Fight Night. So, bear this in mind every time you watch it, because even though the film is based in 1970s, the Atlanta depicted in this movie is more than real today.
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