Travel

5 Films Shot in New Orleans

Posted by Samuel Phineas Upham

New Orleans, often called “The Big Easy,” is the backdrop of many stories and films. Here are some personal favorites from many different genres.

Miller’s Crossing

One of the most powerful gangster films since the Godfather, Miller’s Crossing concerns two rival gang factions during the prohibition period. New Orleans was the chosen location due to architecture and aesthetics, but the cops made filming difficult. Apparently the NOPD routinely stopped by the set to give out citations for permits the crew claimed to have already purchased, mirroring the corruption from the film.

Lolita

The 1997 version of Lolita was not as critically acclaimed as the Kubrick version, but still has its own merits. The film features the brilliant Jeremy Irons as Humbert Humbert, and a soundtrack composed by Ennio Morricone of “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” fame.  The scenes in Beardsley were filmed on location in New Orleans.

Ender’s Game

This sci-fi epic required epic space battles and large set pieces. The producers chose an old NASA facility, called Big Easy Studios, as their locale for green screens.

This is the End

Though the apocalyptic film was set in Los Angeles, it was shot almost entirely in New Orleans for tax purposes. This becomes glaringly obvious when the camera pans over a CGI version of the Hollywood Hills, or the cast strolls down a fictionalized “Rodeo” drive.

Streetcar

It is unsurprising, but still worth mentioning, that every version of Street Car Named Desire has been filmed in New Orleans. This story tells the gripping tale of one woman’s quest for sanity in an abusive relationship.