For those who are certain they have seen a UFO or have perhaps been involved in an alien encounter, recounting the event is usually laced with doubt from an increasingly smirky audience. “Nope,” Jordan Peele’s intense follow-up to hit, “Get Out,” aimed to imprint those pictures in people’s minds and even employed a meta premise to do so. Whether or not you have seen the film, the stunning desert shots demand a few questions: What is the situation in Agua Dulce? And where was “Nope” filmed?
You will have to see the movie to find the answer to the first question, but the second will take you directly to inland California.
OJ and Emerald Haywood, played by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, are a pair of siblings and Hollywood horse trainers. They intend to capture a UFO on camera in order to gain fame and wealth when they spot it hovering over the desert near their property. They think the money will enable them to continue their father’s successful family business following his tragic passing. If you ask yourself where was “Nope” filmed, here’s a list of the locations.
Where Was ‘Nope’ Filmed?
For movie fans wondering where “Nope” was filmed, they need look no further than Los Angeles, California. Santa Clarita, a town in northeastern Los Angeles County, was where the production crew started filming. After filming a few interior and exterior scenes around the city, they traveled east and camped in a ranch named Firestone Ranch at 35100 Anthony Road in Agua Dulce. The science fiction film’s main photography began in June 2021 and was completed by July of the same year.
The Agua Dulce Desert
The Agua Dulce Desert, which is in the north of Los Angeles, showcases the deserts of California in all their natural splendor. In terms of filmmaking and creativity, it also touches on some of “Nope’s” deeper themes. Peele has stated his desire to see more original films instead of the IP or franchise-driven blockbusters currently dominating the box office.
The desert in this picture represents the Haywoods’ dried-up status, creatively and financially, as they battle to keep up with Hollywood’s changes. The Haywoods are well-known for their love of horses and commitment to upholding the Western way of life in the movie. As Peele employs expansive pictures of the desert and its mountain to amaze viewers with the immensity of his UFO design, the location also alludes to the story’s basic foundation.
Firestone Ranch, Santa Clarita Valley
The production team erected the house on the Firestone Ranch property in the film. The gorgeous vistas of the Santa Clarita Valley that surround the ranch, on the other hand, are very real and add to the overall attractiveness of the property.
The Firestone Ranch has significantly contributed to various industries in the Santa Clarita Valley, including cattle farming and film production. It is undoubtedly worth visiting for movie enthusiasts and those interested in Western history and culture.
Jupiter’s Claim
With the introduction of the character Ricky “Jupe” Park, played by the brilliant Steven Yeun, viewers are introduced to his Western-themed amusement park. Some of the most dramatic sequences in the movie take place here and it’s the setting for a most unsettling finale.
Interestingly, the Western theme park shots were filmed at the magnificent Firestone Ranch in Santa Clarita, California. This huge setting provides gorgeous scenery and a rich Western heritage, both of which match the film’s overall mood.
Producers built Jupiter’s Claim Park set in the Agua Dulce desert as well. The set has been meticulously recreated on Universal Studios’ Hollywood backlot and is now available to guests who want to experience where “Nope” was filmed, as part of their studio tour.
Fry’s Electronics
“Nope’s” characters spend little time in the actual site of its final scene, but Fry’s Electronics significantly impacts the rest of the story. Fry’s, a California company formed in the 1980s, is where the Haywoods go to obtain a camera system to capture the UFO on film. This Fry’s is not your average electronics store but the authentic Mars Attacks-themed Fry’s Electronics store in Burbank. Fans of Tim Burton’s 1996 film “Mars Attacks!” may remember the store’s unique design, which features a massive Martian robot towering above the entryway.
The film crew chose this precise site to add authenticity to the film’s sci-fi premise. The electronics retailer closed in February 2021, but Peele has yet to confirm whether the inside scenes were shot within the Fry’s building or in a studio. While “Nope” isn’t considered Peele’s best film, California residents have been thrilled to see Fry’s memory honored in the film.
Los Angeles City
In addition, a few shots were filmed in Los Angeles. The nation’s film and television industries are centered in the huge Southern California city of Los Angeles. Studios, including Paramount Pictures, Universal, and Warner Brothers, provide behind-the-scenes tours near the famous Hollywood sign.
Why You Should Visit These Filming Locations
Officially called the County of Los Angeles, it is one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the country. It is considered home to more than one-quarter of the people who live in California. Griffith Park, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, Venice Beach, and Mount Wilson Observatory are just a few of the county’s well-known tourist attractions. Los Angeles County has been a well-known location for filming numerous movies and TV shows, in addition to “Nope,” including “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” and “The King of Queens.” It is absolutely worthwhile for movie fans who visit and want to find out where “Nope” was filmed.
