Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the 2010 novel titled ‘Strip’ by Thomas Perry, ‘The Get Out’ is an action thriller movie that centers on an aging, successful LA night club owner named Manco Kapak, who is looking forward to retiring, selling his club, and leaving behind the perils connected to his past to start afresh with his girlfriend, Sunny. His retirement plans are derailed when two masked and armed individuals, Carrie and Jeff, rob him. On top of that, he is also hunted down by deadly cartels.
Amidst all the commotion, a mysterious man named Joe Carver seems to be interested in buying the nightclub. Finding himself cornered, Manco must tread carefully and beware of the web of deception that could entangle him. With Russell Crowe leading the cast as Manco Kapak, the crime film also features Luke Evans, Teresa Palmer, Danny Zovatto, Josh McConville, Nina Dobrev, and Aaron Paul in supporting roles. Helmed by Derrick Borte, the narrative unfolds in the sprawling city of Los Angeles, primarily in and around the premises of the nightclub and Manco’s lavish mansion.
The Get Out Filming Locations
Although the tale unfolds in LA, ‘The Get Out’ was reportedly filmed in Australia, particularly in Queensland. As per reports, principal photography for the Russell Crowe starrer got underway in early February 2025 under the working title ‘Bear Country’ and went on for more than two months before wrapping up in April of the same year. The production contributed approximately $12 million to the local economy by creating 95 employment opportunities.
Queensland, Australia
For the purpose of filming, the production team of ‘The Get Out’ settled on the state of Queensland in the northeastern part of Australia. They utilized several locations across the Sunshine State to stand in for various parts of the sprawling city of Los Angeles in Southern California, where the events in the narrative take place. Shooting particularly took place in and around the Gold Coast, located in the southeastern corner of Queensland. The scenes set in the home of Manco Kapak were taped in The Dunes, a swanky beachfront abode at 8 Darwalla Avenue in the coastal neighborhood of Currumbin on the Southern Gold Coast. Some scenes were also shot at Smile Mart Asian Grocery at 2/83 Scarborough Street in Southport.
At the Taormina Film Festival, producers Mark Fasano and Jeffrey Greenstein explained why Australia was chosen as the filming location rather than the United States. “It’s very expensive to shoot films in the United States these days and so many films are shot abroad because of that,” Fasano stated. While he acknowledged the problems faced by the film industry in LA, he cited rising production cost and other practical logistical challenges in the US as key factors behind the move. When asked if the decision made him feel “guilty,” he said, “No, because the legislation is intrusive actually… we want them to change the legislation there and make it more film friendly.”
Fasano continued, “So, we’re going to continue to shoot wherever we need to shoot to get our films made until they make it easier for us to come back.” Greenstein echoed Fasano’s sentiments, highlighting the need to resort to production locations that make the most creative and financial sense until conditions in the US become more favorable. He stated, “The reality is, it’s not our doing. We didn’t create the system, we just work within it and we make the movies in the place creatively that fits and that make financial sense so until the unions and the tax credits in the U.S. can make it more conducive to shooting, we’re going to continue filming movies and we’ll welcome any and every crew that wants to work.”
Talking about the experience of shooting in the Land Down Under, director Borte expressed his admiration for the local crew and services in the Australian Gold Coast. “On a practical note, the crews were amazing in Australia. The day player actors were great and outside of a hurricane, the weather was great,” he said. Alongside their cooperation and first-rate services, he also commended the region’s versatility to double up for the City of Angels. Borte expressed: “Creatively it was just about finding places that would play as L.A. We knew we wanted to set most of this in Koreatown, which is a specific look really that a lot of people haven’t seen, but on camera, people that live in L.A. don’t think it’s shot in Australia, they think it was shot in L.A. And then we got Manhattan beach and a few like places in LA that don’t typically show up in movies.”
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