Debapriya Bhattacharya
Helmed by Tyler Perry, ‘Finding Joy’ stars Shannon Thornton as Joy, a fashion designer based in New York City who reads romance novels and wishes to experience similar love in her life. She has a workplace crush, Colton (Aaron O’Connell), whom her friends encourage her to pursue. When Colton invites her to Colorado to spend the holidays with him, Joy readily agrees. However, she gets in a car accident during a snowstorm on the way and finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere. A stranger (Tosin Morohunfola) saves her life by providing her with shelter and food over the next few days, and Joy’s romantic ideals begin to evolve. From the hustle of the big city to the serenity of snow-capped wilderness, the romantic drama film captures it all in its version of holiday romance.
Finding Joy Filming Locations
Tyler Perry’s ‘Finding Joy’ was primarily shot in Colorado, in the towns of Telluride, Ridgway, and Ouray, under the working title ‘Joy Ridge.’ Production also took place in New York City, as well as in Atlanta, Georgia. Principal photography commenced early in 2024, with the shoot wrapping up by the end of February in the same year. In an interview with Ebony, actor Shannon Thornton discussed her shooting experience, saying, “We filmed in Colorado, and Telluride was this unreal, beautiful, snowy town. Some of us got to explore the town, hang out at the hotel, and make s’mores, and we built a bond that carried onto our set.”
Telluride, Colorado
One of the primary filming locations for ‘Finding Joy’ is the small town of Telluride in Colorado. A former Victorian mining settlement in the Rocky Mountains, it is situated in a box canyon and surrounded by mountain peaks. The stunning natural beauty has made the region a popular filming destination throughout the year, leading to the development of necessary infrastructure and training of human resources. The snow-capped winter in which the scenes from ‘Finding Joy’ were captured added to the holiday spirit of the film, while highlighting the intimacy that the characters share in an idyllic place.
Telluride has been the backdrop of films such as ‘Darling Companion,’ ‘The Prestige,’ ‘Argylle,’ ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,’ ‘My Best Fiend,’ ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,’ and many more. It has also been the chosen destination for shooting television shows like ‘Plum Daily,’ ‘Resident Alien,’ ‘After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun,’ and ‘Colorado Soundstage,’ among others.
Ridgway, Colorado
Located approximately 39 miles from Telluride, the small municipal town of Ridgeway is sparsely populated and provides the perfect intimate setting for several sequences in ‘Finding Joy.’ The scenic landscape with tall, rugged peaks and steep canyons, as well as the old mines nearby, accentuates the rustic feeling of the place, making it an attractive filming destination for a story focusing on making personal discoveries. Apart from the Tyler Perry production, Ridgway has been the destination of choice for lensing projects such as ‘The Magnificent Seven,’ ‘True Grit,’ ‘Tribute to a Bad Man,’ and ‘How the West Was Won,’ among others.
Ouray, Colorado
The mountain town of Ouray, located approximately 10 miles south of Ridgway, formed the backdrop of some of the scenes in ‘Finding Joy.’ The scenic beauty of the region at an elevation of 7,800 feet has earned it he nickname of the Switzerland of America, and makes it an attractive filming location, particularly for outdoor shoots. Apart from the Tyler Perry production, the valley has been the chosen filming destination for movies like ‘Across the Wide Missouri,’ ‘Over the Top,’ ‘The Sunchaser,’ and ‘Durango Kids,’ as well as for television shows such as ‘Wonder Women,’ and ‘The Ranch,’ among others.
Atlanta, Georgia
The indoor sequences of Tyler Perry’s ‘Finding Joy’ were captured in Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, the capital city and cultural hub of Georgia. Located at One Tyler Perry Studios Way in the heart of the bustling city, the studio is built on a sprawling 330-acre area that was once the Fort McPherson army base. Tyler acquired the property in 2015 and converted it into a state-of-the-art production center, with twelve sound stages, 200 acres of green space, multiple historic buildings, as well as a diverse backlot. The studio has been the chosen destination for shooting films like ‘Love & Basketball,’ ‘Acrimony,’ ‘Meet the Browns,’ ‘Red Notice,’ ‘Coming 2 America,’ and ‘Straw,’ among others. Its amenities have also been utilized to shoot television shows such as ‘The Oval,’ ‘Sistas,’ ‘Hawkeye,’ ‘Divorce Court,’ and more.
New York City, New York
With the titular character of Joy being based in New York City, some of the establishing shots in ‘Finding Joy’ have been lensed in the Big Apple. The iconic city skyline, with landmarks like the Queensboro Bridge and the One World Trade Center at 285 Fulton Street, is captured in the film. A global cultural hub, New York City has been the backdrop for movies like ‘Materialists,’ ‘Anora,’ ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,’ ‘Meet Joe Black,’ ‘The Life List,’ ‘It Ends with Us,’ and many more. It has been the production center for television shows such as ‘Friends,’ ‘Sex and the City,’ ‘Gossip Girl,’ ‘The Four Seasons,’ ‘Will & Grace,’ ‘Hart of Dixie,’ among others.
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