Atlanta’s Parks on the Large and Small Screen

ATLANTA’S PARKS STAR ON THE LARGE AND SMALL SCREEN

It might be surprising to learn that the film industry has a huge economic impact on Atlanta and the state of Georgia – $4 billion in direct spending in fiscal year 2021.* Atlanta’s lush, green parks have been transformed into places from around the world, and you can easily visit these sites.

BY CAROL CARTER

Piedmont Park

Fans may recall the scene in “Avengers: Infinity War” when Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) are jogging when Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) steps out of a portal with Bruce (Mark Ruffalo) and asks for their help. That location was Piedmont Park.

In the television show “Hawkeye,” Kate (Hailee Steinfeld) finds the LARPers (Live Action Role Players) practicing in the park (Piedmont Park) and asks for their help in recovering the trick arrows.

In “The Change Up,” the anniversary party for Dave (Jason Bateman) and Jamie (Leslie Mann) was set on the dock of Piedmont Park’s Lake Clara Meer. Piedmont Park also was the setting for Daddy’s Group Walk in the movie, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” and also was featured in Season 4 of the hit Netflix show “Ozark.”

Westside Park

The central feature of Atlanta’s newest green space is a 350-foot-deep quarry which has shown up in episodes of “The Walking Dead,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Game of Silence” and in “The Divergent” series. Fans may remember Katniss and Gale resting at the quarry in “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay– Part 1.”

Westside Park

Centennial Olympic Park

Downtown’s Centennial Olympic Park, a legacy from the city’s 1996 Olympic Games, played a starring role in the Clint Eastwood-directed film “Richard Jewell.”

Woodruff Park

Woodruff Park, also in downtown Atlanta, was the scene of a brawl in “Anchorman 2: The Legend.” The small park also was featured in “The ChangeUp,” “Black Lightning” and “Zombieland.”

Whenever you’re in Atlanta and notice a yellow sign with black letters, you’re probably driving past a location where a show or a movie is being filmed. Among the many feature films currently filming or recently wrapped up in the city are “Harold and the Purple Crayon” (release scheduled for 2023), “Fantasy Football” and “Cinnamon.”

For more feature films currently filming, please visit www.georgia.org.