Sartaj Singh
Helmed by Max Barbakow, ‘Brothers’ is a comedy following two squabbling brothers undertaking one final heist together to set themselves up for life. Jady (Peter Dinklage) and Moke Munger (Josh Brolin) may not see eye to eye on most things, but they do have a common history of crime that runs in the family. The street-smart grifter, Jady, convinces his brother to join him on an audacious heist to secure a large stash of emeralds. The Amazon Prime movie follows their cross-country adventure as they meet old friends and family while making plenty of enemies along the way. The quaint suburban backdrops and serene countryside roads become the perfect canvas for the brothers’ chaotic encounters to unfold.
Brothers Filming Locations
‘Brothers’ was primarily filmed in and around Atlanta, Georgia. Principal photography on the project began on September 22, 2021, and was wrapped up in about 8 weeks by November of the same year. The cast and crew signed NDAs to maintain the secrecy of the film and its shooting, preventing the sharing of behind-the-scenes moments before the film’s release. For better or for worse, this kept the rambunctious real-life shenanigans that the cast got up to hidden until the press tour began. Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, and Glenn Close apparently created a similar environment of antics between takes as they did when the cameras were rolling.
“In between setups, Josh somehow commandeered a techno crane and chased Peter around with it, wearing a pink wig, voguing for the camera,” said director Barbakow in an interview. “Glenn (Close) was so surprising in terms of how willing she was to try things, make a fool of herself, and go there. I think she mooned all of us at a certain point. It was remarkable.” The actors also seemed to substantially contribute to the comedy sequences in the film, suggesting more and more outrageous ideas.
Atlanta, Georgia
A major hub for filmmaking, Atlanta, Georgia, served as the central filming location for ‘Brothers.’ Known for its vibrant film industry, the city provided an ideal backdrop for the movie’s blend of suburban settings and wide-open countryside landscapes. As the team began filming at the motel location seen in the film, their first scene was of the brothers taking a shower turn-by-turn. Brolin came up with an idea for the sequence that would set the precedent for the rest of the movie’s shooting. Brolin was already committed heavily to the role and gained around 20 lbs to attain the dad-bod he rocks in the film. He went a step further and suggested that his character appear in his white briefs and be eating a Nutter Butter in the scene before Cath Munger surprises him.
Atlanta’s diverse range of locations and film studios allowed the production team to capture the brothers’ cross-country adventure within its surrounding regions. The city’s filming infrastructure and resources helped the team recreate both the hysterical and the action-packed moments essential to the film. The orangutan sequences were captured with the help of CGI, and actress Devin Dalton stood in for the ape in a motion capture suit. Interestingly, the explicit scene between her and Josh Brolin also involved an intimacy coordinator.
However, Brolin revealed that he was the most uncomfortable and self-conscious during the karaoke sequence. His plight likely wasn’t helped by Peter Dinklage bursting with confidence during his performance and Glenn Close excelling with her background in Broadway musicals. The actors had such a blast performing different iterations of the bar karaoke sequence that some of the songs had to be cut from the final edit.
Overall, Atlanta worked well as a filming location for the project, owing to its adaptability, ensuring that the team could implement any ideas that they came up with on the fly. Shooting in the film hub meant the ‘Brothers’ production team had access to world-class film studios, skilled crew members, and state-of-the-art equipment, reinforcing its reputation as the Hollywood of the South. A major draw for films to shoot in Atlanta also involves the generous tax incentives provided by the film commission. Some similar movies shot in the city include ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die,’ ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,’ ‘Logan Lucky,’ and ‘The Nice Guys.’
Read More: Best Comedy Movies on Paramount+
