Sartaj Singh
With director Lee Daniels at the helm, ‘The Deliverance’ is a horror film that revolves around a vulnerable African American family and their home which they believe is a portal to Hell. Ebony Jackson, a single mother of three, moves from Philadelphia into her new house in Pittsburgh. Ebony has a complicated relationship with her mother and deals with alcoholism, resulting in her children undergoing abuse.
The bruises are noticed by others in the community, and soon Child Protective Services becomes involved. However, the single mother alleges that her children are possessed. Initial skepticism gives way to alarm as they witness the terrifying sight of the children eerily scaling walls. Inspired by true events, the Netflix film transports us to a truly haunting location starkly contrasted by its bright surrounding community.
The Deliverance Filming Locations
True to its narrative, filming for ‘The Deliverance’ took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cameras began rolling on Jun 20, 2022, and shooting was completed by early September of the same year. Lee Daniels confessed that he did not want to film in the actual location of the haunted house, which inspired the movie, as he is convinced that the terrifying stories surrounding it are real. Still, not willing to take any chances, the director went one step further and invited an apostle to the film set to anoint it with prayer every day. “I’ve never seen that on a set,” said veteran actress Glenn Close in an interview. “Never had somebody talking tongues before you start working. I loved it. I loved every single minute of it, every minute of it. I think it really did inform each day when he was there, and we did that. I felt protected.”
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Steel City became the primary filming location for ‘The Deliverance,’ with all the scenes featuring Pittsburgh locales in the movie actually filmed on-location. The production team made use of on-location filming around the city while creating sets for the interior of the Jacksons’ home. They set up shop at the 1310 Beulah Road Churchill Crossings commercial property in the old Westinghouse Churchill Site. The space was utilized as a studio, and the interiors of the central house and hospital were created there. The property has since gone on auction in 2024. The exterior of the Jackson home was captured in East Pittsburgh. The Taylor Motel on 1110 Lincoln Highway in North Versailles served as another filming location. The school that the children attend is depicted by Wilkinsburg High School, located at 747 Wallace Avenue.
The hospital seen in the film is the AGH (Allegheny Health Network) Suburban, situated at 100 South Jackson Avenue. The church sequences were shot in and around the Trinity AME Zion Church in Sheraden and East Liberty Presbyterian Church located at 116 South Highland Avenue. Also known as the Cathedral of Hope, the imposing structure is the fifth in a line of churches to sit at its location since 1819. The characters’ outing to a quaint cafe was actually shot in Hidy’s Cafe at 115 West Braddock Avenue. The establishment is now shuttered permanently. Filming was also carried out at NxStage Kidney Care on 3623 William Penn Highway, Monroeville.
Besides not wanting to go anywhere near the actual demonic house in Gary, Indiana, Pittsburgh presented generous financial incentives and suitable backdrops for the movie for Daniels. “I don’t know whether you know Dawn (Pittsburgh Film Office director), but she made me an offer where I couldn’t refuse, and I was able to make the dollar stretch in a way that I couldn’t do it anywhere (else),” said the director in an interview, talking about Pennsylvania’s Film Tax Credit program. “Also, the crew and the people were so wonderful to work with. I can’t wait to do my next film (in Pittsburgh) — as long as it’s in the summer. It was such an enchanting little city and the crew was happy, and where do you find a happy crew?”
The steel arch bridge seen in the movie is actually the McKees Rocks Bridge, which allows passage over the Ohio River. Its adjacent sites of Munson Avenue and Ella Street were also employed to capture a number of sequences. Filming was carried out in these locations over one night in late August, diverting traffic till 3 am. Pittsburgh serves as a burgeoning filming destination with its diverse urban sprawl and supportive local filming incentives. Other noteworthy projects filmed here include Netflix’s ‘Archive 81,’ ‘Dawn of the Dead,’ ‘The Mothman Prophecies,’ ‘Stigmata,’ and ‘My Bloody Valentine.’
Read More: The Deliverance: Is Alberta Based on a Real Person? Did She Die in Real Life?
