Naman Shrestha
Written and directed by Aziz Ansari, ‘Good Fortune’ is a fantasy comedy movie that revolves around the swapping of two people’s lives, which is made possible by a wish-granting angel. The narrative acquaints us with an unconventional angel named Gabriel, who decides to help a down-on-his-luck man and struggling gig worker named Arj understand that wealth is not the solution for a happy life. Arj is employed by a wealthy Hollywood Hills resident named Jeff, who instructs him to carry out myriad jobs, including fixing the pool heater, putting in a disco floor, and more.
Using his angelic powers, Gabriel swaps the bodies of Arj and Jeff, resulting in the former having the wealthy capitalist friend’s life and Jeff having Arj’s struggling life. In the process, the angel’s wings are clipped. Starring Keanu Reeves, Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, and Sandra Oh, the film is set in the home of Hollywood — Los Angeles — as the introduction of an angelic character in the narrative adds more charm to the locations.
Good Fortune Filming Locations
‘Good Fortune’ was reportedly filmed in its entirety in California, specifically across Los Angeles County. The original plan was to begin production in May 2023, but it was postponed due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. After several months of delay, principal photography for the Keanu Reeves starrer got underway in January 2024. After shooting a cold plunge scene, Keanu injured his knee as his foot got stuck in a little pocket between protective carpets.
He revealed on ‘The Late Show’ to Stephen Colbert, “My arms came out, but then my knee failed because it’s got some stuff, and I spiked… and my patella, kneecap, cracked like a potato chip.” According to reports, he also bled quite a lot after the fall. After enduring the pain and using crutches on set, the ‘Matrix’ actor resumed shooting most of his scenes. In April of the same year, the filming was reportedly concluded.
Los Angeles County, California
Since the story unfolds in the Los Angeles area, the makers decided to shoot the comedy film on location to add a layer of authenticity to the fantastical tale. Thus, all the pivotal sequences for ‘Good Fortune’ were lensed in Los Angeles County, situated in Southern California. With Los Angeles being the base for the production, the production team took over various streets and neighborhoods across the city. The scenes involving Jeff’s luxurious residence in Hollywood Hills were shot in and around the property at 11490 Orum Road in the Bel Air residential neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Bryson Apartments at 2701 Wilshire Boulevard in the city also served as a prominent production location. The cast and crew members were also spotted at one of the outlets of Denny’s Restaurants, where they recorded the scene where Arj falls asleep inside the restaurant. The lush green neighborhood of Elysian Park in Central Los Angeles also features in multiple scenes. The neighborhoods of Thai Town, Los Feliz, and Eagle Rock also reportedly hosted the production of ‘Good Fortune.’ Various key exterior portions were also taped on the iconic Sunset Boulevard.
According to reports, the filming unit also set up camp at Griffith Observatory, a famous tourist attraction situated at 2800 East Observatory Road. Talking about shooting in LA, the director, Aziz Ansari, told ABC7, “We definitely wanted to show a particular vision of L.A. and the neighborhoods we picked and, you know, all these locations. There was a lot of thought behind it all.” In the establishing shots of the city, numerous iconic landmarks and buildings also likely feature, such as the Hollywood Sign, Venice Beach, Los Angeles City Hall, Wilshire Grand Center, 2Cal, Wells Fargo Tower, and more.
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