Where is Paper Girls Filmed?

of Where is Paper Girls Filmed? Naman Shrestha
July 26, 2022

Based on the eponymous comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Cliff Chiang, Amazon Prime’s ‘Paper Girls’ is a science fiction drama series created by Stephany Folsom. On the early morning after Halloween in 1988, four 12-year-old girls are delivering papers on their respective bicycles when they are suddenly caught in a time-traveling conflict, which turns their lives upside down. Now, they must go on an adventure through time to save the world.

When the four friends travel through time, they come face to face with future versions of themselves as they either embrace their destiny or reject it. The use of purple undertones in ‘Paper Girls’ against some interesting backdrops tends to reflect the ominous and fantastical nature of the narrative. At the same time, it makes you eager to learn more about the actual filming sites that appear in the science fiction series. Well, it seems you are in luck because we have all the information about the same!

Paper Girls Filming Locations

‘Paper Girls’ is filmed entirely in different locations across Illinois, specifically in Cook County, Will County, McHenry, and Elburn. The original plan was to begin shooting the first season in March 2021, but due to some reasons, it got delayed. Finally, the principal photography for the inaugural iteration of the time travel series commenced in May 2021 and wrapped up in early October of the same year. Even though the story is set in a fictional suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, the production team does a great job in transforming the locations of Illinois to stand in for the Forest City. Now, let’s travel through time and all the specific sites where the drama unfolds!

Cook County, Illinois

Most of the debut season of ‘Paper Girls’ was lensed in Cook County, the most populous county in Illinois. The production team utilizes the Cinespace Chicago Film Studios facilities to tape several pivotal scenes for the series. Located at 2621 West 15th Place in Chicago, the studio offers a highly functional studio space with 51 soundproof stages of varying sizes and 10 production offices with or without connectivity to the studios, making it capable of fulfilling any production requirements.

In early August 2021, the cast and crew of ‘Paper Girls’ were spotted shooting some scenes in the Lakewood neighborhood in Chicago. In particular, the Music Box Theatre at 3733 North Southport Avenue and surrounding areas in the Southport Corridor, including 3500 North Southport Avenue, served as pivotal locations for the series. The production unit transformed the area into a late 1980s Ohio city street with various vintage vehicles and movie posters of that time. Furthermore, in June 2021, the production unit was spotted taping a few scenes for the first season in one of Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria outlets in Chicago. The neighborhood of Bridgeport in Chicago also features in season 1 of the drama show.

As per reports, the Halloween scene in the debut season was recorded in the village of Glenwood, mainly in Arquilla Park and its surrounding streets. The villages of Homewood, Thornton, Wheeling, Orland Park, and the city of Prospect Heights also served as prominent production locations for the first iteration. In addition, the cast and crew of ‘Paper Girls’ shot a few scenes in Pulaski Woods East at 9600 Wolf Road in Willow Springs.

Other Locations in Illinois

Additional portions for ‘Paper Girls’ season 1 were lensed on Oakland Avenue in Crest Hill and in and around the Joliet Police Station in downtown Joliet. Both are located in Will County, and for the latter, the Joliet police even blocked several blocks along Des Plaines Street to minimize interruption during the shooting. In September 2021, the production unit of the science fiction series was spotted recording in McHenry Outdoor Theater at 1510 North Chapel Hill Road in McHenry and other surrounding areas of the drive-in theatre. Elburn is another village that they utilized for taping some sequences for the inaugural season of the show.

Read More: Best Time Travel TV Shows

SPONSORED LINKS