Naman Shrestha
A Noah Baumbach directorial, Netflix’s ‘Jay Kelly,’ is a coming-of-age comedy-drama movie that centers on a renowned veteran actor Jay Kelly and his friendship with his loyal manager, Ron. Together, the two men set off on an eye-opening and profound journey across the picturesque places in Europe. During their travels, the titular character and his manager are forced to confront the choices they have made in the past and the present state of their relationships with loved ones.
Jay and Ron also reflect on their respective futures and what kind of legacies they would leave behind. Starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler in the lead roles, the film also features other renowned names, including Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, and Stacy Keach. The self-discovery journey of the actor and his manager takes them through Europe, including Italy and England, elevating the overall quality of the thoughtful yet humor-filled narrative.
Jay Kelly Filming Locations
Production on ‘Jay Kelly’ was conducted in Italy, New York, and England, particularly in Tuscany, the Province of Piacenza, Milan, New York City, London, and Hampshire. According to reports, principal photography for the George Clooney-starrer commenced in March 2024. After approximately two months of intense shooting, the production was wrapped up in May of the same year.
Tuscany, Italy
A significant chunk of ‘Jay Kelly’ was lensed in the region of Tuscany, situated in central Italy. In the month of May 2024, the cast and crew members took over several parts of the region, including the town of Pienza. Numerous locales of the town feature in the movie, such as Trattoria La Buca delle Fate at Corso il Rossellino, 38/A, Palazzo Piccolomini at Piazza Pio II, 2, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Pio II, and seemingly Chiesa di San Francesco. The city of Arezzo also served as a prominent production location, as the filming unit set up camp in and around the historic 19th-century Teatro Petrarca, located at Via Guido Monaco, 12.
In addition, Argiano Winery – Cantina Brunello di Montalcino in the Montalcino region also hosted the production of the Adam Sandler starrer. The production team also took over another establishment, Tenuta di Argiano at Via di Poggio Pagano, 4, in Montepulciano, to shoot numerous outdoor sequences. The staff of the property were also reportedly very involved in the shooting process. The swimming pool area was turned into a restaurant for the purpose of filming. Furthermore, the locales of Montecatini Terme, Pitigliano, and Val d’Orcia can be spotted in the backdrop of various scenes.
Province of Piacenza, Italy
In early May 2024, the filming unit of ‘Jay Kelly’ also traveled to the Province of Piacenza, where they taped many important portions in the municipality of Caorso. The cast and crew members were also spotted shooting key portions in the municipality of Monticelli d’Ongina. Multiple exterior scenes were also reportedly shot in the area along the Piacenza-Cremona railway line.
Milan, Italy
According to reports, on May 2, 2024, Milan hosted the production of a few important sequences for ‘Jay Kelly.’ The Platform 20 of the Central Station was transformed into a film set with dozens of extras dressed in 90s clothing alongside the protagonist and his manager. George Clooney, who portrays the titular character, has a home in Lake Como, where he invited his fellow cast and crew members to stay for a while.
Talking about filming in Italy for the movie, he told Tudum, “I love shooting in Italy. It’s my favorite place to be. I’ve shot tons of movies and TV series and Nespresso commercials there. When I bought the house in Italy, the first night I got there, I looked out the window in the town, and there were these construction workers walking home, and they had [on], like, those orange vests and no shirt, gut out to here, but they had a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine and they were singing.”
New York City, New York
The eponymous city in the state of New York is also one of the locations that doubled up as a backdrop for Jay Kelly and Ron’s journey across Europe. Offering a diverse landscape of settings — from bustling cityscapes to quaint suburban neighborhoods and modern skyscrapers to historical architectural structures — New York has emerged as one of the prominent filming destinations for a vast array of productions. Thus, the team settled for taping a few sequences of the film in the metropolis. From what we can tell, the cast and crew had a great deal of fun bringing some scenes of the Netflix production to life in New York City.
In particular, the titular lead, George Clooney, divulged that he shared a solid camaraderie with his friend and co-star, Adam Sandler (Ron), which helped the process become enjoyable and relaxed. “I knew he’d be great in the part, and then the minute we got on the set, it was easy. The rehearsal process was fun. There’s a certain amount of confidence in actors, particularly of a certain age, when they’re not trying to own every scene. They’re kind of actively trying to give it to the other person. Adam and I felt that we were both going, ‘Oh, you get that. You take that.’ There’s a kindness to that, that comes off, I think, on screen,” he told Moviefone.
London, England
In addition to the aforementioned sites, a portion of the taping of ‘Jay Kelly’ was done in London, the capital city of England and the UK. Definitely not a stranger to international production of such scale, London provided the film with a wide variety of iconic landmarks that blend historical charm with contemporary developments, state-of-the-art production facilities, and favorable weather conditions, among other factors that contributed to a seamless production. Taking everything into consideration, the city served as an ideal spot to create a rich cinematic atmosphere to enhance the visual appeal of the movie. Over the years, it has also hosted the shooting of movies and television shows like ‘Ted Lasso,’ ‘Fleabag,’ ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail,’ ‘Jingle Bell Heist,’ ‘A Very Jonas Christmas Movie,’ and ‘Love Actually.’
Hampshire, England
Additional portions for ‘Jay Kelly’ were also lensed in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, situated in South East England. In particular, the filming unit set up camp at the Farnborough International Studios on Etps Road in the town of Farnborough. The entire film studio was utilized for the production, as it served as the base for a couple of days in April 2024. Home to more than 210,000 square feet of stage space, consisting of two state-of-the-art sound stages, it also offers numerous workshops, production offices, ancillary spaces, parking spaces, and additional indoor shooting space, making it a favorable filming destination. Moreover, several other locales of Hampshire, including wooded areas and urban aviation sites, feature in the film.
Read More: Is Jay Kelly a True Story? Is He Based on a Real Actor?
