Naman Shrestha
Created by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald, Netflix’s ‘Obliterated’ is an action comedy-drama series that revolves around a planned bombing by a terrorist network to blow up Las Vegas. To eliminate the danger and save the lives of millions of locals, an elite team of various branches of the US armed forces is formed. After completing the mission of diffusing the bomb, they decide to make the most of the nightlife of the city and indulge in sex, drugs, and alcohol.
Soon, the team gets a strange call, telling them that the bomb that they neutralized was fake. Now, intoxicated and in a rush, they must sober up to locate the real one and once again, become the saviors of the city, if they can. Featuring Shelley Hennig, Nick Zano, Terrence Terrell, Paola Lázaro, C. Thomas Howell, and Kimi Rutledge, the crime show unfolds around the vibrant streets and luxurious casino hotels of the city of Las Vegas, raising questions about the actual shooting sites in the viewers’ minds.
Obliterated Filming Locations
‘Obliterated’ is filmed in New Mexico, Nevada, and California, with most of the filming taking place in and around Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, respectively. The production of the first iteration of the television series commenced on July 18, 2022, and concluded after a span of four months on November 30, 2022.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
The filming of a significant portion of ‘Obliterated’ takes place in the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico. According to reports, the cast and crew set up camp in the area in the months of August and October 2022 to lens season 1. Since the Southwestern state is a popular filming destination for a variety of reasons, including the lucrative tax incentive it offers, favorable sites, and availability of skilled technicians and talented actors, it is only natural that the production team of ‘Obliterated’ reportedly utilized the services of over 300 crew members around 20 actors and about 2000 people working in the background.
For the purpose of filming, the team visits Route 66 Casino Hotel, a 3-star hotel quite famous for its casino action and lively dinner scene. Located less than 30 minutes from Downtown Albuquerque at 14500 Central Avenue Southwest in Rio Puerco, the hotel is transformed into a shooting site for a few scenes. Over the years, Albuquerque has become a prominent filming location and can be seen in the backdrop of several shows and movies like ‘Breaking Bad,’ ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Better Call Saul,’ ‘Lone Survivor,’ ‘No Country for Old Men,’ ‘Roswell, New Mexico,’ ‘The Cleaning Lady,’ and ‘The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.’
Las Vegas, Nevada
The city of Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada, is also one of the places where filming for ‘Obliterated’ takes place. It is also the setting of a significant chunk of the events that transpire in the show. Some of the casinos, hotels, and clubs at Las Vegas Boulevard that serve as the site for shooting the action dramedy are Caesars Palace at 3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Drai’s Beachclub and Nightclub at the Cromwell Hotel at 3595 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Flamingo Las Vegas at 3555 Las Vegas Boulevard South, The STRAT Hotel at Casino and Tower at 2000 Las Vegas Boulevard South, and Tropicana Las Vegas, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at 3801 Las Vegas Boulevard South.
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The cast and crew were spotted taping a portion of the first season on-location in July 2022. Shooting of the few scenes is also carried out at Plaza Hotel & Casino at 1 Main Street. Fremont Street, which is as renowned as the Las Vegas Strip, is also where ‘Obliterated’ is lensed. In particular, Four Queens Hotel & Casino, which has been serving guests since 1966 at 202 Fremont Street, is also where the production team steps foot in order to film the television show.
In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Schlossberg talked about the production of the show in Las Vegas in detail. He stated, “There have been so many iconic movies and series set in Vegas, and we wanted to add to that pantheon by merging big action and suspense in the most fun, wild party environments the city has to offer. This led to some challenging but memorable shooting experiences, (from) wrangling partygoers at a day club to shutting down the Las Vegas strip for car chases and explosions.” Interestingly, a camel was made to walk on a casino floor for a sequence in season 1 of the show.
Los Angeles, California
Additional shooting of a minor portion of ‘Obliterated’ materializes in several locations in the sprawling city of Los Angeles in Southern California. Taking into account the fact that the City of Angels is often referred to as the entertainment capital of the country and is home to many first-rate production houses and areas that carry a vibrant atmosphere and can elevate the visual setting of the action show, it is understandable that the city is chosen as a filming site. Apart from ‘Obliterated,’ action drama movies such as ‘The Killer,’ ‘Bullet Train,’ ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ ‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘Pulp Fiction,’ and ’24’ were also shot in LA.
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