Naman Shrestha
Adapted from Donald E. Westlake’s ‘Parker’ book series, Prime Video’s ‘Play Dirty’ is an action thriller movie that follows an experienced and expert thief named Parker, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg, who gets the opportunity to conduct the biggest heist of his life. Taking his chances, he gathers his expert crew, including Grofield, Zen, and other skillful individuals, in order to change his and his crew’s lives for the better by making the heist a success.
However, Parker and his team must face and get the better of several dangerous individuals and their respective crews, including the New York mob, a South American dictator, and the world’s richest man. Co-written and directed by Shane Black, the crime film portrays the criminal underbelly of New York City by cleverly utilizing eerie and secluded backdrops, complemented by the contrasting shots of the hustle and bustle of the city.
Play Dirty Filming Locations
Although the story of ‘Play Dirty’ mainly unfolds in New York City, the shooting was carried out primarily in Australia, especially across New South Wales. According to reports, principal photography got underway in March 2024. From what we can tell, after about three months of an intense filming schedule, the production was finally concluded in June of the same year.
New South Wales, Australia
While it is not where Parker and his team strive to carry out their heist, the shooting of ‘Play Dirty’ was extensively carried out in New South Wales, in the southeastern part of Australia. The production team ventured to multiple locations across the state to capture sequences depicting the action and drama in the lives of the motley crew. The iconic Sydney Harbor also served as one of the shooting spots. A few scenes were filmed at the Ku-ring-gai Council on the northern edge of Sydney Harbor (Port Jackson) as well as in the Northern Beaches region, both within Northern Sydney.
For the purpose of filming, the team also visited the suburbs of Pyrmont, Terrey Hills, Newtown, Bankstown, and Chippendale. A portion of filming was also conducted in the vibrant inner-city suburb of Haymarket, home to Sydney’s Chinatown, Thaitown, and Koreatown. A few scenes were also taped at the heritage-listed Central Station in Eddy Avenue in Haymarket. In addition, the Hills District, which is situated within the northern part of the Greater Western Sydney region, also hosted the production of multiple scenes.
The cast and crew members were also spotted taping several portions in and around St Ives Showground at 450 Mona Vale Road in the suburb of St Ives. The filming unit also set up camp at Disney Studios Australia at 38 Driver Avenue in the suburb of Moore Park. Previously known as Fox Studios Australia, the film studio is home to 9 different sound stages of varying sizes and several production offices. Besides that, it also consists of water facilities and exterior filming sites in the backlot area, allowing the filmmakers to utilize the spaces for outdoor shots.
New York City, New York
In accordance with the predominant setting of the narrative, ‘Play Dirty’ was also filmed in the state of New York. The cast and crew were spotted filming at various locations throughout New York City. You may recognize the famous landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and Times Square as Parker and his team run around the city in pursuit of the treasure. Besides ‘Play Dirty,’ the Big Apple has served as a prominent production location for many films and TV shows, such as ‘Ballerina,’ ‘Karate Kid: Legends,’ ‘John Wick,’ ‘Léon: The Professional,’ ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime,’ and ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’
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