Naman Shrestha
The first show that comes to mind when one thinks of a prison escape is the Paul T. Scheuring creation — ‘Prison Break.’ The drama series stars Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell as two brothers, Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows, respectively. Beginning in the media res, with Lincoln given a death sentence for a crime he did not commit, Michael comes up with an elaborate plan to get his brother out of prison and prove his innocence.
Once he manages to get himself locked up in the same prison as his brother, Michael’s plan sets off. However, despite the seemingly fool-proof plan, breaking out free was not inconsequential for the brothers. The adventure and drama of the brothers take them to some unexpected places and a couple of other prisons, giving rise to questions about the authenticity of the locations featured throughout the Fox series.
Where Was Prison Break Filmed?
Throughout its five seasons, ‘Prison Break’ was filmed in multiple locations, including Illinois, Texas, California, New York, and Florida. The shooting also took place outside the nation in British Columbia, Morocco, and Panama. As per reports, principal photography for the show commenced in April 2005. On the other hand, the fifth and final season of the show began shooting in April 2016 and wrapped up in July of the same year.
During the filming of season 5, Dominic Purcell, who portrays Lincoln Burrows, almost lost his life in an accident on set when an iron bar fell onto his head, leaving him with a broken nose and a severe head injury. Fortunately, he recovered completely, and the shooting resumed without much delay and hindrance.
Chicago Metropolitan Area, Illinois
First and foremost, the most prominent production location of ‘Prison Break’ is Joliet Prison at 1125 Collins Street in Joliet. Having closed in 2002, it was chosen to portray the fictional Fox River State Penitentiary just a few years later, in 2005. Various prison scenes of the debut season were mostly lensed on location, be it the scenes set in Lincoln’s cell, the prison yard, and the infirmary. However, additional sets were constructed at the prison, including the cell blocks, which were enlarged to fit the actors and capture them in action without any restraints.
The filming unit also set up camp in the city of Chicago, which is situated in northeastern Illinois. To be specific, the Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 10000 West Balmoral Avenue hosted the production of a few scenes. Additional portions of the Wentworth Miller starter were also recorded in Woodstock.
Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, Texas
For shooting major chunks of the sophomore and third seasons of ‘Prison Break,’ the cast and crew members traveled to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and made the most of the area’s proximity to rural and urban landscapes. In Dallas, the areas around the former Coolers Liquor Store at 5423 South Lamar Street and the Union Station at 400 South Houston Street were turned into film sets. Moreover, the Sona scene involving Michael, set in the fictional Penitenciaría Federal de Sona, was taped in the Former Swift-Armor Meat Packing Plant at 698-1082 Northeast 23rd Street in Fort Worth.
The production team also utilized the facilities of the Mercury Studios at 6301 Riverside Drive in Irving. Besides that, several cities and towns in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, such as Decatur, Mineral Wells, Little Elm, McKinney, Rockwall, and Fate, were used to represent different American places. The locales of Greenville and Frisco also appear in the backdrop of several scenes.
Other Locations in Texas
The filming unit of ‘Prison Break’ also traveled to Texas sites other than the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex to tape important sequences. Key portions of the show were filmed in and around Houston, which is the county seat of Texas’ Harris County. Apart from that, the cast and crew members also set up camp in Galveston and the towns of Pottsboro and South Padre Island.
Greater Vancouver, British Columbia
Also known as Metro Vancouver, Greater Vancouver is another prominent production location where many major scenes for ‘Prison Break’ were shot. Various actual establishments in the city of Vancouver and nearby areas were turned into film sets during the shooting process. For instance, the Vancouver International Airport at 3211 Grant McConachie Way in Richmond, Eagle Harbour Yacht Club at 5750 Eagle Harbour Road in West Vancouver, and Pacific Central Station at 1150 Station Street in Vancouver are some sites featured in the show. Furthermore, the J.B.’s Sandwich Bar at 1719 Franklin Street (permanently closed) in Vancouver doubled as a coffee restaurant in the Middle East.
The properties at 1990 West 19th Avenue and 2314 Ontario Street stood for Sara’s and Lincoln’s houses, respectively. The cemetery scene involving Sara and others was recorded in and around the Mountain View Cemetery at 5455 Fraser Street in Vancouver. The production team built several sets for the Ogygia Prison scenes at Bridge Studios at 2400 Boundary Road in Burnaby. The city of New Westminster also made for a suitable backdrop for the series as the filming unit lensed scenes in and around the New Westminster City Hall at 511 Royal Avenue, the Justice Institute of British Columbia at 715 McBride Boulevard, and the Anvil Centre at 777 Columbia Street. In Coquitlam, the area near Mary Hill Bypass and the former Riverview Mental Hospital also served as filming sites.
Morocco
Season 5 of ‘Prison Break’ is mainly set in Yemen, as Michael is locked up in a Yemini prison. Although the setting makes many of us believe that the scenes were actually lensed in Yemen, it is the brilliant set designs and production work from the filming unit that they were able to make Morocco stand in for the Middle Eastern country. The Ibn Al-Haytham Technical School in the city of Ouarzazate doubled for the Yemini penitentiary where Michael was being held. The capital of Morocco, Rabat, and the city of Casablanca also appear in the series.
Los Angeles, California
For shooting several key portions of the fourth season, the cast and crew members set up camp in the Fox Studio Lot at 10201 West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. Out of the 15 different sound stages present in the film studio, they mainly utilized Stage 5. It also consists of convenient on-lot production services, various interiors and exteriors suitable for all kinds of projects, and the Fox backlot providing all sorts of backdrop, including a historic New York Street backdrop.
New York City, New York
In an attempt to get himself sent to the Fox River State Penitentiary, Michael conducts an armed robbery in the United Savings Bank in downtown Chicago. Interestingly, these scenes were recorded in and around the Ridgewood Savings Bank at 107-55 Queens Boulevard in the neighborhood of Forest Hills in Queens, New York.
Other Locations
Additional portions of ‘Prison Break’ were reportedly shot in Florida, particularly in Miami and Pensacola. The latter was utilized to double as Panama for the last few episodes of season 2. However, a few outdoor scenes involving Lincoln and Gretchen were recorded in the historic district of Casco Viejo or Casco Antiguo in Panama City. Reports also suggested that Toronto, Ontario, hosted the production of ‘Prison Break’ at some point of shooting.
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