Tamal Kundu
Long-time collaborators and friends Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig returned with their second writing venture together, the farcical comedy ‘Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar,’ about a decade after the release of ‘Bridesmaids’ (2011), for which they were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay). Mumolo and Wiig themselves portray the eponymous characters Barb and Star, respectively. These two delightfully oblivious Midwestern women go on a holiday trip together to a resort in Florida and get embroiled in adventure, romance, and even a murder mystery.
The ensemble cast of the movie also includes Jamie Dornan, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Damon Wayans Jr. Josh Greenbaum, known mostly for his work on documentaries and TV shows, directed the film. The film garnered considerable praise from the critics for its hilariously absurd plot and Mumolo and Wiig’s performances. If the scenic beaches shown in ‘Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar’ have got you wondering where the movie was filmed, here is what we have found out.
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar Filming Locations
Although the movie is predominantly set in Florida, the filmmakers initially decided to shoot it in Atlanta, Georgia. But before the filming could begin, the state lawmakers passed the controversial Georgia House Bill 481 (colloquially known as the “heartbeat bill”), which sought to outlaw abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Following this development, the production of ‘Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar’ was pulled out of the state.
The decision to drop Georgia was taken even though the state offers a potentially 20% tax credit for projects primarily created there. Greenbaum and cinematographer Toby Oliver subsequently shot the film in Cancún and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. The production began in July 2019 and concluded in September 2019.
Cancún, Mexico
Located on the Caribbean Sea, Cancún is a major city in southeast Mexico and a popular holiday destination that attracts tourists from all over the world. Although the region has been populated since the pre-Conquest era, the city has witnessed a radical increase in population in recent years. Tourism is the primary industry in Cancún. During this period, residents flooded the locations to witness the action live as the production team shot the film.
Its picturesque beaches have drawn a considerable amount of film tourism as well. Projects like ‘Licence to Kill’ (1989) and ‘The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two’ (2020) were shot there. Cancún hosted the cast and the crew of ‘Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar’ in the early days of the production.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
The gorgeous beach resort city located on the Pacific Ocean’s Bahía de Banderas has gotten its name from Ignacio Vallarta, a 19th-century governor of Jalisco. ‘Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar’ shot several sequences in Puerto Vallarta. Some of the other movies that have been filmed in the city are ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ (2019) and ‘Predator’ (1987).
Albuquerque, New Mexico
The final part of the production was shot in Albuquerque, a prominent and most populous city in New Mexico. The city has a thriving film industry with state-of-the-art infrastructure and an extremely competent workforce. ‘Breaking Bad’ (2008–2013), ‘The Avengers’ (2012), and ‘Sicario’ (2015) are three of the numerous projects that have been shot in the Duke City. Oliver shared the post below in the final week of filming.
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