Naman Shrestha
Written and directed by Cooper Raiff, ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ is a comedy-drama movie that revolves around 22-year-old Andrew, who is stuck at home with his family after graduating college. However, he knows how to do one thing for sure — to get a party started, and this talent is enough to land him a job as a bar mitzvah party host for his younger brother’s classmates. But when Andrew strikes up a friendship with a local mother named Domino and her daughter, Lola, he can see his future and what he wants more clearly.
The narrative not only involves hilarious instances but also brims with emotional honesty when it comes to love, making the viewers laugh and cry throughout ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth.’ The setting of the bar mitzvah party helmed by Andrew is ironic as he doesn’t seem to have a hold on his life. Moreover, he is seen going through a whirlwind of emotional experiences against different backdrops, which makes is sure to make viewers curious about the filming sites of the movie. Well, we have gathered information about the same, so allow us to fill you in on all the details!
Cha Cha Real Smooth Filming Locations
‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ was filmed entirely in the state of Pennsylvania, particularly in and around Allegheny County. The principal photography for the comedy-drama film commenced in August 2021 and wrapped up after a month in September of the same year. Even though the story is set in New Jersey, Pennsylvania’s highly diverse and vast terrain does a great job of standing in for the Garden State. Officially known as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the state has many mountain ranges and navigable rivers. Now, let’s traverse the filming sites that appear in the heartwarming movie!
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
All the pivotal sequences for ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ were lensed in Allegheny County, a county located in southwest Pennsylvania. In August 2021, the cast and crew members of the Dakota Johnson-starrer were spotted lensing several important scenes in the borough of Tarentum, specifically in the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills. As per reports, the indoor party scenes for the film were captured on location, possibly in the shopping center. Furthermore, the production team set up camp in The Maverick by Kasa hotel, situated at 120 South Whitfield Street in Pittsburgh.
Additional scenes were taped at the Bethel Park Community Center at 5151 Park Avenue and in some private residences in the suburb of Mount Lebanon, as well as in Upper Saint Clair, a small township near the downtown area. Pittsburgh is the county seat of Allegheny County and has cemented itself as a hub for the education, technology, and, most importantly, healthcare industries.
Once known as Iron City, Pittsburgh has a rich history when it comes to art and culture, dating back to as early as the 19th century. Thanks to the city’s modern architecture and versatile landscape, it is frequented by several filmmakers regularly. Over the years, Pittsburgh has featured in different kinds of filming projects; some of the well-known ones include ‘Free Guy,’ ‘The Silence of the Lambs,’ ‘Independence Day,’ ‘Mindhunter,’ and ‘I Am Not Okay With This.’
