Naman Shrestha
Directed by Hannah Marks, ‘Don’t Make Me Go’ is an adventure drama movie that focuses on the relationship of a single father, Max Park, and his teenage daughter, Wally Park. When the former discovers that he has a fatal brain tumor and his days are numbered, he takes a reluctant Wally on a cross-country road trip for his 20th college reunion, hoping to find her estranged mother, who abandoned her years ago. During the trip, Max tries to teach Wally all he can, including driving, and all she might need to know for the rest of her life.
The drama film takes the viewers on a journey highlighting the unbreakable bond that a father and daughter share, with sentimental and humorous instances thrown in the mix. Moreover, the stellar performances from a talented ensemble cast, mainly John Cho and Mia Isaac, keep the audience hooked throughout the film. However, the ever-changing locations in the backdrop are bound to make you wonder about the filming sites utilized to shoot ‘Don’t Make Me Go.’ Well, allow us to provide you with all the details about the same and get rid of your curiosities!
Don’t Make Me Go Filming Locations
‘Don’t Make Me Go’ was lensed entirely in New Zealand, specifically in the Auckland and Canterbury Regions. The principal photography for the road trip movie commenced in April 2021 and wrapped up in July of the same year. Although the narrative unravels on the roads of different states of the United States, Hannah Marks and the rest of her team did a great job recreating an American landscape in New Zealand. Here is a detailed account of all the specific locations that appear in the drama film!
Auckland Region, New Zealand
Significant parts of ‘Don’t Make Me Go’ were recorded in the Auckland Region, one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand. The region encompasses the Auckland Metropolitan Area, rural areas, smaller towns, and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Pivotal scenes for the movie were shot in Moire Park at 23 Granville Drive in the suburb of Massey. Muriwai Beach on the west coast of the Auckland Region and Tāwharanui Peninsula on the east coast of the North Auckland Peninsula also supposedly served as prominent production locations. Additional portions were seemingly lensed in the suburb of Takapuna.
In a July interview with Screen Rant, Hannah Marks was asked about her method for choosing the locations for the film. She revealed, “We actually filmed in New Zealand, so we filmed in Auckland in the winter, which was pretty crazy for an American summer road trip movie. Thankfully, as an American, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on what those parts of the country looked like, and we tried to replicate them as best as we could.”
“But sometimes it was a little sad not getting to film the beautiful New Zealand landscapes because they didn’t look like America. So, it was a bit of a challenge in that sense, but I think we pulled through, and we had an incredible local cast and crew, which really helped us,” Marks added.
Canterbury Region, New Zealand
To tape several pivotal portions for ‘Don’t Make Me Go,’ the production team even traveled to the Canterbury Region, located in the central-eastern South Island in New Zealand. The cast and crew members utilized a couple of locations in Christchurch Central City, including the premise of Christchurch Hospital at 2 Riccarton Avenue and Christchurch Casino at 30 Victoria Street.
The unit set up camp on one of the beaches to tape a few beach scenes and even closed down an entire freeway in Christchurch for filming purposes. Furthermore, during their shooting schedule, the production team was spotted recording some pivotal sequences in Mackenzie District, a local government district in the Canterbury Region.
Read More: Best Road Trip Movies on Netflix
