Dhruv Trivedi
The drama miniseries ‘Dopesick’ on Hulu delves into the people and mechanisms behind America’s opioid epidemic. Based on the 2018 nonfiction book ‘Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America’ by Beth Macy, the series is a detailed look at how corporate profits repeatedly trumped public safety and the devastating effects it had, especially on economically marginalized communities.
The backdrop ranges from everyday America — where it depicts regular people and families that have had their lives destroyed by addiction — to the 1% echelons of big pharma head offices. Are you curious about where ‘Dopesick’ was filmed? We’ve got the story!
Dopesick Filming Locations
The series is set mainly in Virginia, where filming also took place. Apart from economic incentives and a host of impressive locations that the Commonwealth provided, Macy also seemingly pushed to film in Virginia to keep things authentic. The production used multiple locations in multiple towns, and principal photography lasted from December 2020 till around May 24, 2021. Strict COVID-19 health guidelines were also followed during filming. Now let’s take a look at the specific locations that were used to bring the miniseries to life.
Richmond, Virginia
The production was based in the state capital of Richmond, where a 250,000-square-foot warehouse was reportedly converted into a set and used for filming most of the interior scenes. Other locations around the city that were used include the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts at 200 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard in the Museum District. The museum was seemingly used to film scenes depicting the opulent Sackler family home.
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Boulevard Burger and Brew, located at 1300 N. Arthur Ashe Boulevard, was also used for filming various scenes in the series. Apart from that, various places including Canal Walk, The Fan District, Bookbinder’s Restaurant (at 2306 E Cary St.), and the Manchester Bridge were also used to bring this show to life.
Other Locations in Virginia
Multiple towns around the Commonwealth of Virginia were also used in the production, and filming took place in downtown Hopewell and in Bowling Green. Lexington, the county seat of Rockbridge County, was also used for lensing. Since the series is set in a mix of urban and small-town locations, the production crew traveled to a variety of towns and cities to film in front of different backdrops. Apart from the warehouse in Richmond, most of the filming was carried out on location. A number of local churches and residential areas in various Virginia towns in the area were seemingly used to bring the show to life.
The production crew also spent time in the Roanoke region of Western Virginia, where the town of Clifton Forge in Alleghany County was used to shoot several scenes. Filming was carried out in multiple buildings around the town, and a few residents were enlisted as extras. Additionally, the city of Covington was used for filming, as was the Shenandoah Valley region.
Several other locations include The Estate at River Run, situated at 2421 River Road West, Maidens, which was used for filming scenes that involved Richard Sackler’s mansion. A few areas around the city of Petersburg were also most likely used to shoot a few scenes of the miniseries.
Read More: Is Dopesick on Netflix, Hulu, Prime, HBO Max, or Disney+?
