Due Date: Where Was the Movie Filmed?

of Due Date: Where Was the Movie Filmed? Noor Malhotra
Updated August 5, 2022

‘Due Date’ is a black comedy that stars the immensely popular Robert Downey Jr. as Peter Highman, a man that just wants to go home to his pregnant wife before the delivery date. But a chance encounter with aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay, played by Zach Galifianakis, lands Peter on the no-fly list. The pair then embarks on a road trip from Atlanta to California, and the film follows their shenanigans as they try to reach their destinations.

Due Date Filming Locations

Since Peter and Ethan go on a road trip, it suffices to say that the movie covers many states. New Mexico, Texas, Georgia, and California are some of the states used for filming.

California

The very first scene in the film shows Ethan’s ride crashing into Peter’s town car and breaking its door. Although it is tempting to believe that the Atlanta Airport was chosen for filming, that is not true. After all, the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a very busy one, and shooting there may not have been easy. Therefore, the filming was moved to the Ontario Airport, a less busy location. 

The House Ear Institute, near the St. Vincent Medical Center, on W. 3rd St. was the hospital featured in the end. The San Gabriel Mountains in southern California replicated the Dallas scenery we see during the road trip. To achieve this feat, the I-210, Etiwanda Ave., and Rialto were also used as filming locations. Rancho Cucamonga, Ludlow, Ventura Blvd., and Sepulveda Blvd. were also listed as venues for filming. Route 66, one of the most historic highways in the country, can also be seen in some scenes. Last but not least, the climax showing the ‘Two and a Half Men’ episode was shot on set in Burbank.

Atlanta, Georgia

A lot of Due Date was filmed in and around Atlanta. The well-known Waffle House, situated in Bremen, was also a filming location. Todd Phillips, the director, when asked about the absence of the beloved Waffle franchise in movies, had this to say— “Yeah, they’re very strict about what they let you film there. I tried to film a scene from Road Trip there, where Horatio Sanz puts French toast down his pants. But they turned us down. Yeah, they have to know what you’re shooting. That scene in Road Trip was obviously a no-go.” The Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville is the hospital that Peter and Ethan visit after the latter falls asleep at the wheel. Peter’s friend, played by Jamie Foxx, also picks up both of them from here.

New Mexico

The area of Las Cruces was used extensively for filming this piece. A fork in the road presenting Highway 70 West, headed to Las Cruces, and I-25, for El Paso, Texas, is featured in the film. In fact, a major chunk of the former freeway was also shut down in October 2009 for filming. About 100 extras were hired from the local community and around 75 staff members were also brought to the location. Apart from that, the chase sequence with the stolen Mexican immigration truck was also filmed in the area.

Albuquerque Studios, located at 5650 University Boulevard SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, was paramount to completing the project. The state also offers lucrative film subsidies, and it made sense for the filmmakers to take advantage of these.

Arizona

In the middle of their escapades, Ethan and Peter land in the Grand Canyon to pay tribute to Ethan’s father (who had passed away at the beginning of the movie). They stand over a cliff and disperse the ashes. This part of the movie was shot at Grand Canyon West Hualapai Nation.

El Paso, Texas

Although a major portion of the film is based on the pair road-tripping through the Lone Star State, not many scenes were shot there. It would seem that one of the few scenes showing the I-25 freeway was captured here. As mentioned before, many of the scenes covering the Dallas portion of the road trip were actually shot in California. 

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