Based on the 2021 book titled ‘The Antisocial Network’ by Ben Mezrich, ‘Dumb Money’ is a biographical comedy-drama movie that recounts the short squeeze of the stock of GameStop in January 2021 when regular people became rich by managing to turn GameStop into one of the world’s hottest companies. Based on an extraordinary true story, the narrative focuses on a regular citizen named Keith Gill who puts all his life savings into the stock and posts about it online. Unexpectedly, Keith’s social media posts blow up, and with it, his life and the lives of his followers turn upside down.
Now that everyone starts to get rich, the billionaires decide to fight back, leading to many complications on both sides. Directed by Craig Gillespie, the comedy film features a star-studded ensemble cast, comprising Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, and Seth Rogen. The differences between the rich and the regular are portrayed using contrasting visuals against some interesting backdrops, which is likely to raise the question — where exactly was ‘Dumb Money’ filmed? Well, consider yourself lucky because we have gathered all the necessary information about the same!
Dumb Money Filming Locations
‘Dumb Money’ was filmed primarily in New Jersey, specifically in Hudson, Morris, Essex, and Union counties. Some portions were also reportedly shot in Los Angeles, California. As per reports, the production of the biopic got underway in early October 2022 and went on for a month or so, before wrapping up in the second week of November of the same year. So, without wasting your precious time, allow us to share the details about all the specific locations of the Seth Rogan starrer with you!
Hudson County, New Jersey
A significant portion of ‘Dumb Money’ was lensed in Hudson County, with its county seat — Jersey City — serving as one of the primary production locations. Also known as Wall Street West, Jersey City consists of more than 13 million square feet of Class A office space, making it a suitable filming site for a movie like ‘Dumb Money.’ Home to the headquarters of several successful firms, the city has one-third of the private sector jobs in the financial services sector, over 60% in the securities sector, 20% in banking, and 8% in insurance.
Since the production ran on a tight schedule, the filming unit needed a location that could double for multiple states, such as Massachusetts, Michigan, and Texas. Fortunately, they were able to find identical terrains across Hudson County, which is situated west of the lower Hudson River. However, you are likely to spot some local points of interest and attractions in the backdrop of some exterior scenes, including the Empty Sky Memorial, the Pulaski Skyway, Liberty Science Center, the Hoboken Public Library, and Liberty State Park.
Other Locations in New Jersey
The production took the cast and crew members of ‘Dumb Money’ to several other locations across New Jersey, including Essex County, which is situated in the northeastern part of the state. In the early stages of production, the director and his team were spotted by several residents of a Cranford neighborhood as they set up camp on the south side of the town to shoot important sequences for the film.
A film crew setting up today on campus to begin filming of the movie "Dumb Money". Santa Maria Hall (one of the buildings used in filming of "The Trial of the Chicago 7" in 2019), Mahoney Library, Rainis Auditorium and the exterior of O'Connor Hall. pic.twitter.com/1ponFuxvNL
— Saint Elizabeth University (@SaintElizabethU) October 27, 2022
Moreover, from late October to early November 2022, the campus of Saint Elizabeth University at 2 Convent Rd in the town of Morristown was transformed into a film set as the filming unit utilized various areas of the college to record pivotal portions. For instance, they reportedly taped in the Santa Maria Hall, Rainis Auditorium, Mahoney Library, and outside the O’Connor Residence Hall.
Los Angeles, California
Reports suggest that shooting for some portions of ‘Dumb Money’ also took place in Los Angeles. Being the commercial, financial, as well as cultural center of the Southern California region, LA served as an apt setting to shoot numerous key sequences for the America Ferrera starrer. It is a possibility that the production team utilized the facilities of one of the many film studios located in and around the City of Angels, including Paramount Studios, Sony Pictures Studios, Universal Studios, Warner Bros. Studios, and Raleigh Studios Hollywood, to name a few.
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