‘The Best Man Holiday’ revolves around Lance and Mia Sullivan, and their group of friends, who all get together after 15 years at a Christmas reunion with their families in tow. A lot has changed for everybody in the time that they were apart, including their relationships with each other. But this new status quo is threatened when old grudges resurface and bring with them revelations that nobody expected. Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, the comedy-drama film sees Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, and Melissa De Sousa reprising their respective roles.
A direct sequel to ‘The Best Man,‘ the story of the 2013 film takes place in New York City, but whether the filming took place there or not is another question. If you’re curious about the same and are wondering whether the film was shot on location or elsewhere, we have got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know!
The Best Man Holiday Filming Locations
‘The Best Man Holiday’ was filmed on location alternatively in Toronto, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York. The filming took place between April 4, 2013, and June 30, 2013. Toronto acts as a stand-in for New York City and was likely chosen for its cost-effectiveness and the presence of local studios and skilled production designers. Let us take a look at the specific filming locations to get a better idea of the production process!
Toronto, Ontario
As the majority of ‘The Best Man Holiday’ takes place inside the lavish mansion of Lance (Morris Chestnut) and Robyn (Monica Calhoun), there is a minimal amount of exterior shots in the sequel as compared to the original 1999 film. The few exterior shots that are present in the film were captured on the streets of Toronto, the capital city of Ontario province, which greatly resemble that of Upstate New York. As for Lance and Robyn’s mansion itself, it’s a 34,000-square-foot property located in the upscale Bridle Path neighborhood of Toronto.
Aside from the mansion, the other interior sequences in the film – such as the soup kitchen where the friends volunteer before Christmas, or Jordan’s (Nia Long) and office where Stewart (Taye Diggs) visits her – were developed within Toronto’s Pinewood studios with the help of local visual effects companies Mr.X VFX and Rocket Science VFX. Located at 225 Commissioners Street in the Port Lands neighborhood of the city, the production complex has served as a filming site for several movies and shows like ‘The Thing,’ ‘Good Witch,’ ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ and ‘IT.’
Buffalo, New York
To film a few pivotal sequences, the production team visited the city of Buffalo in Erie County, New York. While ‘The Best Man’ already establishes Lance as an amazing athlete and footballer, ‘The Best Man Holiday’ focuses on that and turns him into an all-star Quarterback who is on the verge of winning it big for his team! In fact, one of the initial scenes that set the narrative for the rest of the film, as well as the story’s climax, both show Lance playing football with his team as a large crowd watches on.
Both of these important sequences were taped at the Highmark Stadium at 1 Bills Drive in Orchard Park, a few miles south of central Buffalo. Home of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League, the stadium was christened Rich Stadium in 1973 when it was first built, and later on as Ralph Wilson Stadium during the filming of ‘The Best Man Holiday.’ The stadium has since then gone through two more name changes before settling on its current moniker.
Read More: Where Was The Best Man Filmed?
