Kanika Kumar
‘The DUFF’ is a 2015 teen comedy directed by Ari Sandel, based on Kody Keplinger’s 2010 novel of the same name. Set in high school, the movie follows the journey of Bianca Piper as she discovers, shuns, and finally embraces the label of the ‘Designated Ugly Fat Friend.’ It stars Mae Whitman as Bianca Piper, Bella Thorne as Madison Morgan, and Robbie Amell as Wesley Rush, amongst others.
Using humor and romance to dive into themes of self-esteem, identity, and bullying, ‘The DUFF’ is partly rooted in reality as it is based on author Keplinger’s personal experiences. If you were impressed by the movie’s realistic high school setting, beautiful neighborhoods, and refreshing outdoors, we’ve got just the information for you. Here are all the details about the filming locations of ‘The DUFF!’
The DUFF Filming Locations
The teen comedy’s protagonist Bianca Piper lives and attends high school in Atlanta, Georgia. The filming of the movie primarily took place in the city of Atlanta as well. Shooting commenced on June 10, 2014, and wrapped up by July 9, 2014. Atlanta is known for its landscape diversity, and the movie covers everything from a high school hallway to a beautiful green forest. Let’s take a look at the specific locations used for filming ‘The DUFF.’
Atlanta, Georgia
‘The DUFF’ was filmed in Atlanta, the capital city of Georgia. What’s a high school movie without a real high school, right? Thus, the scenes featuring the movie’s fictional Malloy High School were filmed at Marietta High School and Midtown High School (formerly known as Henry W. Grady High School Midtown).
Since most of the movie sees the characters attending classes, running tracks, and walking through hallways, it can be concluded that filming predominantly took place in these two high schools of Atlanta. Marietta High School is located at 1171 Whitlock Avenue, while Midtown High School stands at 929 Charles Allen Drive, next to Piedmont Park.
The iconic Bianca and Wesley shopping scene, featuring lots of fun banter, goofing around, and a growing friendship, was filmed at Atlanta’s Perimeter Mall, located at 4400 Ashford Dunwoody Road. The realness of the setting certainly contributes to the ease of presentation and chemistry of the characters on-screen.
Located about 15-20 miles northwest of Atlanta in Cobb County, Marietta also served as one of the filming sites of ‘The DUFF.’ The scene which features Bianca and Toby’s potential date, as part of Wesley’s dating advice to her, was shot at Dave and Buster’s at 2215 D&B Drive in Marietta. Bianca calls it “the place with the claw game.”
The prom scenes were shot at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, at 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway in northwest Atlanta. Several pivotal scenes were shot at Stone Mountain Park, the residential district of Buckhead and Kirkwood, a neighborhood in eastern Atlanta. The production team also shot a few scenes in a production facility in the Atlantan suburb of Conyers in Rockdale County. The feel-good scenes from Bianca’s think rock romance to the last scene where the newly formed couple drive away were shot in the city.
It comes as no surprise that a majority of the film’s principal photography took place in Atlanta. The ‘City in the Forest’ is known for its varied topography, both natural and artificial, with an abundance of skyscrapers, residential neighborhoods, trees, farms, parks, lakes, and hills. In fact, most films are shot in Atlanta due to its tax credits and the availability of diverse locations for shoots. All in all, Atlanta acted as the perfect spot for a teen romance comedy like ‘The DUFF.’
Read More: Is The DUFF Based on a True Story?
