Naman Shrestha
In Apple TV+’s ‘Wolfs,’ Brad Pitt and George Clooney star as two lone wolves, Nick and Jack, who are rival fixers but forced to work together on a high-profile assignment. Their mission is to undo the damage done by a prominent New York official, which seems quite easy and quick at first. However, as they go deep into the night, it turns out to be much more complicated as drugs are involved. Apart from having to set aside their egos and differences, the two professional fixers are also expected to have each other’s backs when the night spirals out of control unexpectedly.
Written and helmed by Jon Watts, the action comedy movie is reportedly inspired by the real-life Hollywood fixer, Paul Barresi. In addition to the two leads, the crime thriller movie also features other talented actors in supporting roles, including Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Poorna Jagannathan, Zlatko Burić, and Richard Kind. The high-octane action and chase sequences tend to have more impact with the eerie backdrop of the nightscape, adding a layer of thrill and mystery to the entire narrative.
Wolfs Filming Locations
The filming for ‘Wolfs’ was carried out primarily in New York City, New York, where the movie is set. However, a significant portion was also shot in Los Angeles County, California. According to reports, principal photography on the crime comedy film began in December 2022 or January 2023 under the working title ‘Wolves,’ but was interrupted by the SAG-AFTRA strike in July 2023. Shooting resumed right after the strike came to an end. The 60 to 70-day shoot mostly took place at night since the entire story unfolds at night. The ‘Ocean’s Eleven‘ actors, Brad Pitt and George Clooney, had a fun reunion as they could be laughing at memes on the internet in between their takes. They also reminisced about their past projects together.
New York City, New York
Since the movie takes place in the Big Apple, the production team of ‘Wolfs’ set up camp on location in order to add an authentic layer to the story. During the shooting process, the cast and crew were spotted by various passersby and onlookers taping pivotal exterior sequences on the streets of the Manhattan borough. The bustling neighborhood of Harlem in Upper Manhattan also served as a prominent filming site for the Brad Pitt starrer. The filming unit also took over the neighborhood of Chinatown in Lower Manhattan to record several key portions. In one of the scenes involving the two fixers, one can spot the Da Mikelle Palazzo Queens Events & Wedding Venue at 69-02 Garfield Avenue in Woodside in the backdrop.
In the film, Austin Abrams’ character is chased down for about 15 minutes. During a conversation with Screen Rant, he admitted that it was challenging, saying, “You’re in your underwear in the cold, and your muscles tighten up, and there’s a big challenge physically and mentally.” He said he focused on the situation of his character, who was running for his life in the scene, helping him to be ready for the scene mentally. However, on the physical front, he admitted, “I was completely under-prepared. I don’t know how long the chasing is, but I do know that I’m pretty sure in the script, it was like three or five pages or something like that. I hadn’t fully anticipated just how long it would take to shoot that action. It was definitely more than I thought it was going to be.”
Los Angeles County, California
For shooting purposes, the director and his team also traveled to Los Angeles County, situated in the southern part of California. The county seat, Los Angeles, hosted the production of ‘Wolfs’ as several streets and neighborhoods were seemingly used to double the locales of NYC. Besides the City of Angels, the production team even took over the LA North Studios, which is located in different parts of Santa Clarita. With a total of 16 certified sound stages, the film studio also consists of production services, office space, and all the other amenities necessary for the production of all kinds of projects.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, writer-director Jon Watts was asked about the inspiration behind the motel that features in the crime thriller. He revealed, “…there’s a place that’s like that in New York. We couldn’t actually shoot there, but I always drive by it on the way to JFK, and there’s a themed weird rundown hotel in Queens that it’s based on. Everything in there on the set was based on a photo from a real place. So it’s kind of like the greatest hits of all these weird, shady motels in New York.”
Read More: Wolfs Mid-Credits Scene, Explained: What is the Significance of the CCTV Tapes?
