Jon Hamm

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

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The 2022 sequel “Top Gun: Maverick,” much like the original film, shot all around Southern California, from San Diego to Los Angeles. This article contains some minor spoilers for those who haven’t seen the film.

The movie made use of numerous Military Operating Areas (MOAs), closed off from the general public, including Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) in Coronado, California, Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon in Nevada, NAS Lemoore in Central Valley, California, Naval Air Facility (NAF) in El Centro, California, Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake near Ridgecrest, California and Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island near Oak Harbor, Washington. The film’s third act was largely filmed in the Cascade Mountain Range.

Maverick, played by Tom Cruise, tests high-hypersonic speed and destroys a prototype jet. Afterwards, he roams into a roadside cafe. These scenes were filmed at the Halfway House Cafe in Santa Clarita, California. The same location has appeared in many productions, such as “Waitress,” “Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny,” “Space Cowboys,” “The Twilight Zone: The Movie” and “Westworld.” The cafe also appeared in a famous commercial starring Cindy Crawford.

LOCATION: 15564 Sierra Hwy, Santa Clarita, CA 91390

The Hard Deck Bar where Penny, played by Jennifer Connelly, works was a set, built at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) in Coronado, California. It was dismantled at the end of filming.

The private hanger of Marverick was filmed at Inyokern Airport in Inyokern, California (1669 Airport Rd, Inyokern, CA 93527).

The home of Penny can be found in San Pedro.

LOCATION: 391 W 40th St, San Pedro, CA 90731

Here is a wider view of Penny’s house.

Maverick is seen approaching on his motorcycle with Penny from Bluff Pl and turning right onto W 40th St. The production altered several elements of the neighborhood, such as swapping out the street sign for a lamp post and adding numerous palm trees.

The scene where Maverick meets with Admiral Beau ‘Cyclone’ Simpson, played by Jon Hamm, was filmed inside the First Baptist Church Pasadena. The building is only see from interior views in the film.

LOCATION: 75 N Marengo Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101

The home of Admiral Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, played by Val Kilmer, was filmed at Wattles Mansion and Gardens in Los Angeles. The home is owned by the City of Los Angeles and is open to the public, regularly hosting special events. It is only seen from interior views in the film. The mansion has appeared in many films, including “Troop Beverly Hills,” “Rain Man,” “Queen of the Damned,” “My Family” (“Mi Familia”), “Ghoulies,” “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa,” “The Lost Empire,” “A Better Life,” “Knock Knock 2” and many more. It has also appeared in the TV shows “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The O.C.” and “Scandal,” as well as the Diana Ross music video for “Eaten Alive”.

LOCATION: 1824 N Curson Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Related articles: Top Gun (1986)

Baby Driver (2017)

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Edgar Wright’s 2017 film “Baby Driver” was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia and the surrounding areas.  The opening shot of the bank was filmed at the Candler Building on Peachtree St in Atlanta.  However, the entrance seen in the film faces John Wesley Dobbs Ave NE.

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LOCATION: 127 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30303

Baby, played by Ansel Elgort, parks the getaway car across the street.

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LOCATION: 140 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303

For the opening titles, Baby exits the Healey Building, which is where his boss Doc, played by Kevin Spacey, sets up the heists.  The camera looks up to the sky, with some visual effects added to make the building look even taller than it actually is.

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LOCATION: 57 Forsyth St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303

The camera pans down to Baby exiting the building.

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He then starts dancing as he walks down the sidewalk listening to his music.

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After making his way down Forsyth St, he crosses here and nearly gets hit by a car.

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LOCATION: 63 Forsyth St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303

His arrives at a coffee shop, where he first sees Debora, played by Lily James, passing by outside.  His entire walk during the opening credits is an unbroken shot, meaning you can follow Baby’s exact path if you’re so inclined.

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LOCATION: 85 Poplar St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303

Debora works at the former Uncle Chucky’s Diner in Forest Park, which has since closed.  The building currently sits vacant.  It can be tricky to access, as the address is on GA-85, but the restaurant actually sits bit further back from the road, with no direct entrance from GA-85.  Instead, you need to take a couple side roads to access it.

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LOCATION: 5116 GA-85, Forest Park, GA 30297

The next bank robbery, which goes awry, is a bit north of Downtown Atlanta.  This building also currently sits vacant.

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LOCATION: 84 Perimeter Center E, Atlanta, GA 30346

Baby and Doc case the post office for their next potential heist.  The exterior was filmed at Dahlberg Hall in Atlanta.

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LOCATION: 30 Courtland St SE, Atlanta, GA 30303

The climax of the film was shot at the Jerry Wadley Memorial Bridge in Juliette, about 70 miles south of Atlanta.  It’s located very close to another famous filming location in Juliette; the Whistle Stop Cafe from “Fried Green Tomatoes.”

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LOCATION: Jerry Wadley Memorial Bridge, Juliette, GA 31046

The Town (2010)

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The 2010 Ben Affleck film “The Town” tells the story of a group of Boston bank robbers.  The filmmakers utilized some iconic Boston landmarks as recurring images throughout the film.  The opening shot is of the Bunker Hill Monument, located in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, which is where the film’s central characters are from.  The monument was built to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill.

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LOCATION: Bunker Hill Monument, Monument Sq, Charlestown, MA 02129

Another iconic Boston landmark seen in the film is the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, often referred to as the Zakim Bridge or Bunker Hill Bridge.  It too is located close to Charlestown.

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LOCATION: Interstate 93, Boston, MA 02114

The exterior of opening bank robbery in the skull masks takes place at the Cambridge Savings Bank in Cambridge, Massachusetts, located in Harvard Square, directly across the street from Harvard University.  The filmmakers had to use an alternate bank, the East Boston Savings Bank in Melrose, MA, for interior scenes.

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LOCATION: 1374 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

Later in the film, as the robbers are dressed in nun costumes, they get boxed in at this intersection, where they engage in a shootout with police, before taking off down the surrounding, narrow corridors.  Here we take a look at the intersection from a few different angles.

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LOCATION: Intersection of N Margin St & Thacher St, Boston, MA 02113

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Fergie, played by Pete Postlethwaite, works at a a flower shop, which is now a hardware store.

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LOCATION: 111 Dorchester St, Boston, MA 02127

The film’s climactic robbery takes place at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

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LOCATION: 4 Yawkey Way, Boston, MA 02215