Where was Big Little Lies filmed? The House & ALL the Filming Locations
Posted by Ra Moon
Big Little Lies was primarily filmed in Monterey, California. The story is based on the novel of the same title by Liane Moriarty.
The book is set in Australia, but HBO selected this great location as it provides gorgeous scenery and sites that you don't see often in movies and TV.
The book is set in Australia, but HBO selected this great location as it provides gorgeous scenery and sites that you don't see often in movies and TV.
The life of three mothers of first-graders living in a small oceanside town seems to be perfect. However, little by little they get involved in issues like infidelity, domestic violence, bullying, and even murder.
The starring trio is played by Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley. Meryl Streep is a major addition to the cast for the second season, which also includes Laura Dern and Zoë Kravitz.
The charming seaside setting of Monterey doubles as the fictional Pirriwee Peninsula near Sydney in the book. For the first series, the production spent 20 only days shooting in Monterey.
The spectacular Bixby Creek Bridge, on California's Pacific Coast Highway, is featured in the opening credits and in several driving scenes.
This iconic bridge is also one of the Ratched series filming locations.
Image by courtesy of HBO
Filming locations in Monterey include the area around the colorful historic buildings of Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey City Hall (pictured below), the Bay Aquarium, Del Monte Beach, the airport, and the Cypress Community Hospital.
The Big Little Lies houses
The women's houses play an important role in defining the characters, as they match their socioeconomic status.
According to an interview in the New York Post with Greg Alpert, the series location manager, only Celeste and Perry's mansion (Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgård) is actually located in the Monterey area.
This incredible house is located at 40 Yankee Point Drive in Carmel Highlands, near the fictional Vin de Vie Restaurant featured in the 2022 movie All the Old Knives.
Image by courtesy of HBO and Google Maps
The splendid house by the beach of Madeline and Ed Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon and Adam Scottare) is located on Broad Beach Road in Malibú.
This is also the Fatal Affair house from the Netflix movie set in Oceancrest and the Hannah Montana's villa used in the Disney series.
Image by courtesy of HBO - Map
One of the series most luxurious homes is Renata and Gordon’s house (Laura Dern and Jeffrey Nordling), located on Winding Way also in Malibú.
Image by courtesy of HBO and Google Maps
Jane’s modest bungalow (Shailene Woodley) is located in Pasadena. The interiors of Celeste and Jane’s houses were recreated on soundstages in LA.
Image by Google Maps
The school is the Kenter Canyon Elementary School at 645 N Kenter Avenue in Los Angeles.
Image courtesy of HBO and Google Maps
Some scenes of the theatre and the infamous stairs were filmed in Barnsdall Art Park at 4800 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Image courtesy of HBO - Map
The yoga studio is the Wanderlust Hollywood at 1357 Highland Avenue in Los Angeles.
Image courtesy of HBO
Back to Monterey Peninsula, some scenes were filmed at Lovers Point Park in Pacific Grove.
Can you help to find the missing shooting locations of Big Little Lies? To complete this report, any feedback, suggestions, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
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NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
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Ra Moon
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Could you please try to locate the house in which Celeste (Nicole Kidman)lives? It looks gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteCarmel Highlands
DeleteWhere is the Side Door restaurant with fireworks is located?
ReplyDeleteLooks like cannery row brewing company
DeleteI don’t believe cannery row brewing company has that many fire pits.
DeleteWhere is the kids school real location?
ReplyDeleteIt look's like Open Charter Magnet School in Los Angeles.
DeleteIt's kenter canyon Brentwood
DeleteYes, indeed it is, thanks a lot!
DeleteIs the outdoor restaurant where they have drinks at night, Nepenthe?
ReplyDeleteThanks but we don't think so!
DeleteThe hotel where the rape scene is filmed is in Seaside - the name is the Monterey Tides. I stayed there last June with my grandchildren. Seaside state beach is right next door. It's a beautiful place to stay!!
ReplyDeleteit last picture with the bench looks like Pacific Grove or Asilomar
ReplyDeleteThe elementary school looks like Juan Cabrillo Elementary in Malibu and the yoga studio where Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon get in trouble for talking is Wanderlust Hollywood
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot, it is the yoga studio! But we are not sure about the school, although there's an area of the building that looks like it.
DeleteThe scene where the three boys beat up the bully in the playground was Carmel River school.
DeleteWhere was the outdoor fire pits location? (Having drinks/Renata fight)
ReplyDeleteI am Wanting to know the same thing.
DeleteDoes anyone know?
Deleterestaurant is 1883 in Monterey
DeleteWhere is the coffee shop located?
ReplyDeleteWalk onto Fishermans wharf in Monterey. Take a right and go to the end. I've eaten there a few times. You can see it on Google maps.
DeleteI live in Pacific Grove and drive for Uber. I have gone looking for many of the locations, although several scenes were shot on the corner of the street I live on, at Lover's Point. The house that Nicole Kidman (Celeste) lived in is on Yankee Point Road in Carmel Highlands. All the other seaside homes of the characters are not actually in the Monterey area.
ReplyDeleteThe stretch of coastline in Pacific Grove from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to just past Lover's Point is Ocean View Boulevard is the setting for many scenes shot in the series, especially with Jane and her son, Ziggy. Lover's Point Beach, Lover's Point park, where Jane talked to Celeste and told her that her son was the bully. You can see the Lover's Point Inn in the that shot, which is on the street where I live (Mermaid Ave, at the corner of Ocean View Blvd.)
I do believe that some shots were done at Nepenthe in Big Sur, where Jane speaks with Ziggy's teacher.
Also at Lover's Point is a scene on Ocean View Blvd, taken on the Recreational Trail and looking up Fountain Ave, where you can see the world famous, Seven Gables Inn,
The apartment that Nicole Kidman finds towards the end of the series is indeed in Monterey on Surf Ave. (just off Casa Verde) . Someone said it was at Pajaro Dunes in Watsonville, but no, it is in Monterey.
Although you see them on the BIxby Bridge, commuting to Monterey, it is actually several miles south of Carmel Highlands, and wouldn't, in reality be part of their commute, it still works in the context of the show - you know artistic license and all.
Several shots were done at the Monterey Fisherman's Wharf, including the car accident, Blue Blues, the coffee shop where they hang, and the sidewalk where you see Nicole, Jane, and Madeline jogging.
Nicole’s Apartment is really a condo at Ocean Harbor House # 1 Surf Way Monterey on Del Monte Beach the unit is above one of my units that was used it is beach front such beautiful views of the beach. It is also the beach where the jog .
DeleteWhere is the gorgeous house surrounded by trees with lots of glass windows and wood beams that Bonnie lives in?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the Manhattan townhouse? Where was that? Which episode?
ReplyDeleteJust noticed the house that Renata ang Gordon owns in the show is also used in the tvshow Revenge with Emily VanCamp. It's the house of the rich It guy Nolan. It's mainly the pool area and the staircase and door facing the pool ares that's used. That's why I recognized it. Just a little notice for you.
ReplyDeleteAll comments are reviewed prior to publication