Where was Uglies filmed? Guide to all the locations and set inspirations
Posted by Ra Moon
Based on Scott Westerfeld's dystopian novel of the same name, Uglies was filmed primarily in and around Atlanta, Georgia.
The film revolves around a future society obsessed with physical perfection, where everyone undergoes drastic cosmetic surgery at age 16 to become "Pretties" -a homogenized, beautiful version of themselves.
The film revolves around a future society obsessed with physical perfection, where everyone undergoes drastic cosmetic surgery at age 16 to become "Pretties" -a homogenized, beautiful version of themselves.
The cast is led by two good-looking Netflix stars, Joey King (from the The Kissing Booth movie trilogy) as Tally Youngblood and Chase Stokes (from the hit series Outer Banks) as his friend Peris.
Rounding out the main cast are Brianne Tju as the rebellious Shay and Keith Powers as David, a key member of The Smoke community.
Here is our spoiler-free guide to all the filming locations of Uglies, as well as the real-world places that inspired the look of the movie. You'll find the locations in order of appearance.
The Uglies locations
One of the interior spaces in Uglyville, the city where "Uglies" live before becoming "Pretties," is the staircase of the Atlanta Central Library.
Opened in 1980 and designed in the Brutalist style by renowned modernist architect Marcel Breuer, it is a massive, raw concrete structure that reflects the style's emphasis on functionality.
(You can open all the locations on Google Maps by clicking on the links below in the captions ↴)
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
The advanced architecture of New Pretty Town seems to be inspired by the skyline of the modern Asian metropolis, like the city of Singapore, combined with a lot of CGI.
Hold on, isn't that spire a more stylized version of the of the Smurfit-Stone Building in Chicago?
There are also structures that look like something out of Santiago Calatrava's studio (e.g. the City of Arts and Sciences in València).
On the other hand, Uglyville embraces Brutalism, the loved and hated architecture that emerged from the late 1940s to the mid-1970s, expressing the social utopian ideals of the time by emphasizing structural integrity and utilitarian design.
The image below shows an abandoned hotel in the Russian resort town of Dombay in the Caucasus, which seems to be a clear inspiration for Uglyville's dorms.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
This exterior shot includes the magnificent Sepulveda Dam in Encino, just outside Los Angeles.
Completed in 1941 to prevent the devastating floods of the 1930s, its functional, streamlined form reflects the beautiful Art Deco style of the era, with minimal ornamentation and clean lines.
This structure was also featured in American Horror Story: Apocalypse and the brilliant 1997 film Gattaca, which also deals with genetic engineering and the need to fight the system.
The bridge is a digitally elongated version of the Park Drive Bridge in Piedmont Park, Atlanta.
Built in 1916, this small concrete arch bridge, designed in the elegant Beaux-Arts style, was also featured in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
The pink waving bridge in the background of several scenes seems inspired by the new pedestrian bridge in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Opened in May 2024, it connects Obolonsky Island and Natalka Park across the Dnipro River.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
The scene where Tally is looking for Peris in New Pretty Town was filmed at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
The Earth Goddess, pictured, is a 25-foot-tall sculpture covered in colorful flowers that has been a permanent installation since 2013.
The circular, crumbling building in the Rusties' city appears to be the abandoned Presidential Hotel at the intersection known as Spaghetti Junction in Atlanta.
However, it also resembles one of the cylindrical skyscrapers of Chicago's Marina City.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
In the shot of the dam with a building on top, the set designers included the famous Buzludzha, the Soviet era UFO in Bulgaria, in the left corner of the image.
Built on a mountaintop in 1981 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, this futuristic flying saucer-like structure was also featured in the Loki series and the action movie Mechanic: Resurrection.
The interior of Dr. Cable headquarters is a very real place: the Porsche Experience Center Atlanta.
This modern complex includes a museum, restaurants, and a track where you can drive some of the German brand's exclusive cars for a fee.
This location has appeared in several Marvel movies doubling as the Avengers Headquarters and in the Ana de Armas and Chris Evans action film Ghosted.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Google Maps
The undulating elevator could be from the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in the city's downtown.
The spectacular atrium of this iconic 52-story hotel is also a very popular filming location for many productions shot in the Peach State.
Image courtesy of Netflix and Timothy Brown - Map
On her way to find Shay, Tally climbs the massive granite wall in Stone Mountain Park.
Well, in the real world, this climb is not allowed due to safety concerns and preservation efforts.
The broken bridge cliff is reminiscent of the spectacular Bixby Creek Bridge on California's Pacific Coast Highway.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The old brick building is the historic New Manchester Mill Ruins located in Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs.
Situated just 15 miles from downtown Atlanta, the park has also been used as a backdrop in numerous productions, including The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Cobra Kai, and The Out-Laws.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
The triple waterfall at The Smoke, the secret wilderness hideout, is actually the Athirapally Falls in Kerala, India.
This stunning waterfall, which plunges from a height of about 80 feet, is often referred to as the "Niagara of India".
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
Several scenes in The Smoke, including the railroad tracks and the cave, were filmed at the Pine Mountain Gold Museum in Villa Rica, GA.
There is a museum dedicated to preserving the area's rich history during the Georgia Gold Rush, scenic walking trails, and a restored 19th-century gold stamp mill.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
Some other scenes in the woods were also filmed in Stone Mountain Park.
What about this last cascade? This a CGI composition featuring the spectacular Seven Sisters Waterfall in the Geirangerfjord, Norway.
The studio work was done at EUE/Screen Gems Studios near Atlanta.
Image courtesy of Netflix - Map
Can you help to improve this article about the filming locations of Uglies? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
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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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7 comments:
1- Anonymous - Sep 15, 2024, 2:35 PM
The scene with the ruins in the background, where they pull up the railroad, and the caves were all filmed at the Pine Mountain Gold Museum in Villa Rica, Georgia.
2- Anonymous - Sep 15, 2024, 5:10 PM
The bridge used in Uglies is actually a bridge in Piedmont Park located by the dog park, also used in Spider-Man.
3- Amy - Sep 15, 2024, 7:20 PM
In the scene where Tally visits the pretties for the first time, you will see a stone sculpture of a lady with colorfully lit cascading hair and lights streaming down from trees. This scene was filmed at Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
4- Anonymous - Sep 17, 2024, 7:30 PM
The ruined city round structure is the old Presidential Hotel in Atlanta.
5- Scott Miller - Sep 20, 2024, 6:06 PM
The Presidential Hotel is at the intersection known as Spaghetti Junction at I-85 and I-285, not in the Old Fourth Ward.
Reply
6- Ra Moon - Sep 21, 2024, 10:39 AM
Thank you all, updated!
7- Anonymous - Oct 17, 2024, 6:36 PM
The roller coaster that they find “abandoned” and hoverboard on is “The Great American Scream Machine” at Six Flags Over Georgia.
1- Anonymous - Sep 15, 2024, 2:35 PM
The scene with the ruins in the background, where they pull up the railroad, and the caves were all filmed at the Pine Mountain Gold Museum in Villa Rica, Georgia.
2- Anonymous - Sep 15, 2024, 5:10 PM
The bridge used in Uglies is actually a bridge in Piedmont Park located by the dog park, also used in Spider-Man.
3- Amy - Sep 15, 2024, 7:20 PM
In the scene where Tally visits the pretties for the first time, you will see a stone sculpture of a lady with colorfully lit cascading hair and lights streaming down from trees. This scene was filmed at Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
4- Anonymous - Sep 17, 2024, 7:30 PM
The ruined city round structure is the old Presidential Hotel in Atlanta.
5- Scott Miller - Sep 20, 2024, 6:06 PM
The Presidential Hotel is at the intersection known as Spaghetti Junction at I-85 and I-285, not in the Old Fourth Ward.
Reply
6- Ra Moon - Sep 21, 2024, 10:39 AM
Thank you all, updated!
7- Anonymous - Oct 17, 2024, 6:36 PM
The roller coaster that they find “abandoned” and hoverboard on is “The Great American Scream Machine” at Six Flags Over Georgia.
Ra Moon
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