The Boys in the Boat Movie: All Known Filming Locations
George Clooney is certainly best known for his outstanding roles as an actor. However, he’s done several directing projects recently, and fans are particularly excited about an upcoming novel adaptation – The Boys in the Boat. It’s a story based on true events that began at the University of Washington in Seattle. But where was the movie actually filmed?
The filming of The Boys in the Boat began in March 2022 in Berkshire, UK, in a brand new Winnerish Film Studios location. Some of the filmings also took place in Los Angeles and Berlin, as well as London, Seattle, and Didcot, Oxford, UK.
The locations pretty much follow the storyline, but the majority of filming took palace at the Winnerish Studios instead of the University of Washington, where the actual ‘Boys in the boat’ started their incredible, inspiring journey. Without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about The Boys in the Boat movie and its filming locations.
The Boys in the Boat filming locations
Although the majority of the plot revolves around the University of Washington in Seattle, that’s actually not where most of the filming was done. Here are all the filming locations known for The Boys in the Boat.
Berkshire, United Kingdom
According to reports, the shooting of The Boys in the Boat started in March 2022 at the new Winnerish Film Studios in Berkshire, UK. The newly-opened studios are the second film studio to be opened by the Stage Fifty company after Farnborough Film Studios were opened in 2021.
The majority of the filming for the movie was actually done at the Winnerish Film Studios instead of the University of Washington in Seattle, where filming did take place, but to a lesser extent.
As for Berkshire itself, it is a beautiful, historical county in South East England that Queen Elizabeth II recognized as the Royal County of Berkshire due to the Windsor Castle being located there.
That being said, Windsor isn’t the only wonderful sight to see in Berkshire, as you can visit the well-known Cliveden Estate, Basildon Park, The Living Rainforest of Berkshire, and more.
London, United Kingdom
Some shooting was also done in London, UK, probably due to the fact that the ‘Boys’ have competed against elite British universities as well. Some scenes were also shot at the Didcot Railway Centre in Didcot, Oxford, UK, according to the movie’s IMDb page.
London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom and is one of the most well-known cities in the world. It is famous for its sophisticated cultural scene, including the Royal Opera, numerous free museums, and sights like Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, etc.
Los Angeles, California
As with most Hollywood productions, some filming for The Boys in the Boat took place in Los Angeles, California. LA is known as the home of the movie industry, so it’s no wonder that some scenes will be shot there, probably in a studio for post-production purposes. Or, perhaps a part of the plot will happen in LA?
Berlin, Germany
The movie will culminate with the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, so naturally, some of the scenes for the movie were filmed in Berlin. It’s unclear if the scenes were shot at the exact locations where the rowing competition took place, but it’s nice to have that authenticity factor, knowing the filming is done where the actual story took place.
Berlin is the capital of Germany and one of the largest cities in Europe. It’s a beautiful city that has a famous history, some of which isn’t quite lovely as the city itself. Apart from the remnants of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie, you should also visit the picturesque Berliner Philharmonie, the 18th-century Brandenburg Gate, and more.
Seattle, Washington
Last but not least, most of the plot for The Boys in the Boat actually takes place in Seattle, Washington, where the University of Washington is located. However, due to the technical requirements of shooting such high production, most of the film wasn’t actually shot at the University but rather at the Winnerish Film Studios in Berkshire, UK.
That being said, some scenes were shot in Seattle, as well as the University itself, which is a breathtaking landmark to behold itself. Founded in 1861, it is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast, founded only a decade after the city in which it is located.
As for Seattle, it is a beautiful, well-known seaport city in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by mountains, evergreen forests, water, and an unfathomably beautiful landscape. The city is known for thousands of acres of parks and green surfaces but also for a very advanced high-tech industry, with the Space Needle being Seattle’s most iconic landmark.
What is The Boys in the Boat about?
The Boys in the Boat is an adaptation of a Daniel James Brown novel titled The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which is based on a true story that happened in the 1930s.
The story follows the rowing team from the University of Washington that competed in the eight-oar discipline and achieved miraculous results against all odds.
The team was comprised of University students that were sons of loggers, farmers, and shipyard workers. However, they eventually became a rowing team that absolutely transformed the sport, made it immeasurably more popular, and grabbed the attention of millions of people across the world.
At first, their success was on a local level. Then, they defeated elite rivals from universities worldwide – including elite British universities. But, the culmination of the team’s unbelievable success came when they won the gold medal at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, right in the face of Adolf Hitler.
There was some turmoil with the rights to the adaptation, but eventually, Lantern Entertainment agreed upon a collaboration with Metro-Goldwy-Mayer to produce and distribute the film worldwide, which is expected to be released in 2023.
The Boys in the Boat Cast & Crew
After a lot of turmoil since 2011, the rights for the adaptation of the movie were acquired by Lantern Entertainment, the successor of The Weinstein Company, which had the rights before. Lantern agreed upon a collaboration with MGM to distribute the film.
In March 2002, George Clooney and Grant Heslov were confirmed as co-producers, with Clooney taking the directions helm, while Jon Hartmere and Mark L. Smith would spearhead the screenwriting and adaptation duties of Daniel James Brown’s book.
The movie stars Joel Edgerton, Courtney Henggeler, Callum Turner, Chris Diamantopoulos, and many other notable faces. You can check out the entire cast & crew list here.
Featured image source.