Louisville doubles for NYC in new indie thriller 'What We Do Next.' How to watch the film
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Does Louisville look like New York City? In the new indie thriller "What We Do Next," Bourbon City doubles for the Big Apple.
Filmed in Kentucky at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, "What We Do Next" premieres Friday in Los Angels, New York, and Louisville after a string of success on the international film festival circuit.
"Although the film is set in New York City, it was shot entirely in Louisville with a lot of Kentucky crew," said Louisville-based Merry-Kay Poe, who produced "What We Do Next" along with Max Neace and Chris Mangano of Small Batch Studio Entertainment.
Written and directed by Stephen Belber, the film stars Corey Stoll, Karen Pittman, and Michelle Veintimilla.
"What We Do Next" tells the story of Elsa Mercado, played by Veintimilla ("The Good Wife"), who has been released from prison after serving 16 years for killing her father. New York City Councilwoman Sandy James (Pittman, from "The Morning Show") and corporate attorney Paul Jenkins (Stoll, from "Billions" and "House of Cards"), are forced to grapple with their involvement in the original crime. Power constantly shifts among the three characters throughout the film as they fight for their version of the truth.
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"This was the perfect script to produce during the pandemic," Poe told the Courier Journal. "The story requires intense dialogue with a small cast and limited sets. Because the brilliantly-written script attracted equally brilliant actors, we were able to film the entire movie in seven days. Including on-site prep and wrap, we were confined for only three weeks. "
Because business people were working remotely during the filming of "What We Do Next," in October 2020, the production crew had no trouble securing a vacant office suite that had plenty of separate rooms for sound, private dressing rooms and interior sets.
Substituting Louisville for New York City was never an issue during production since most of the action takes place inside buildings.
"Windows were blurred so that the skyline wasn't seen, which added to the aesthetic of the shots," said Poe. "The only exterior we cheated shows Elsa walking the streets of Washington Heights. She is actually on the Second Street bridge underpass. I doubt that any Louisvillian would have caught that if we didn’t just tell them."
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Poe says the film could have included more Louisville exteriors simulating New York City but restrictions during COVID-19 prohibited some movement of the crew. She said Belber and a camera operator did spend one day filming exterior establishing shots in New York City but other than those scenes, everything else took place in Kentucky.
The winner of Best Drama at the San Diego International Film Festival, "What We Do Next" will premiere Friday at 7:15 p.m. at Baxter Ave Theatres, 1250 Bardstown Road. Those interested in learning more about the film's production can stick around after the screening when members of the film crew will conduct a Q&A session.
For further information, visit village8.com.
Reach Features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What to know about indie thriller 'What We Do Next' shot in Louisville
