How New York City plays a role in the Netflix rom-com ‘Players’

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Netflix’s “Players”

In "Players," Netflix's new romantic comedy, the "real" New York City is also one of the stars.

The screenplay, penned by Whit Anderson, tells the story of a group of friends living in New York who have spent years devising hookup "plays."

Local sports reporter Mack, played by Gina Rodriguez, then unexpectedly falls for one of her targets: British war correspondent Nick, played by Tom Ellis. Shenanigans ensue all over the city's landmarks and in the end (spoiler alert) Mack realizes it was her friend Adam, played by Damon Wayans Jr., whom she loved all along.

Setting the rom-com scene is key, says director Trish Sie

Director Trish Sie tells TODAY.com that she normally doesn't love a romantic comedy but something about "Players" just spoke to her.

"I love a good love story — just like anybody — I think love makes the world go round. But at the same time, I'm not a rom-com person," Sie tells TODAY.com.

That's why, she says, she was "kind of shocked" when she fell in love with the script for "Players." Sie says she thinks it was the friends-to-lovers plot point that felt most authentic and won her over.

"This one to me goes beyond just love," she says. "It really is about falling in love with yourself, falling in love with your friends, falling in love with just... life. And I think that was what grabbed me."

She says that while they were sure to "scratch all the romance itches" for viewers, she also wanted to nail that message — and include New York City as one of the main characters.

"You've got to love yourself, you've got to have your support group, you've got to make sure that you're not in love with romance," she says. "You're in love with the real version of things, you know what I mean?"

To add to the authenticity, Sie made sure to film on-location as much as possible around New York City. In fact, she says, they only used one soundstage: Mack's apartment.

"We tried to be on location as much as possible so that we felt real and it doesn't feel like the fairy tale version," she explains. "I mean, all movies are a fairy tale, especially rom-coms, and I think that's part of what you're signing up for. But we also wanted it to feel like, 'Wait, I see myself, I see my friends. I see my neighborhood bar, I see my apartment, I see my block of Brooklyn — or whatever town you live in — so that it doesn't just feel like a glossy postcard version of a love story."

"So that was my North Star going into it," she says.

The meaning behind the New York locations

Part of the film's storyline centers around Mack initially falling for a successful British journalist, Nick. Sie says that the character of Nick tended to visit very glamorous New York locations and attend black-tie events — and that was an intentional choice.

In one scene, after Mack's friends have been tracking Nick's every move, they outline how he's spending his time.

He lives in an upscale apartment overlooking the city, goes for runs along the East River, and writes his latest book at Dumbo House (which Sie confirmed was a stand-in for the ever-popular SoHo House).

"I think it helps that he's British because you can imagine...when you move to New York as someone from another country, maybe you do this sort of stereotypical s---," Sie laughs.

She says Mack — whose character is a native New Yorker — "falls for that" fairy tale, rom-com movie feel.

"We all grew up on that!" Sie says, explaining how the romance films spoon-feed viewers dreamy scenarios in classy locations.

In the end, though, Mack's best friends (and ultimately herself) are the only ones who help her see that she's built a relationship with Nick based on nothing real.

Sie says even the best of us can get taken in by the glitz and glam of a location.

Where did ‘Players’ film in New York City?

Even though Mack falls for the glamour of Nick's life, she personally spends most of her time in the film in and around the Brooklyn area.

The film, shot in the summer of 2021, features real bars and restaurants, Sie says.

“I think so many people see New York in movies, and have for so many years, and they think of the Rockefeller Center, Central Park, the Village and SoHo, or the bridges,” she explains. “And all of those are beautiful, real things in New York. But I think, for people that live there... it’s a real city.”

“You have your sh---- bar that you go to that isn’t serving $40 cocktails,” she says. “I wanted to make sure that while it’s aspirational — and New York is one of the most beautiful, exciting cities — I also wanted it to truly feel like this is how people live in New York.”

Below are some of the bars and locations the crew filmed “Players” in and around Brooklyn:

• The Brooklyn Inn, 148 Hoyt Street, Brooklyn

• Kick Axe, 622 Degraw St, Brooklyn

• East River Bar, 97 South 6th St, Brooklyn

• The Gutter — Williamsburg, 200 N 14th St, Brooklyn

• Royal Palms, 514 Union St, Brooklyn

• Randolph Beer — Williamsburg, formerly at 104 S 4th St, Brooklyn (This location has since closed but they do have another in Brooklyn)

• Juliette Restaurant, 135 N 5th St, Brooklyn

• Brooklyn Bridge Park, just southwest of the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side of the East River

This article was originally published on TODAY.com