Get Hard Filming Locations: New Orleans & LA Revealed!

The 2015 comedy-thriller Get Hard stars Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart in a hilarious yet thought-provoking film that explores themes like privilege, class and race—through a comedic lens. The story follows James King (played by Will Ferrell), a wealthy investment banker who gets convicted for fraud and sentenced to ten years in San Quentin Prison. Desperate and clueless about prison life, he hires Darnell (Kevin Hart), a car wash owner, to help him “prepare” for life behind bars.

Directed by Etan Cohen, Get Hard combines humor and action while subtly addressing real social issues. But what really brings the film to life are its shooting locations. The settings don’t just act as backdrops—they help shape the story, reflecting the characters’ social standing, environment and the cultural tensions that drive the plot.

So, where exactly was Get Hard filmed? NetFilming explores the real-life locations that made this comedy come to life on screen.

What is Get Hard About?

King is a rich stockbroker who is found guilty of fraud and imprisoned in San Quentin Prison for ten years. James, who is desperate to stay alive in prison, employs Darnell Lewis (Kevin Hart), a car wash proprietor he wrongly believes has been in prison before, to teach him how to “get hard.” The movie chronicles their funny and often crazy adventure as Darnell teaches James how to survive using ridiculous methods. It mixes crass humor with harsh criticism of class, race, and privilege. The urban and high-end locations make these themes stronger by showing two very different worlds. Etan Cohen, the director, told The Collider, “The challenge was finding the tone—balancing crazy comedy with real-life situations.” The movie made $111 million at the box office, which shows that people liked it even if the reviews were mixed.

Get Hard Filming Locations

The majority of Get Hard was shot in New Orleans, Louisiana and Los Angeles, California. Filming began in March 2014 and wrapped up by May 2014. The team had a fairly quick shoot and many cast and crew members mentioned that it was a fun experience from start to finish. Let’s break down these locations in more detail.

New Orleans, Louisiana: A Vibrant Backdrop

Get Hard was filmed in New Orleans because it has a rich culture, old buildings and active neighborhoods. The city has a particular vibe that helped set the tone for the movie’s blend of funny and serious parts. The movie was filmed in these important places in New Orleans:

4717 Saint Charles Avenue: James King’s Mansion

The enormous estate at 4717 Saint Charles Avenue, where James King lives in style, is one of the best places in Get Hard. This beautiful house, which is built in the Romanesque style, perfectly fits the rich life that Ferrell’s character lives. The mansion’s beautiful design, which includes many small touches, shows how different James’s affluent life is from the problems he suffers later in the novel. If you enjoy the movie, make sure to visit this famous house during your trip to New Orleans.

9th Ward: Crenshaw Kings Gang Scenes

The fictional Crenshaw Kings gang was filmed in the 9th Ward neighborhood of New Orleans. The filming took place over three days, and the setting was chosen because it felt like a real home. The movie’s story got more interesting because the 9th Ward has a big African-American community. These scenes show the story’s gritty, urban aspect, which is different from the fancy places shown in other parts of the movie.

Unspecified Golf Course

A brief scene in Get Hard takes place at an unspecified golf course in New Orleans, where Martin, played by Craig T. Nelson, learns about James working with Darnell. The lush, green setting of the golf course reinforces the elite world James inhabits before his downfall. While the exact course isn’t named, New Orleans is home to several beautiful golf clubs that could have served as the backdrop.

In an interview with The Collider, director Etan Cohen shared that finding the right tone was a challenge during filming. He explained that balancing the movie’s wild comedy with grounded, real-world moments was tricky, but the New Orleans locations helped anchor the story in a relatable setting.

Los Angeles, California: Urban and Upscale Settings

Los Angeles, a center for shooting movies, gave Get Hard a combination of glossy and urban settings. The city was perfect for showing both the rich and poor cultures shown in the movie since it could do so many things. Here are the most important places to film in Los Angeles:

Bel-Air Country Club: Mansion Entrance Scenes

The filmmakers used the Bel-Air Country Club, located in the fancy Bel Air suburb at 10768 Bellagio Road, for exterior shots of James King’s residence. The movie starts with a beautiful entry to this well-known club, which has an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts. The setting’s opulent atmosphere is a wonderful match for the character’s privileged lifestyle, which sets the tone for the story’s themes of privilege and excess.

Smart Pawn on Crenshaw Boulevard.

The movie Get Hard filmed a driving sequence near Smart Pawn at 2627 Crenshaw Boulevard. Smart Pawn contributes to the movie’s city vibe, reflecting how Darnell perceives the world as a small business owner. The Crenshaw region, with its busy streets and little businesses, is very different from the fancy areas of Bel Air and Century City. This makes the movie’s investigation of class inequalities much stronger.

354 Plymouth Boulevard: Makeshift Prison Set

In the Windsor Square neighborhood, the corner of 354 Plymouth Boulevard was transformed into a makeshift prison set for the movie. The production team spent two nights filming scenes that depict James’s attempts to prepare for prison life. This creative use of a residential street shows how filmmakers can turn ordinary locations into something entirely different, adding a fun behind-the-scenes tidbit for fans.

2000 Avenue of the Stars: Wealthrop Fund Management

The commercial hub at 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Century City served as the filming location for Wealthrop Fund Management, James’s workplace. This modern commercial sector in Los Angeles is a popular place to film because it has many tall buildings. James shows off his superiority mindset in Get Hard and later he and Darnell steal a computer from there. This place has also been used in movies like Die Hard (Fox Plaza) and Crazy, Stupid, Love, so movie fans will recognize it. The choice of Century City shows how corporate and high-stakes James’s life was before he was found guilty.

Behind-the-Scenes Insights

The cast and crew had a lot of fun making Get Hard. Will Ferrell lauded filmmaker Etan Cohen in an interview, saying that although Cohen was new to directing, he had a great team of producers and cinematographers. Kevin Hart concurred, stating that they were fortunate to have a crew capable of bringing the story to life.come to life. But the procedure of filming wasn’t easy. Cohen said that it took a lot of planning to mix the movie’s over-the-top humor with real-life scenes, and the locations that were chosen were very important in finding that balance.

Fun Facts About Get Hard Filming

• Quick Turnaround: The team was very efficient and the settings worked well for the movie, so filming was done in just two months.
• Cultural Depth: The sequences in the 9th Ward were carefully chosen to show the real-life communities that the movie is about, which made the plot more believable.
• Star Power: Ferrell and Hart both contributed their funny energy to the set, which made filming pleasant even if the movie’s humor was controversial.

Watch Get Hard Official Trailer

If you’re a fan of behind-the-scenes movie facts, keep following NetFilming for more content like this.

Must Read: The Chosen Season 5 Filming Locations: Where Was The Jesus-centered Drama Shot?