Love, Brooklyn is an upcoming 2025 American drama that focuses on three longtime Brooklyn residents navigating love, friendship, and work in a city that’s constantly changing. Rachael Abigail Holder directed the movie, which is her first feature film. It has already gotten attention for how real it is about life in New York City. The cast includes André Holland, Nicole Beharie, DeWanda Wise, Roy Wood Jr., Cassandra Freeman and Cadence Reese, with production support from notable industry names like Steven Soderbergh.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2025, and will be released in the United States by Greenwich Entertainment on August 29, 2025. Fans of contemporary dramas are eager to see how the project blends heartfelt storytelling with the real cultural backdrop of Brooklyn. Below, we’ll explore the filming locations that made the movie stand out.
Love, Brooklyn Filming Locations
The movie was shot entirely on location in Brooklyn, New York, rather than on soundstages. This choice makes the story more realistic by setting it in the borough’s lively neighbourhoods and landmarks.
Fort Greene, Brooklyn
The movie takes place mostly in Fort Greene, a historic neighborhood in Brooklyn. Fort Greene is known for its charming brownstones from the 1800s and cultural centers like the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The everyday street scenes there match the characters’ down-to-earth lives. Holder’s vision included real things, like pavements lined with trees and gritty city life, which made Fort Greene the perfect setting for this modern drama.
Fun fact: Fort Greene has been in other famous works! Spike Lee’s She Gotta Have It (1986) was filmed here and it shows the artistic spirit of the area.
Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy), Brooklyn
Bed-Stuy, one of the largest historic districts in Brooklyn, is seen in a few outdoor scenes. These long stretches of brownstones and thriving commercial streets, including Nostrand Avenue, serve as the backdrop for walking and street scenes that create a sense of contemporary urgency in the film. The story’s main themes of change and connection intersect with Bed-Stuy’s rich past and the present community energy.
Fun fact: Hollywood loves Bed-Stuy! Spike Lee’s movie Do the Right Thing (1989), was filmed here, and portrayed the neighborhood’s dynamic and diverse culture. More recently, you might have seen Nappily Ever After (2018) on Netflix, which shot its romantic scenes in Bed-Stuy’s brownstones.
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Prospect Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, features in daytime scenes that highlight the characters’ everyday lives. People often call this 585-acre park “Brooklyn’s backyard.” It offers a lot of green space and open areas that make the movie feel more relaxed. People who write reviews say that the park is a good place to relax and think.
Trivia: Prospect Park is no stranger to the screen. It appeared in The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) and the romantic comedy Trainwreck (2015), where its scenic paths added charm to key scenes.
Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights
The Brooklyn Museum, a cultural landmark in Prospect Heights, is shown in a scene that has to do with the movie’s themes of art and culture. This real place, not a studio set, makes the story feel more like Brooklyn. The museum’s famous outside and inside spaces look wonderful on screen, even though the text doesn’t say which galleries or exhibits they are.
Trivia: The Brooklyn Museum has been in films like Eat Pray Love (2010), where its grand architecture made cultural scenes more captivating. TV shows like Gossip Girl have also filmed here, using the museum’s steps for dramatic moments.
Production Timeline
Stage | Details |
---|---|
Pre-Production | Began in 2023, focusing on securing authentic Brooklyn locations. |
Filming Period | 2023–2024 (exact months not officially disclosed). |
Post-Production | Completed in late 2024 for festival submission. |
World Premiere | January 27, 2025, at the Sundance Film Festival. |
U.S. Theatrical Release | Scheduled for August 29, 2025, by Greenwich Entertainment. |
Love, Brooklyn Behind The Scenes
Making “Love, Brooklyn” was a real passion project for everyone involved. Director Rachael Abigail Holder turned a script about young adulthood into something personal and cultural.
She shared in an interview, “When I read it, I didn’t see white characters. I saw the characters, I saw humans, and I saw myself. And it happened to be written by a white man who was writing about his 20s. And so my idea to cast the cast as Black people, Black characters, Black actors was just my own proclivity in creating art for us. It wasn’t just about dunking it in chocolate, but being specific about the culture. And so there’s West Indian patois and language and music and food. And so it wasn’t just about making a white script Black, but making a Black script in the specificity of a culture that I love.” I love how she focused on authenticity to bring Brooklyn’s Black community to life.
André Holland, who stars as Roger and also produced, wanted to step into a romantic lead role. He said, “When I first read it, I immediately saw myself and I saw my community in it. It was also an opportunity for me to play a part that at that time I had not yet had a chance to play, and that I wanted to play, a romantic lead. Often in this business, unless somebody has seen you do the thing, they often don’t think you can do the thing.”
He brought in executive producer Steven Soderbergh, noting, “[EP] Steven Soderbergh came into the picture and he’s a person with whom I’ve collaborated a number of times, he’s a wonderful ally, he’s a believer in young artists, he wants to support new work. I shared the script with him and I told him what my vision for it was, and I told him about Rachael, and he said, ‘Great. Let’s go do it.’ And we were able to get started right away.” This quick support helped overcome funding hurdles on a tight budget.
Cast member Cassandra Freeman highlighted the film’s intimate feel: “I think that’s what makes the movie so special is that it’s not a movie of car chases. It’s walking into someone else’s life and seeing the textures.”
She added, “The movie’s about two women trying to figure out, do they even want this guy? And how do they want this guy in their life? And I think that’s a very different story now in the culture. The culture isn’t about, ‘I must have a man.’ It’s about being like, ‘How do I fit into a relationship?’ … Something about that actually feels revolutionary.”
Roy Wood Jr. connected it to Brooklyn’s changes: “And a lot of them were [between] a rock and a hard place and this third-generation family heirloom, essentially, deciding whether to sell and take the money and leave or stay and fight. But they don’t know what they’re staying for. What is this going to become that they’re choosing to be a part of? And I think this film captures that tone of Brooklyn through the lens of romance instead of real estate and a sense of what’s worth fighting for versus what’s what should you let go of.”
The team knew each other well, which made collaboration smooth. Holland explained, “We all responded to the story that was on the page for different reasons, but with this cast and the company of actors that we invited to join us, we more or less all know each other and have known each other for a very long time… we wanted to leave space for the actors to interpret and to make themselves at home in the character, and I think that’s what you see when you watch the movie. It feels specific because it is specific to the people that are playing it.” Holder was even pregnant during filming, adding a personal touch to her debut.
Love, Brooklyn Official Trailer
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FAQs
Q: Where was Love, Brooklyn filmed?
A: The movie was shot entirely in Brooklyn, in places like Fort Greene, Bed-Stuy, Prospect Park, and the Brooklyn Museum.
Q: Who directed Love, Brooklyn (2025)?
A: Rachael Abigail Holder made her feature film debut as the director of the movie, and Steven Soderbergh was the executive producer.
Q: Who stars in the movie Love, Brooklyn?
A: The cast is made up of André Holland, Nicole Beharie, DeWanda Wise, Roy Wood Jr., Cassandra Freeman and Cadence Reese.
Q: When is the release date for Love, Brooklyn?
A: The movie first showed at Sundance on January 27, 2025 and will come out in theatres in the U.S. on August 29, 2025.
Q: What makes Love, Brooklyn unique compared to other dramas?
A: The movie shows real Brooklyn neighbourhoods, real cultural landmarks and real people, going beyond stereotypes to provide you a real city experience.
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