Where ‘Little Brother’ Was Actually Filmed

Netflix’s newest R-rated comedy ‘Little Brother‘ landed on the platform on June 26, 2026, and it did not take long for viewers to start asking questions that had nothing to do with the plot. While John Cena, Eric André, and Michelle Monaghan have earned praise for their chemistry on screen, viewers have been equally captivated by the film’s real-world settings. The movie has a grounded, lived-in look that feels immediately distinct from the glossy, studio-manufactured suburban backdrops audiences have seen in countless comedies before it.

The film follows successful real estate agent Rudd Landy, whose carefully organized life is thrown into complete chaos when Marcus, his former “little brother” from a high school mentorship program, unexpectedly returns after decades away. That premise relies heavily on environment, and the production team clearly understood that. The places where ‘Little Brother’ was shot are as much a character in the film as the cast itself.

The New Jersey Roots of ‘Little Brother’

‘Little Brother’ was filmed across New Jersey and New York, with principal photography taking place under the working title Untitled Roommates Project. Production relied heavily on real neighborhoods, parks, hospitals, theaters, and city streets to create the film’s suburban and metropolitan settings. This deliberate commitment to real locations gives the comedy its distinct sense of place, something that clearly resonated with audiences almost immediately after the film began streaming.

The production team deliberately kept several filming details under wraps during shooting to avoid disruptions from overly enthusiastic fans, but enough information has now emerged to paint a fascinating picture of where the chaotic comedy came to life. That strategy worked well during production, but the cat is firmly out of the bag now.

The reaction has been especially positive among travel enthusiasts, who say the locations give the film an added layer of charm. Several viewers have already begun creating unofficial travel itineraries inspired by the movie, combining stops in Jersey City, Montclair, Madison, Bayonne and Manhattan. That kind of organic engagement is exactly what any streaming title hopes to generate in the week following its release.

Jersey City and the Iconic Riverview Fisk Park

Jersey City served as one of the movie’s primary filming hubs. The production made extensive use of the city’s streets and neighborhoods, particularly Jersey City Heights, to capture many of the film’s urban exterior scenes. The choice makes practical sense, but the results also feel visually distinctive, with the Heights offering a skyline backdrop that suggests New York proximity without simply being New York.

One of the most recognizable filming locations was Riverview Fisk Park, located at 498 Palisade Avenue. During production in July 2025, the basketball court inside the park was transformed into a movie set for several important scenes featuring Marcus.

The real-life court became the backdrop for street basketball sequences that help establish the character’s unpredictable personality.

The production also used the same area to stage major sequences, and Hamilton Park in Jersey City helped establish the everyday rhythm of Rudd’s carefully organized world. With its historic streets, elegant townhouses and family-friendly atmosphere, the area creates a sharp contrast to Marcus’s constant disruption. That visual contrast between order and chaos runs through every scene the film shoots in this part of town.

Small-Town New Jersey Brings the Suburban Comedy Chaos

Several important scenes were also filmed in Montclair, particularly around the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and Glenridge Avenue. Montclair’s quiet residential streets and charming downtown helped establish the suburban lifestyle of Rudd Landy before Marcus completely disrupts his carefully planned routine. The production clearly had an eye for the kind of picture-perfect suburbia that works as both setting and punchline.

One of the biggest filming setups took place around the intersection of Greenwood Avenue and Brittin Street in Madison, where crews staged an elaborate T-bone car crash scene. The sudden chaos feels far more believable when it erupts in the middle of a quiet suburban setting rather than some over-the-top action backdrop.

Madison also provided the setting for scenes filmed inside the beloved Nautilus Diner. Known for its classic American diner atmosphere, the venue brings warmth and familiarity to the film, with polished chrome details, cozy booths and timeless charm making it feel like the sort of place where characters gather to solve life’s problems. The diner setting fits the film’s tonal balance between emotional sincerity and outright absurdity.

Bayonne, Elizabeth and the Production Timeline

One of the most significant locations in Bayonne was Bayonne Medical Center, located at 29 East 29th Street. The hospital reportedly appears as the medical facility where Marcus is admitted following his accident and where Rudd reunites with him for the first time in decades. It is the kind of specific, working-class institutional setting that adds authenticity to the film’s more grounded emotional beats.

The filmmakers also spent time filming in Elizabeth, using both downtown streets and historic landmarks. One of the city’s most recognizable filming locations was the Ritz Theatre and Performing Arts Center, located at 1148 East Jersey Street. Production crews filmed several pivotal scenes around the theater and nearby streets.

Principal photography for ‘Little Brother’ reportedly began in June 2025 under the working title Untitled Roommates Project. Production continued throughout the summer, with filming taking place across several communities in northern and central New Jersey, along with additional work in New York City. After principal photography wrapped in August 2025, the cast and crew reunited for additional reshoots in January 2026 before the movie entered post-production.

The Director, the Script and What Makes It All Click

Matt Spicer directs the buddy comedy from a script by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, the filmmakers behind ‘The D-Train’. Spicer is known for writing and directing ‘Ingrid Goes West’, the 2017 dark comedy starring Aubrey Plaza. ‘Little Brother’ is produced by David Bernad for Middle Child Pictures and Ruben Fleischer, with Dan Deacon composing the music.

‘Little Brother’ premiered at Paris Theater in Manhattan on June 18, 2026, ahead of its global Netflix release on June 26. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 58% of critics’ reviews are positive. Mixed reviews have not dampened audience enthusiasm, which tends to work differently for a broad studio comedy than it does for prestige fare.

At the center of ‘Little Brother’ are John Cena and Eric André, and their on-screen chemistry is what helps it stand out among the many similar comedies. The New Jersey and New York locations that form the film’s backdrop serve that chemistry well, giving the two leads a grounded world to bounce off of rather than a vacuum of artificial studio sets. If ‘Little Brother’ has you reconsidering a trip to the Garden State, which specific filming location are you most tempted to track down first?