‘Hustle,’ directed by Jeremiah Zagar, is a sports drama film about a washed-up basketball scout named Stanley Sugarman who is trying to get back into the NBA. Stanley discovers a beginner Spanish talent, Bo Cruz, and evolves him into a pro in an attempt to resurrect his career after being fired. As his optimism grows, the former basketball scout appears to believe this could be the ticket to resuming his career. Here, as we discuss the film, our main focus will be on the filming locations of Hustle.
Stanley travels the world in search of a talent who has the potential to change his life, resurrect his career, and even leave an indelible mark on the sport. Moreover, a big chunk of the film is set against the backdrop of numerous basketball courts, which feeds viewers’ curiosity. If you’re a curious individual who wants to learn more about the actual filming locations for the Adam Sandler movie, we’ve got you covered!
Hustle Filming Locations
‘Hustle’ was shot in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Mallorca, in the United States and Spain, respectively. The sports film’s principal photography began in October 2020 and ended in early October 2021. The contrast in settings is clear throughout the film, particularly when Stanley invites Bo Cruz to accompany him to the United States from Spain. Now, let’s have a look at the many filming sites that help to create the various settings for the basketball-themed film!
Philadelphia
While Adam Sandler & Queen Latifah are the film’s main characters, the city of Philadelphia occupies a significant portion of the screen time. Both the director, Jeremiah Zagar, and the screenwriter, Will Fetters, are from Philadelphia, so it’s no surprise that the city plays such a significant role.
Most of the scenes for ‘Hustle’ were shot in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s most populated city. The production staff was seen filming numerous exterior and interior shots for the film all across the city. They set up camp in various stadiums and grounds, notably Wells Fargo Center as well as the Palestra, to capture basketball court sequences. Both are in South Philadelphia, at 3601 Southern Broad Street for the first and 223 South 33rd Street for the latter.
As you can see in the background of various sequences, some external basketball scenes were also shot across the restaurant Geno’s Steaks. The address for the eatery is 1219 South 9th Street. More significant basketball court sequences appear to have been shot on the grounds of Girard College, located at 2101 South College Avenue. Another South Philadelphia venue where the cast members of ‘Hustle’ shot a few scenes is Italian Market. In addition, the crew set up shop in Center City, Manayunk, and Market Street. They also captured several crucial scenes in various neighborhoods of North Philadelphia.
Other ‘Hustle’ Filming Locations in Pennsylvania
The Coatesville Local Senior High School, situated at 1445 East Lincoln Boulevard in Coatesville, was used to film major scenes for ‘Hustle.’ Furthermore, the cast and crew made use of the locations of Chester, a Delaware County city.
Melrose Diner
This historic Philadelphia cafe can be seen in a food-filled montage preceding Stan’s talk with his wife, Teresa, shortly after NBA star Bo Cruz first lands in Philadelphia. Aside from Melrose, the clip shows Pat’s King of Steaks and Ishkabibble’s, both of which serve Philly cheesesteaks. Fante’s Kitchen Store, a historic kitchenware store on Philadelphia’s South Ninth Street, was used to record the conversation.
Old Pine Church
After a lengthy work montage at the beginning of the film, Stan interacts with daughter Alex by playing the cool parent and permitting her to attend an Evil Dead screening at a graveyard, regardless of the fact that she hasn’t completed her homework. Stan lets Alex off at the Presbyterian chapel, which was founded in 1768 and surrounded by a beautiful colonial-era churchyard, where she would meet up with her friends.
Girard College
After the conference, Bo has one last chance to show himself in a hidden open run that Stan learns about via renowned sports agent & ex-teammate Leon Rich. Although Leon claims that the open run is actually occurring at Cardinal Hayes, a genuine high school in the Bronx, the filming location was the basketball floor at Girard College, a high school in Philadelphia.
Spain
The ‘Hustle’ production staff even journeyed all the way to Mallorca, one among Spain’s Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean. They added credibility to the film by taping the portions set in Spain on the island of Mallorca. Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, is a famous tourist destination. Several filmmakers visit the island because of its huge and stunning landscape. ‘The Damned United,’ ‘The Inbetweeners,’ ‘Love Island,’ ‘Me Before You,’ and ‘White Lines’ are just a few of the significant tv shows and movies that have been filmed in Mallorca.
New Jersey
The production crew set up camp in Camden for filming, primarily at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex, also known as the Seventy Sixers Training Facility. The practice facility, which is positioned at 1-99 South Front Street in Camden, was used to film several crucial basketball court moments for the sports drama. Camden was most likely used for filming during August and September 2021.
