Where Was Great Expectations Filmed? A Romantic Film Starring De Niro!!

Have you read Charles Dickens’s classic novel, Great Expectations? Then it’s about time you watch the romantic film, Great Expectations which is based on the same novel. Plus, later in this article, I’ll also tell you where was Great Expectations filmed.

The American romantic drama flick, Great Expectations was released during the late ‘90s. This incredible film was inspired by Charles’ timeless novel of the same name, which was published in 1861. However, in order to make the narrative more interesting for the film audience, Mitch Glazer and Alfonso Cuaron made certain changes to the screenplay.

The basic premise of Great Expectations revolves around the character of Finnegan Bell, better known as Finn, who lives in New York. The plot thickens when the lead actor attempts to woo an American lady, who is way out of his league.

Ironically, Great Expectations’ commercial performance wasn’t that great. The makers were satisfied with box office collections, but they certainly hoped to see this vintage romantic comedy become a huge success. Nevertheless, Great Expectations still managed to bag a major award and apart from collecting a few nominations.

So, if you’re wondering where was Great Expectations filmed, then without taking any longer, let’s get started!

Where Was Great Expectations Filmed? Let’s Know This Romantic Comedy Flick Closely!

The story of Great Expectations is set in New York. But, surprisingly enough, not all sequences of this movie were filmed in New York. The genius Mexican filmmaker, Alfonso Cuaron decided to include some extra filming locations for this project.

Mainly because the director wanted to depict the backstory of his lead character. Plus, he was also reluctant to recreate the same scenes inside a studio, using make-believe. Thus, to fulfill the same idea, Cuaron asked the creative heads for advice.

The makers eventually asked the production members to scout for suitable filming locations in and around the East Coast. Subsequently, the filming crew visited a number of locations on the East Coast looking for beautiful shooting spots.

After checking out several potential shooting locations, the production members finally submitted the list to the makers. Alfonso immediately arranged a special meeting with other creative heads of the unit and decided to shoot some outdoor scenes in Florida.

Although, it’s important to mention that, the filming locations in New York were selected by Cuaron himself, while the production members were scouting for other shooting sites.

The principal photography of Great Expectations commenced in the second week of July 1996 and continued until the third week of October, of the same year. The shooting schedule was slightly delayed, as the production members spent a considerable amount of time acquiring the filming permissions.

But, during the course of shooting, no major issues kept the filming crew from capturing the scenes. In the end, the production members were able to complete the filming process closer to the original shooting schedule.

Are you really excited to know where was Great Expectations filmed? Then, let’s find out more!

Florida | USA

The opening sequence of the movie, where we see the young character of Finn, living with his sister Maggie, was actually filmed in Florida. The production members used a small-sized house located near the village of Cortez. This famous village is an integral part of Manatee County, which was founded by settlers from North Carolina.

Other important outdoor scenes of the movie, such as the scene where the lead character gets abducted by a feared criminal, was filmed on Captiva Island. The production members selected to film this beach scene on this particular island, instead of filming in Miami, mainly to stay away from the crowd.

Plus, the overall setting of the island was perfect to portray the look of an uncrowded beach. After these sequences were shot, the production members traveled to the city of Sarasota and filmed some other important exterior shots.

New York

The second half of Great Expectations was entirely filmed in and around the city of New York. The sequences in the movie, where we see the character of Finn living and working in this iconic American city, were filmed near Yonkers and Long Island. 

The production members also captured some brilliant outdoor shots near the lower Manhattan area of New York. Particularly the scenes depicting Miss Havisham’s Mansion in the movie were all filmed here.

Additional sequences of the movie were filmed around some other different areas of New York, after which the filming process ended.

And now, let me give you an overview of Great Expectations. In the meantime, you can also read Will Trent, Kaleidoscope, and Money Heist.

Plot Of Great Expectations | What’s It About

The basic premise of Great Expectations revolves around the character of Finn and recounts the tale of his ultimate dream, which actually comes true. At the very beginning of the movie, the lead actor gets abducted by a criminal, while playing on the beach.

As the story progresses further, the criminal forces Finn to fulfill his weird demands and basically act as his stooge. But later when the lead actor travels to New York, he realizes his true potential. The story takes a sharp turn when Finn falls in love with a lady, who was completely out of his league.

Watch Great Expectations to witness how a stranger helps Finnegan achieve his lifelong dream.

Final Words

Alright, friends! I have listed all the filming locations of Great Expectations. I hope you’ve noted them down so that it would be easier for you to spot them, the next time you watch this film. If you want to read more articles like, where was Great Expectations filmed, then check out other pieces on Viebly.

However, if you’d like us to cover any other movie or show, then feel free to mention the title in the comments section below.