This past weekend definitely called for some light entertainment. A quick scan through HBO Max’s offerings led me to the straight-to-streaming 2020 romcom “Superintelligence.” The Ben Falcone-directed flick turned out to be just what the doctor ordered! As leading lady Melissa McCarthy expressed to People magazine, “Ben and I want to tell stories that make people laugh, cry and feel hopeful. ‘Superintelligence’ feels so relevant. Love wins in this movie and I think we could all use a little of that right about now.”
McCarthy plays Seattle resident and selfless do-gooder Carol Peters, who is pegged by Superintelligence, a powerful AI (voiced by James Corden), as the perfect person to follow for three days to observe and learn about humanity while deciding whether to “save mankind – end war, poverty, disease, fix global warming and establish peace” or “Chlorox Wipe the entire planet and let it start over from the single-cell amoeba stage.” Seemingly heavy premise notwithstanding, “Superintelligence” is a sweet, fun little film, thanks largely to the central love story between Carol and her ex-boyfriend, creative writing professor George Churchill (Bobby Cannavale).
Beautifully shot, I was admittedly distracted by the movie’s locations throughout. As film critic Joe Leydon states in his Variety review, “DP Barry Peterson makes Seattle look like the loveliest place in the world to fall in love all over again.” Ironically though, while “Superintelligence” is set in the Emerald City, filming occurred a good 3,600 miles away in Atlanta, Georgia, as documented on the Atlanta Magazine website. Kudos to the production team because the Peach State certainly makes for a convincing Seattle onscreen. Nowhere is this more true than the cobalt blue Craftsman where George lives, which bears a decidedly Pacific Northwest look.
In the movie, George’s pad is purported to be located in Seattle’s picturesque Queen Anne neighborhood – at 47° 38′ 19.84″ N, 122° 21′ 3.51″ W, specifically. An overhead view of the house that actually stands at those coordinates (2217 Nob Hill Ave. N) is even shown at one point. But filming actually took place at 801 Vedado Way NE in Midtown Atlanta.
For more Dirt on George’s house from “Superintelligence,” click over to the gallery.