“A rock is a rock, a tree is a tree. Shoot it at Griffith Park.” So producer Abe Stern once famously suggested to a director requesting additional funding to film a scene at an expensive locale outside of Los Angeles back in the heyday of Hollywood. Decades later, production teams are still heeding Stern’s prudent advice, including the executives behind “Palm Springs” who made the economical decision to shoot the 2020 comedy within the Thirty Mile Zone instead of on location in the Coachella Valley where it was set.
The Sundance darling (it holds the record for the film festival’s highest sale ever at $17,500,000.69!) tells the story of Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti), two strangers who head to the desert to attend a weekend wedding and inadvertently find themselves trapped in “one of those infinite time loop situations you might have heard about,” forced to relive the same day over and over again.
Shot over 22 days in Los Angeles, Palmdale and Santa Clarita, the movie did, indeed, make use of Griffith Park. The cave where Nyles, Sarah and fellow wedding guest Roy (J.K. Simmons) get sucked into the time loop is a mash-up of two spots – Griffith Park’s iconic Bronson Caves (an oft-filmed set of tunnels that most famously appeared as the Batcave on the 1960s “Batman” television series) and Lake Los Angeles’ Blayney Ranch, where the triangularly-shaped rock formation used as the cave’s entrance can be found.
The bulk of the movie, though, takes place at the fictional Rancho Calmado (Spanish for “Calm Ranch”), where the friends and family of Tala (Camila Mendes) and Abe (Tyler Hoechlin) gather to attend the couple’s nuptials. According to Architectural Digest, one of the main challenges for the production team was “finding a geographically and architecturally appropriate locale with a pool that could house a bride and groom and their respective families and friends, as well as an outdoor wedding.” And, as production designer Jason Kisvarday noted, “It needed to be a paradise. Our hero is trying to make the best of the situation after being there for God knows how long.”
The locale proved elusive. When the team was unable to pinpoint a spot that met all of their needs, they shifted gears and instead utilized two different homes in Agua Dulce, a small desert community situated northeast of Santa Clarita, to represent the faux venue.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The house that appears in most scenes involving Rancho Calmado can be found at 33432 Steele St., though to call the place a “house” is a bit of a misnomer. The property, which sold earlier this month for $3.1 million, is a virtual compound with five residences – a main house and four guest houses – situated on an incredible 80 acres!
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The main house, which “Palm Springs” extensively made use of, features three ensuite bedrooms in 2,908 square feet. Completely renovated in 2009, the ranch-style dwelling offers an entertainer’s kitchen (where Nyles is often seen mixing cocktails), vaulted ceilings, hardwood flooring throughout and a massive rock fireplace.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com Kisvarday told Architectural Digest he looked to Palm Springs’ hipster paradise Ace Hotel & Swim Club for inspiration when it came to creating the interior aesthetic of the home for the film. Indeed, the Ace does boast a multitude of muted orange accents, a rock wall and plenty of drought-resistant greenery.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The home’s main bedroom was transformed into the bridal suite for the shoot. It is there that Tala and her family do damage control after she falls and knocks out her two front teeth pre-wedding and where Sarah tells Nyles of her elaborate plan to bust out of the time loop.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The pad’s large pool is most notably featured as the spot where Nyles whiles away most of his days, lounging on a pizza-shaped float drinking his signature Akupara beer. The Steele St. property also boasts a spa, a poolside cabana, a fire pit, a tennis court, two barns and two stables. Oh, and an airplane hangar complete with a private landing strip! While it seems like the perfect venue for a desert wedding, “Palm Springs” producers ultimately opted to shoot Tala and Abe’s nuptials elsewhere.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com Both the ceremony and reception scenes were lensed a little over five miles away at a Spanish-style home located at 34837 Sweetwater Dr. Known as Elbee Acres Ranch in real life, the pad, built in 2000, consists of four bedrooms and three baths in 3,210 square feet. The property last sold in May 2020 for $928,000 and though the listing notes it was “recently” featured in “a major motion picture,” no specifics are given. But that’s what you have me for!
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The dwelling, which serves as a frequent wedding venue in real life, sits on a well-manicured two-acre lot featuring a pool, a spa, an outdoor fireplace and a covered wrap-around patio. There is also a large foliage-laced pergola on the premises, which “Palm Springs” made use of during the ceremony scenes.
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Image Credit: Zillow According to The Hollywood Reporter, the script describes the wedding at the center of the story as “a Pinterest board come to life.” To achieve the effect, Kisvarday brought in string lights, wildflowers and a plethora of macrame (another Ace Hotel hallmark) to decorate the vast space.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com The interior of the Sweetwater Dr. house also makes several appearances as the bedroom where Nyles and his girlfriend, Misty (Meredith Hagner), stay. It is there that Nyles arises each morning to Misty’s whispered “Wake up!” greeting.
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Image Credit: Zillow The ample room, which does have a very Palm Springs vibe, is made complete by a double-sided fireplace, half-moon wall cutout and adjoining bathroom. The latter is where Misty’s dalliance with Trevor (Chris Pang) repeatedly occurs.
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Image Credit: Realtor.com All in all, considering their countless amenities, spaciousness and vast landscapes, the two homes wouldn’t be the worst spots to be stuck in for eternity.
Disclaimer: Please remember these are private homes. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the properties in any way.