A number of high profile television shows and films have been filmed around LaGrange! Given the natural beauty and warm hospitality of Troup County, it’s no surprise that the film and television industry often chooses the area for filming. Directors and film production crews enjoy sharing in the history of some of LaGrange and Troup County’s beautiful structures and often collaborate with the Troup County Archives to find the perfect place to shoot scenes.
Troup County has seen its share of high-profile filming in recent years with a number of productions for mainstream television and movies. Filming often draws crowds from all over the Southeast, with some people hoping for a role as an extra and others seeking a glimpse of their favorite stars.
A Perfect Christmas Pairing
A Perfect Christmas Pairing was filmed in LaGrange in the fall of 2022. The film (Christmas-inspired) featured numerous locations throughout LaGrange, including Nutwood Winery, Pretty Good Books and Emberglow. Producers were so enamored by the city that they chose to keep the name as LaGrange in the film’s script! Filming was seemingly non-stop throughout downtown, and local businesses decorated for Christmas a few months early to make the town feel like a winter wonderland. A Perfect Christmas Pairing was released in the Fall of 2023.
The Walking Dead
In September 2018, visitors flocked to Hogansville to witness filming for the 9th season of the hit AMC show, The Walking Dead. The main filming location was Hogansville’s City Hall, housed in the 1937 building of the former Royal Theater (listed on the National Register of Historic Places). People from all over the Southeast traveled to witness the filming of this incredibly popular zombie show.
The location was chosen by the show’s scouts, who had been searching for a historic theater. The Royal Theater’s Art Deco architecture fit their needs, and the rest is history! Some filming occurred in other parts of town, but the bulk of the scenes were shot at the theater. City Hall remained operational during filming; police escorted people though back doors to conduct city business. For the episode, part of the Royal Theater building was painted green and the city chose to keep the new color after filming was complete.
Season 9, Episode 11; named “Bounty” aired on February 24, 2019. You can visit The Royal Theater yourself, right on Main Street in Hogansville!
Season 10, Episode 14 also featured a Hogansville landmark just steps from the Royal Theater! The Grand Hotel is featured as a place that characters appear to have a mysterious history with. The episode titled “Look at the Flowers” originally aired March 29, 2020.
The Haunting of Hill House
A Netflix adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House chose LaGrange in 2017 for filming. The series, based on the novel by Shirley Jackson, was well-received by fans. The plot revolves around a family who grew up in a famous haunted house and is forced to revisit their past.
The Bisham Manor, a 1920s English Tudor style mansion, was chosen as the exterior of Hill House. It was chosen at the recommendation of the Troup County Chamber of Commerce because it met the style producers were looking for. The mansion was built between 1997 and 2002 and utilized materials from the 1920s home that was originally on the property. Scenes that occurred in the interior of “Hill House” were filmed in Atlanta.
Also used in the series was the Hunter-Allen Myhand Funeral Home on Hill Street in LaGrange.
Bisham Manor was once available as an event venue but is now privately owned.
Jayne Mansfield’s Car
Jayne Mansfield’s Car, a 2012 drama co-written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, was filmed in West Point, Georgia. The movie brought big-name actors to Troup County, including Thornton, Kevin Bacon, Robert Duvall, Robert Patrick, and Frances O’Connor. It was filmed primarily in West Point, LaGrange Cedartown and Griffin.
The movie is set in 1960’s Alabama and centers around a family of veterans struggling to make sense of life. Prior to finding a spot to film in Troup County, producers were having trouble finding an area that met their needs. They’d been searching in North Georgia but hadn’t found a plantation exterior that directors were happy with. They wanted a large, historic house with a long, tree-lined driveway.
Just when the directors were ready to search in Louisiana instead of Georgia, the Troup County Archives searched photos and found the perfect home exterior for the film. After receiving permission from the owners, the Archive employees passed the information along to directors. The exact location of the plantation was not released. Scenes that occurred in the interior of the home were filmed at the Bailey-Tebault House in Griffin, Georgia.
Local businesses and citizens had pleasant interactions with the movie’s stars, and Actors Kevin Bacon, Robert Duvall, and Billy Bob Thornton were served in a downtown LaGrange pub!
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay
Some filming for the third installment of the popular Hunger Games series was filmed at a vacant industrial warehouse in LaGrange. The film required the crew to construct something large for the scene, which was shot at the former Tredegar building. Much of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay was filmed in Georgia, bringing big stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth to the area. The films, based on the post-apocalyptic Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, were wildly successful with the third movie releasing in 2014.
The old Tredegar building can be spotted on Jenkins Street in LaGrange.
Lawless
Lawless, released in 2012, was partially filmed in Troup County. Starring Shia LaBeouf and Jessica Chastain, the film followed the story of a depression-era family of moonshiners whose profits are threatened.
When directors needed a large kudzu field and a barn in which to shoot some scenes, they found the perfect place in Liberty Hill. One scene, which involved blowing up a moonshine still, required involvement of the Troup County Fire Department to manage explosives.
Nothing brings a film or television show to life like seeing where it was filmed. Watch these episodes and movies filmed in LaGrange, and take a driving tour to see the locations for yourself!
