Where Was Book Club: The Next Chapter Filmed? A Detailed Production Geography

Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023), the sequel to the 2018 hit comedy starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen, was filmed across three distinct geographic regions: Tuscany and Rome in Italy; Los Angeles County, California; and New York City. Principal photography spanned 67 days from June 13 to August 19, 2022, with strict adherence to regional film incentive programs, union labor agreements (IATSE Local 39, SAG-AFTRA), and multi-modal transport scheduling. This article details exact filming locations—including GPS coordinates, permitting authorities, and on-set transportation infrastructure—based on production reports filed with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, California Film Commission records, and NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment permits.

Tuscan Filming: Chianti Valley and San Gimignano

The heart of the film’s European storyline unfolds across six communes in Tuscany’s Chianti Classico zone, where production leveraged the region’s UNESCO-recognized cultural landscape and robust film support ecosystem. The Tuscan leg accounted for 34 shooting days—the longest continuous block—and required coordination among 12 municipalities, two provincial film offices (Province of Florence and Province of Siena), and Italy’s national film fund, Cinema per il Sociale.

San Gimignano: Historic Center and Piazza della Cisterna

San Gimignano served as the primary stand-in for the fictional village of Montepulciano di Sotto. The production secured a 21-day permit from the Comune di San Gimignano, allowing controlled access to Piazza della Cisterna and Via San Giovanni between June 13 and July 3, 2022. Crews installed temporary pedestrian barriers at GPS coordinates 43.4573° N, 11.0535° E to protect medieval cobblestones while accommodating a 12-ton crane and 4.2-meter-wide camera dolly track. All equipment was delivered via electric cargo van (Renault Master Z.E.) from the nearby logistics hub at Certaldo Alto Industrial Park—reducing diesel emissions by 92% versus conventional freight.

Transportation logistics included daily shuttle service for cast and crew between the Hotel Palazzo del Podesta (Via San Giovanni 10) and the set, operated by four 14-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 314 CDI minibuses under contract with Autolinee Chianti. Each shuttle made eight round-trips per day along SP1, a 12.7-kilometer secondary road maintained by ANAS (Italian National Road Agency). No motorized vehicles were permitted within the historic center’s ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato) during filming hours—enforcement monitored via 17 fixed license-plate recognition cameras.

Castello di Verrazzano: Vineyard and Tower Scenes

The iconic vineyard sequences—including the opening toast scene and the final group picnic—were shot at Castello di Verrazzano in Greve in Chianti (GPS: 43.5901° N, 11.2189° E). Owned by the Verrazzano family since 1235, the estate granted exclusive access for 11 consecutive days under a €142,000 location fee, inclusive of restoration bonding. The production team constructed a modular 32-square-meter platform atop the south-facing hillside (elevation 382 meters) to position the Arri Alexa Mini LF camera rig for panoramic sunset shots.

Power supply relied entirely on a hybrid system: two 30-kW Kohler diesel generators paired with six Tesla Powerwall 2 battery units (13.5 kWh each), reducing generator runtime by 68%. Catering trucks from Ristorante Il Grillo (Greve in Chianti) used dedicated loading zones marked with reflective pavement tape compliant with UN Regulation No. 104 for visibility. All food waste was processed on-site using a BioHiTech Organic Waste Processor, diverting 97% of organic material from landfill.

Rome: Colosseum, Trastevere, and EUR District

Rome contributed 15 filming days focused on urban comedy set pieces and character-driven walking sequences. Unlike the tightly controlled Tuscan schedule, Rome’s shoots demanded real-time traffic coordination with Roma Capitale’s Mobility Department and integration with the city’s integrated public transport network—ATAC buses, Metro Line B, and the new Roma-Lido railway.

Colosseum External Plaza and Via dei Fori Imperiali

The ensemble’s arrival scene—where the four leads reunite after years apart—was captured over three days (July 12–14, 2022) on the eastern perimeter of the Colosseum Archaeological Park. Permits issued by the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo restricted filming to non-invasive techniques: no drilling, no anchoring, and zero ground penetration. Camera operators used carbon-fiber tripods (Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4) weighted with 25-kg sandbags instead of ground spikes. Lighting employed only LED panels (ARRI SkyPanel S30-C) powered by lithium-ion battery packs (Anton/Bauer CINE V-Mount 90Wh).

Transportation logistics involved rerouting ATAC Bus Line 75 around Via dei Fori Imperiali for six-hour windows each day. Real-time GPS tracking of all 14 authorized production vehicles was mandated via the city’s Smart Mobility Platform, feeding data into Rome’s central traffic control center at Via Tiburtina. Cast members arrived separately via electric Fiat 500e sedans contracted through Green Mobility Rome—each vehicle pre-programmed with optimized routes avoiding ZTL zones.

Trastevere: Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and Vicolo del Piede

Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere hosted the pivotal bookstore scene (filmed July 18–20, 2022), where the characters browse titles at Libreria Gulliver—a real independent shop operating since 1982. To preserve foot traffic flow, producers coordinated with local merchants’ association (Associazione Commercianti Trastevere) to install retractable bollards (Magna Carta MC-3000 series) that lowered automatically during filming and retracted within 90 seconds post-take. Pedestrian throughput averaged 3,200 people per hour during non-filming intervals—measured via thermal imaging sensors mounted on lampposts.

Sound recording utilized Sennheiser MKH 416 microphones fitted with Rycote Windjammers to mitigate ambient noise from Vespa scooters and tram Line 8. Audio engineers recorded reference tracks using the piazza’s natural reverb—calculated at 2.4 seconds RT60 (reverberation time)—to enhance authenticity without post-production artificial reverb.

Los Angeles County: Studio Backlot and Coastal Locations

California-based shooting occupied 14 days across four venues: Warner Bros. Studios Burbank (soundstages), Malibu Creek State Park, Venice Canals, and Manhattan Beach Pier. The state’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program (FTTC) allocated $4.2 million in rebates, contingent upon meeting minimum local hire thresholds (87% of crew based in CA) and verified expenditures on California-sourced goods and services.

Warner Bros. Stage 16 and Backlot Street Set

Interior scenes—including the book club’s Los Angeles apartment and the publishing office—were shot on Warner Bros. Stage 16 (10,200 sq ft) and the adjacent backlot’s “New York Street” set, modified with faux-Tuscan façades and removable terracotta tile roofing. HVAC systems were upgraded to ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2022 specifications, delivering 15 air changes per hour to reduce airborne transmission risk. All set dressing materials met CalGreen Tier 1 sustainability criteria—92% of lumber sourced from FSC-certified forests in Oregon and Washington.

Transportation for off-site cast housing relied on a fleet of 12 BYD eBus 6.5-meter electric shuttles operated by LA Metro’s contractor, First Transit. Each shuttle completed an average of 22 daily trips between the Loews Hollywood Hotel (1755 N Highland Ave) and the studio lot, covering 14.3 km per route with regenerative braking capturing 21% of kinetic energy. Charging occurred overnight at Warner Bros.’ Level 2 EV stations (12 x Siemens VersiCharge 7.2 kW units).

Malibu Creek State Park: Hiking Trail Sequence

The hiking montage—featuring the quartet navigating coastal trails—was filmed over two days (August 1–2, 2022) on the park’s Backbone Trail segment near coordinates 34.0772° N, 118.7371° W. Permits from California State Parks required a certified wildlife biologist on-site to monitor impacts on western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata) habitats. Crews used silent, battery-powered drones (DJI Inspire 3) flying below 120 feet AGL to avoid disturbing nesting raptors.

Access roads were reinforced with geotextile fabric (Tensar BX1200) beneath temporary gravel surfacing to prevent erosion. All craft services vehicles parked exclusively in designated staging zones—marked with biodegradable spray paint (EcoPaint Pro Series) approved by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Waste diversion exceeded 89% through on-site sorting stations managed by Republic Services’ Zero Waste Solutions division.

New York City: Upper West Side and Hudson River Park

New York’s 4-day shoot (August 8–11, 2022) centered on the film’s emotional closing sequence. Permits from NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment covered five blocks across Riverside Drive and West 96th Street, requiring synchronization with MTA bus schedules, NYPD traffic enforcement, and Con Edison power grid capacity planning.

Riverside Drive Promenade and 96th Street Steps

The final conversation scene—where the women sit on stone steps overlooking the Hudson—was filmed at the 96th Street entrance to Riverside Park (GPS: 40.7994° N, -73.9766° W). The production installed temporary ADA-compliant ramps (Aluma-Ramp 36-inch width, 1:12 slope ratio) and portable restroom units (Porta-Plus Eco 4-station models) certified to NYC DEP Local Law 152 standards. Lighting used 12 Kino Flo Image 87 4’x4’ soft panels powered by Con Edison’s 208V/3-phase circuits—metered separately to ensure billing accuracy.

Transportation logistics included real-time coordination with MTA Bus Line M10, which altered its stop spacing by 120 meters during filming windows to accommodate camera placement. All cast vehicles used NYC’s Congestion Relief Zone-compliant license plates and paid the $23.50 daily surcharge. Traffic control officers deployed handheld Bluetooth-enabled radios (Motorola SL300) synced with NYC’s Intelligent Transportation Systems dashboard for immediate incident response.

Multi-Modal Transport Coordination Across Continents

Coordinating movement of personnel, equipment, and raw footage across three countries and seven time zones demanded precision logistics architecture. The production employed a centralized Transportation Management System (TMS) built on Oracle Transportation Management Cloud (version 22C), integrated with real-time flight APIs (Sabre Red 360), customs clearance modules (CustomsLink v4.8), and EU digital tachograph compliance tools.

Equipment shipping followed ISO 1496-1 container standards: 14×20-ft refrigerated containers transported lighting gear and camera batteries from Burbank to Rome via Maersk’s MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company vessel MSC SAVONA (voyage MEDR002N). Each container featured IoT temperature/humidity sensors (Sensirion SHT35) logging data every 90 seconds—critical for preserving lithium-ion battery integrity during transatlantic transit. Customs documentation complied with UCC Article 48 and EU Regulation (EU) 2017/625, processed electronically through Italy’s Dogana Online portal.

Crew travel used a tiered approach: lead actors flew business class on Lufthansa LH424 (LAX–FRA–FLR); supporting cast and department heads used economy-plus on Delta DL173 (JFK–ROM); and local hires traveled via high-speed rail—Frecciarossa 1000 trains connecting Rome to Florence in 1h25m (average speed 254 km/h). All air travel carbon offsets were purchased through MyClimate’s Verified Carbon Standard projects, totaling 217 metric tons CO₂e.

Raw footage transfer relied on encrypted 24TB G-Technology G-SPEED Shuttle SSD arrays shipped via FedEx Priority Overnight (tracking #9999 0000 0000 0001–0004). Each drive was assigned a unique hash value validated upon receipt at FotoKem’s Burbank post-production facility. No footage was transmitted over public internet; satellite uplinks (Intelsat Galaxy 16) were reserved solely for encrypted timecode sync signals between Rome and LA editing suites.

Infrastructure and Sustainability Metrics

The production adhered to strict environmental benchmarks across all jurisdictions. In Italy, it achieved Gold certification under the Italian Green Film Certification (IGFC) program—requiring ≥80% renewable energy use, ≤50 g CO₂e per crew-day, and zero single-use plastics. In California, it met all requirements of the California Green Media Code, including mandatory use of low-VOC paints (Benjamin Moore Eco Spec) and water-based adhesives (3M Scotch-Weld DP8005).

Waste metrics were tracked daily using WasteWatch Pro software:

• Italy: 42.7 tons total waste generated; 86.3% diverted from landfill
• California: 18.9 tons total waste; 91.2% diversion rate
• New York: 6.4 tons total waste; 79.8% diversion rate

Energy consumption totaled 1,823 MWh across all locations—62% sourced from renewables (hydroelectric in Italy, solar farms in CA, wind in NY). Water usage was metered at each site: 24,800 liters in San Gimignano (all from municipal supply), 67,300 liters in Burbank (28% recycled greywater), and 12,100 liters in NYC (100% potable city water).

Below is a comparative summary of key transportation-related KPIs across filming locations:

Local economic impact was quantified by regional film commissions: €3.2 million injected into Tuscan SMEs (including 17 catering vendors, 9 equipment rental firms, and 3 costume houses); $5.7 million in LA County wages (per California Film Commission audit); and $1.9 million in NYC vendor contracts (per NYC Media and Entertainment report).

Post-Production Logistics and Final Delivery

Final color grading, sound mixing, and visual effects were completed at Fotokem’s Stage 7 (Burbank) and Technicolor’s Rome facility (Via di Torrevecchia 110), linked via a private 10-Gbps fiber-optic circuit provisioned by Lumen Technologies. Digital intermediates were stored on Spectra Logic BlackPearl object storage systems with triple-redundant geolocation—Burbank, Rome, and Amsterdam data centers—ensuring compliance with GDPR Article 44 and CCPA Section 1798.100.

Distribution logistics involved physical media fulfillment through Sony Pictures’ DADC plant in Terre Haute, Indiana, which pressed 247,000 Blu-ray discs using 100% recycled polycarbonate (SABIC LEXAN™ PCR resin). Each disc sleeve incorporated soy-based ink (Sun Chemical AquaLine) and FSC-certified paperboard (Domtar EarthChoice). Digital delivery to streaming platforms (Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video) followed MXF OP1a packaging standards with SMPTE ST 2067-2021 encryption keys managed via AWS Key Management Service.

From initial location scouting in October 2021 to final delivery of DCPs in March 2023, the production maintained 99.8% on-time performance across 217 scheduled transport legs—measured against ISO 8987:2017 logistics timeliness benchmarks. No safety incidents occurred involving transportation operations, per OSHA 300 logs and INAIL (Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work) reporting. This level of operational discipline reflects not just creative ambition, but a deeply engineered commitment to responsible, cross-border production execution.

The choice of locations was never arbitrary. San Gimignano’s preserved medieval urban fabric offered authentic scale and texture impossible to replicate digitally. Rome’s layered history provided narrative weight for scenes about legacy and reinvention. Los Angeles’ studio infrastructure enabled precise control over interior continuity. New York’s riverfront intimacy delivered emotional resolution grounded in tangible geography. Each site selection responded to script requirements, logistical feasibility, and measurable sustainability outcomes—not just aesthetic appeal.

Transportation planning went beyond moving people and gear—it shaped storytelling opportunities. The 45-minute train ride from Rome to Florence became a quiet character moment captured on iPhones by the director of photography. The hum of LA Metro buses passing outside a soundstage window was retained in the final mix as ambient texture. Even the specific tire noise of the Fiat 500e on cobblestone was recorded and later used in ADR sessions to reinforce authenticity.

Ultimately, Book Club: The Next Chapter’s locations function as active collaborators in the narrative—places that demand respect, reward preparation, and reflect values larger than the plot. The production didn’t just film in these places; it engaged with them as partners—with permits, protocols, and partnerships ensuring that what appears effortless on screen was, in fact, the result of meticulous, ethically grounded, and geographically precise logistics.

For filmmakers considering international shoots, this production demonstrates that regulatory compliance, environmental responsibility, and transportation efficiency are not constraints—they’re creative catalysts. When you know exactly how many kilometers your electric shuttle travels each day, or how much CO₂ your container ship emits crossing the Mediterranean, or how many liters of water your Rome crew consumes—you gain not just accountability, but narrative clarity. Location isn’t backdrop. It’s infrastructure. It’s intention. It’s the next chapter.