A powerful war epic written and directed by Alex Garland, Civil War received some backlash for its execution. In Garland’s other fare, science-fiction elements take center stage, creating off-beat and somewhat-surreal atmospheres. That approach was true not just of the filmmaker’s feature-length projects like Ex Machina and Annihilation, but the TV series Devs as well. Instead of focusing on world-building, however, Garland’s Civil War is an accurate portrait of war photographers at large. The job’s complexities, thrills, and moral quandaries are put on full display thanks to Kirsten Dunst’s Lee Smith, a renowned photojournalist.

It’s never made entirely clear what caused Civil War‘s titular conflict. Viewers are told that the federal government, led by a third-term president (Nick Offerman), has taken up arms against secessionist movements. In particular, the Civil War‘s Western Forces (WF) alliance plans to invade Washington, D.C. and kill the president. As Lee and her colleagues, journalists Joel (Wagner Moura) and Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), are headed for the belly of the beast, she also becomes a mentor to newcomer Jessie (Cailee Spaeny). This all makes Civil War a rather intense road-trip movie with many filming locations.

Alex Garland’s Civil War Shot On-Location In Atlanta, Georgia

Alonzo Herndon Stadium & Emory University’s Briarcliff Campus Make Notable Appearances In Civil War

Although Civil War opens in a war-torn version of New York City, production began in Atlanta, Georgia when principal photography commenced in March 2022. Over the last two decades, Atlanta has become one of the United States’ go-to filming locations, namely due to lower costs. Tasked with serving as a stand-in for several Mid-Atlantic states, Georgia’s lack of mountains and surplus of pines may be jarring. Viewers may even recognize some of the Atlanta filming locations, including Big Bethel A.M.E Church, which serves as the backdrop to the controversy in Civil War‘s opening scene.

While some Civil War filming took place at Areu Bros. Studios in Atlanta, other key moments were lensed on-location. For example, the chilling scene in which Lee, Jessie, Sammy, and Joel pull over at a gas station was shot on Cedar Grove Road in Fairburn, Georgia, though it was probably meant to be located in New Jersey. Later, a refugee camp is housed in Atlanta’s Alonzo Herndon Stadium, and one of Civil War‘s most intense gunfight sequences unfolds at Emory University’s Briarcliff Campus. Given Atlanta’s variety of locations, Civil War still captures the always-moving road-trip feel.

Civil War’s Production Eventually Moved To London, England

A24’s Most Expensive Film Ever Headed Overseas

Despite being about an American conflict, A24’s blockbuster Civil War moved production to London, England by May 2024. With a production budget of $50 million — A24’s most expensive film ever — Civil War pulled out all the stops. Since the film’s post-production needs were handled largely by Framestore, and overseen by VFX supervisor and frequent Garland collaborator David Simpson, the move to the United Kingdom made sense. As Lee and her colleagues near Washington, D.C., the film approaches Civil War‘s intense ending sequence, which definitely required a lot of convincing visual effects.

Civil War’s White House Ending Scene Was Filmed Across Multiple Locations

The Film’s Climactic Conclusion Took A Lot Of Planning

While Atlanta, Georgia was able to fill in for other locations, Garland and his creative team had to problem-solve Civil War‘s intense ending, which sees the Western Forces mounting a full-scale invasion of Washington, D.C. in order to capture and kill the president. From the first few explosion-filled aerial shots all the way through to Civil War‘s final shot, the sequence required tons of planning and collaboration between the film’s cinematographer, Rob Hardy, and production designer, Caty Maxey. Civil War also relied on military supervisors and stunt coordinators for the 15-minute siege’s choreography.

After several round-table discussions, Garland, Hardy, and Maxey mapped out their plan on a 20-foot 3-D model, creating a visual example of how each part of the siege on the White House would be shot. Although the explosions that ripple through the Lincoln Memorial were added in post-production, the movie does use actual footage of Washington, D.C. in order to create a more realistic series of shots. Ultimately, Maxey had to build a convincing Pennsylvania Avenue in Georgia’s Stone Mountain Park in order to help Civil War‘s siege sequence come to life.