Where Was ‘Rebel Ridge’ Filmed? Discover the Louisiana Filming Locations for the Netflix Movie

Rebel Ridge on Netflix is a new action movie that finds big drama happening in a small town.

Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Rebel Ridge stars Aaron Pierre as an ex-marine named Terry, who is forced to confront corrupt, small town cops after they seize his cash. Thanks to an unjust law—civil asset forfeiture—cops were able to legally seize Terry’s bail money, intended to free his cousin, despite no crime being committed. What the dirty sheriff (played by Don Johnson) doesn’t know? Terry is a martial arts-trained action hero. And he’s coming to get what’s his.

The entire movie takes place in a small Louisiana town called Shelby Springs. Read on to find out if Shelby Springs is a real town, and to learn about the Rebel Ridge filming locations.

Is Shelby Springs from Rebel Ridge a real place?

Shelby Springs is not a real place, it is a fictional small town in Louisiana, invented for the movie Rebel Ridge. While there may be a town that really is named Shelby Springs somewhere, the town in the Rebel Ridge movie is not based on a real place.

Where was Rebel Ridge filmed?

Rebel Ridge was filmed on location and on sound stages in Louisiana, in New Orleans and the surrounding area, which were transformed into the fictional town of “Shelby Springs.”

“We filmed in a number of locations within the state of Louisiana, all of which embraced us, and provided us with everything we needed,” star Aaron Pierre told Decider in a recent interview. “Our home base was in New Orleans, Louisiana. I love New Orleans. I love the weather, I love the food, I love the culture, the community.” Pierre explained that Saulnier rented out a warehouse in New Orleans, which is where Pierre trained and learned his fight choreography.

The courthouse scenes were filmed at a courthouse in the smaller town of Leesville, Louisiana, according to a report from a local news station in 2021. Leesville’s “Senior Circle” was transformed into the Shelby Springs Post Office. Other exterior shots of forests, empty roads, and more were filmed in Lacombe, Louisiana, which is north of New Orleans.

In addition to on-location spots, certain scenes were also filmed on sets that were built for the film. In an interview for the Rebel Ridge production notes, director Jeremy Saulnier credited production designers John Goldsmith and Ryan Smith for their realistic sets.

“We had huge set builds that had to not only look authentic, but also accommodate pre-choreographed scenes and blocking that were ingrained from the script phase,” Saulnier said. “This included mud, fire, water, and exploding walls. I doubt even the most astute film-goer could spot what sets are existing locations and which ones were built from scratch.”

Finally, according to the production information on IMDB, some parts of Rebel Ridge were filmed in Los Angeles—perhaps some of those sets that Saulnier referred to.

So there you have it! Shelby Springs may not be a real place, but with a little bit of Hollywood magic, it became real on screen.