Yahoo Lifestyle Where Is 'Ozark' Actually Filmed? The Netflix Show's Location Isn't Super Obvious
After a two year hiatus, Ozark is officially back with season 4, and it was worth the wait. Though it might take a moment to remember exactly where we left off Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney), there is still one thought fans haven't forgotten about even while watching the fourth and final season. Despite the Byrde patriarch weighing the pros and cons of leaving the Ozarks throughout the Netflix series, many viewers are still wondering, where is Ozark filmed anyway?
As folks know, the crime drama show follows the life of the Byrde family getting wrapped up in a money-laundering scheme with the cartel, which results in the family uprooting their lives. In an attempt to make amends, Marty moves his family away from their home of Naperville, Illinois to the Lake Ozark region of Central Missouri. Their journey inevitably becomes more complex and the Byrdes move around the region in pursuit of expanding their business: money laundering.
Where is Ozark filmed?
Ozark fans still pondering whether or not the show is filmed in the Ozark region, the short answer is, no. On TV, viewers see the Byrde family travel through Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois. But according to Decider, Ozark is filmed in Atlanta, Georgia around the Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier area. To be more specific for Peach State locals, the drama was shot in Gwinnett County, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Canton, Peachtree and Norcross.
However, with much of the first season centering on the Chicago suburb, Naperville, and the city itself, many of those scenes were filmed in Illinois. Considering the regional and agricultural differences between the two cities, it would be difficult to make Atlanta look like Chicago and Naperville.
While the series wasn't shot in the Midwest, there was intention behind choosing Georgia as its backup. Per Decider, Ozark's filming location was chosen due to tax incentives. After the southern state lost the production for Ray, a bipoc on soul musician and Georgia native Ray Charles. This prompted Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to take action and in 2008, he signed legislation that was sure to entice filmmakers and their crews.
And it seems to have work. In 2018, the state offered a 20 percent incentive for productions that rang up a bill of at least $500,000. Additionally, productions that included the Georgia peach logo (like the one at the top of this page) earned an extra 10 percent.
Now, when you watch the first part of Ozark, you'll know a little more intel about what's really going on behind the scenes of the hit Netflix drama. The final season builds upon the Byrde family's attempt to break ties with the cartel, gain a level of independence and return home to Chicago. In other words, part one of season 4 marks the beginning of the end.
However, before saying goodbye to the Marty and his family, fans have to wait until Netflix releases a premiere date for part two of the final season. Unfortunately, it hasn't come as quickly as we had hoped!
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