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Play Dirty was filmed in Australia, with most production centered in and around Sydney. The 2025 heist thriller, directed by Shane Black and starring Mark Wahlberg, used both studio sets and real locations to recreate places like New York City and New Jersey. The movie is based on Donald E. Westlake’s Parker book series and combines crime, betrayal, and action.
Filming began in March 2024 and lasted several months, with Australian crews and government support making the large-scale shoot possible. The film was released on Prime Video on October 1, 2025.
The production relied heavily on Australian tax incentives, which played a key role in the decision to film there. Producer James Skotchdopole explained in the official press notes that recreating winter in New York during an Australian summer required extensive planning.
Streets had to be shut down, cars replaced with left-hand drives, and winter conditions added through visual effects and practical work. Producer Jules Daly noted that a large team worked meticulously to construct U.S.-style sets in Sydney, ensuring accuracy in detail.
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While many sequences were shot on sets, several notable real-world locations also feature in the film. These included racetracks, central stations, and coastal areas, adding variety to the movie’s visual style. The film’s production designer Owen Paterson used advanced tools like Unreal Engine to design action-heavy sequences.
Every major filming location where Play Dirty was shot
Sydney, New South Wales
Sydney was the main filming hub for Play Dirty. Many of the New York and New Jersey scenes were actually filmed here on constructed sets. Locations such as Central Station in Haymarket and Pyrmont were used for outdoor sequences. Disney Studios in Moore Park provided space for interior set construction, including the log cabin where Zen betrays Parker, and a pumping station recreated with frozen elements for late-film scenes. Sydney has also hosted productions like The Matrix and Thor: Love and Thunder.
The movie’s opening chase sequence, where Mark Wahlberg’s Parker crashes through a racetrack, was filmed at the Bankstown Paceway harness racing track. Production designer Owen Paterson confirmed that Unreal Engine was used to digitally expand and enhance the scene. The racetrack, located outside Sydney, added realism to the high-stakes sequence.
Gold Coast and Brisbane Queensland
Some filming and set construction took place in the Gold Coast. The area is home to Village Roadshow Studios, where large-scale sets for international films like Aquaman and Elvis were built. For Play Dirty, the region was used for controlled action scenes that required technical staging.
Brisbane was also used as a filming site. Its metropolitan areas and riverside locations provided an urban backdrop for some of Parker’s encounters. The city has become a recurring destination for large productions, with films like Godzilla vs. Kong also shot there.
Northern New South Wales
Northern New South Wales offered rural and open landscapes, which provided contrast to the city-based sequences. It has also been a filming base for smaller productions, giving Play Dirty a mix of urban and countryside backdrops.
What is Play Dirty all about?
Play Dirty is a 2025 action thriller helmed by Shane Black and co-written by Charles Mondry and Anthony Bagarozzi. It is derived from the Parker series by Donald E. Westlake, which he penned using the pseudonym Richard Stark. The movie features Mark Wahlberg as Parker, LaKeith Stanfield as Grofield, and Rosa Salazar as Zen. The all-star cast features Keegan-Michael Key, Chukwudi Iwuji, Nat Wolff, Thomas Jane, Gretchen Mol, and Tony Shalhoub.
The narrative revolves around Parker, a criminal searching for wealth and vengeance after being deceived by Zen during a robbery. Together with Grofield, Parker gets involved in confrontations with a South American dictator, criminal organizations, and an intense treasure hunt. The movie features grand action sequences, changing allegiances, and Parker’s quest for survival and revenge. Although the story theoretically covers several continents, its visuals were brought to life using Australian filming sites and built sets.
