The gritty world of the Cody family in Animal Kingdom was brought to life against the very real backdrop of Southern California. For all six seasons, from 2016 to 2022, the TNT series used authentic locations to ground its high-stakes crime drama in a believable world. The primary filming hub was the coastal city of Oceanside, California, which served as the stand-in for the show’s setting of Newport. Beyond the beaches, production also utilized Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank for interior sets and additional scenes filmed in Los Angeles. The choice to film extensively on location in a single community gave the series a strong visual consistency and a layer of realism that became a key part of its identity.
Why Oceanside, California Was The Perfect Setting
The producers of Animal Kingdom selected Oceanside not just as a backdrop, but as an integral character in the story. The city’s unique mix of a relaxed beach town atmosphere and everyday suburban life provided the ideal environment for the Cody family’s secret criminal operations. The show did not rely on exaggerated visuals or heavily stylized sets. Instead, it presented actual streets, beaches, and neighborhoods, making the audience feel like they were in the same visual world as the characters.
Actor Shawn Hatosy, who played Pope Cody, emphasized the location’s importance, noting in an interview:
“Oceanside plays such a big role in the show. It is a character in and of itself. The way of life. The attitude of the locals. The surf.”
Over the course of the series, the production used over 70 different local spots in Oceanside. This included everything from iconic landmarks to local surf shops and restaurants, which were often mentioned by name in the scripts. The city’s layout—featuring beaches, residential areas, commercial zones, and transportation hubs—offered versatile settings for a wide variety of scenes.
A Guide to Key Animal Kingdom Filming Sites in Oceanside
Fans can visit many of the spots where the drama unfolded. Here is a look at some of the most notable locations that defined the show’s aesthetic.
The Cody Family House Exterior
The home of Smurf and her sons is central to the series. While the interior was built on a soundstage, the exterior shots are of a real house on The Strand in Oceanside. The specific address is 406 South Strand, a beachfront property that captures the Southern California coastal vibe. Using a real house in a real neighborhood helped sell the idea that the Codys were part of a living community.
Oceanside Pier and Beaches
The city’s beaches are a recurring visual theme, used to set the mood or reflect character dynamics. The Oceanside Pier, a city landmark, appears in numerous episodes. The production filmed along the boardwalk and shoreline paths, using these public spaces to reinforce the authentic Southern California setting.
Oceanside Transit Center
This public transportation hub was used for various scenes throughout the series. Its inclusion is an example of how the show utilized ordinary, functional locations to build a believable world, presenting the characters as inhabitants of a broader town.
Local Businesses and Streets
The show frequently filmed in operating local restaurants, bars, and shops. By using these real businesses instead of constructed sets, the production added a layer of authenticity and local flavor that would be hard to replicate.
The Role of Studio Filming in Burbank and Los Angeles
While Oceanside provided the authentic exterior heart of the show, a significant portion of production took place in controlled studio environments. The majority of interior sets, including the interiors of the Cody house, were constructed and filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. Filming in a studio allowed for greater control over lighting, sound, and scheduling, especially for complex scenes that would be difficult to shoot in a private home.
Warner Bros. Studios, one of the major historic film studios, also offers public tours where fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at how television series are made. Additional filming for the series took place in Los Angeles, particularly for scenes that required specific urban environments or when logistical challenges made shooting in Oceanside impractical.
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How Filming Locations Shaped the Show’s Identity
The commitment to filming in Oceanside had a profound impact on Animal Kingdom‘s visual storytelling. By returning to the same city and often the same specific spots for all six seasons, the show maintained remarkable visual consistency. Audiences grew accustomed to the same beaches, streets, and houses, which created a strong sense of place and time. This consistency helped avoid the visual discontinuity that can happen when productions frequently move between different cities to stand in for one location.
The locations served as a neutral, ordinary backdrop against which the extraordinary criminal drama played out. The realism of the settings—looking like everyday life rather than a dramatic movie set—complemented the show’s gritty and grounded storytelling style. This approach made the Cody family’s dangerous world feel more immediate and believable.
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