Where was Novocaine filmed? Everything we know about Jack Quaid's action thriller's filming

Jack Quaid's action thriller Novocaine is finally out, with fans and critics giving it a thumbs up for its sequences. Quaid plays a trust credit union employee, Nathan Caine, who likes this girl called Sherry (Amber Midthunder), also his co-worker. Things get turned around following a robbery, and now Nathan needs to rescue her.

The film was first announced in October 2023, and its principal photography took place in South Africa the following year. It was released today after Paramount dropped its final trailer a few days ago. As of now, it sits fresh, with 81% approval from critics according to Rotten Tomatoes and 7.1 ratings at IMDb.

Other than Jack Quaid, the movie also stars Ray Nicholson (Smile 2), Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Matt Walsh (Suncoast), Betty Gabriel (Get Out), and more.

Commercially speaking, the film is expected to rake in $10 million to $12 million on opening weekend. All in all, it needs to earn over $30 million to see profits given its production budget of $18 million.

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Where was Novocaine filmed in South Africa?

There are no extensive details on Novocaine's filming locations, and available details show it was shot in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa. Though the region's natural settings are core to its attraction, most of the movie is set in the metropolitan region.

From Nathan and Sherry sitting in a restaurant to the former's journey throughout, the film features a range of areas from Cape Town, but it is actually set in San Diego. Rhino Africa explains Cape Town as a blend of elements from San Diego, Los Angeles, and Napa Valley. Maybe that's the reason Novocaine creators chose this location.

Conde Nast Traveler's Meredith Carey calls it a mini-Hollywood. There's a Hollywood-style film company called Cape Town Film Studios that has become a go-to place for filmmakers and showrunners. However, the studio didn't play any part in Jack Quaid's Novocaine.

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Popular movies that were shot in Cape Town

Novocaine is doing just fine, and we may get to see it becoming one of the popular movies shot in Cape Town in the days to come. However, that could take time, but know that the region has hosted a range of projects that went on to become fan favorites.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, features some shots from Cape Town only, but the principal photography happened in Namibia, Dorob National Park, more specifically, serving just the perfect setting for the film's deserted landscape.

The 2006 movie Blood Diamond is set in African regions too, including Cape Town. There's this scene where Leonardo DiCaprio sets up a meeting with Colonel Coetzee (Arnold Vosloo). The entire sequence is originally set in Cape Town only.

Morgan Freeman's Invictus (2009), where he played Nelson Mandela alongside Matt Damon's Francois Pienaar, was shot in Cape Town too. It became a critical and commercial success while garnering $122 million at the box office.

Perhaps the most famous case here is Tomb Raider (2018), where the film's principal photography took place. Though we see floating restaurants in a Hong Kong setting in there, it was actually Cape Town beneath it. However, the film got average ratings from the critics but managed to earn $275 million against its production budget of between $90 million and $106 million.

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Also Read: Cast of Novocaine (2025)