Are you a fan of Denzel Washington? Then you should definitely watch The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington and Mila Kunis. If you want to find out where was The Book of Eli filmed, then read this article till the end.
The Book of Eli is an American action drama flick that was released in the second week of January 2015. This rousing film won 3 major awards and collected 16 prestigious nominations in total.
The basic premise of The Book of Eli revolves around an African-American man living in a post-apocalyptic world in America. The story gets interesting when the male lead fights with all his might to save a sacred book from a group of savages.
This Denzel Washington starrer flick grossed over $157 million at the box office against a production budget of $80 million. The Book of Eli was an overall success at the box office, and the commercial performance of this movie also satisfied the makers.
If you’re really interested to find out where was The Book of Eli filmed, then continue reading this blog. Furthermore, I’ll also share other interesting details of this award-winning adventure drama movie.
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Where Was The Book Of Eli Filmed? Let’s Know This Action Drama Film Closely!
The story of The Book of Eli is set in America. The majority of the events of this film depict the apocalyptic state of Earth after a nuclear holocaust. So Albert and Allen Hughes couldn’t select a location that had modern structures or architecture in the background.
The directors were compelled to select a location that was basically barren and arid and could portray the look of a post-apocalyptic world. But, investing their time in selecting the perfect filming location for this movie, the directors and Garry Whitta were busy perfecting the script for this project.
After all this was done, the Hughes brothers and a couple of other production members began looking for ideal filming locations in and around America. To be more specific, the production members and the directors scouted a number of places in the states of New Mexico and California.
After a couple of weeks, the main filming locations in New Mexico were selected. While some locations in California were selected to capture pivotal scenes of The Book of Eli. Eventually, the principal photography of this action drama movie began in the final week of January, 2009 and continued until the first week of May of the same year.
Even though the production members only had to capture the outdoor scenes in and around New Mexico and California, they still took almost 4 months to complete the entire process. The production members took more time to capture the interior scenes than the outdoor shots. In fact, a lot of time was also spent in perfecting the visuals through CGI and VFX. It’s also important to mention that the majority of the outdoor scenes were captured in and around the state of New Mexico.
During the second phase of shooting, the remaining outdoor scenes of The Book of Eli were filmed in California. Let us now discuss in detail where was The Book of Eli filmed.
New Mexico | USA
The opening scene of the film, where we see the lead character for the first time, was shot in the town of Carrizozo. This small town in the state of New Mexico is located in Lincoln County, As the overall look of Carrizozo is bleak and barren, the Hughes brothers thought of shooting the first quarter of the movie in this location.
Other important outdoor scenes in New Mexico were filmed in Santa Fe. The production members used New Mexico State Penitentiary located on Route 14. The production members had to take special security clearance before capturing the scenes inside this maximum security prison.
Other Filming Locations | USA

Additional outdoor scenes of The Book of Eli were filmed in San Francisco. The outdoor shots of the Alcatraz Prison located on Alcatraz Island were shot using a helicopter. After all these scenes were shot, the production members returned to New Mexico. The remaining interior scenes were then shot inside Albuquerque Studios, located at 5650 University Boulevard South East.
Are you interested in visiting New Mexico anytime soon? Then you should look up Taos, White Sands National Park, Las Cruces, Roswell, and Albuquerque. These are some of the most iconic places in the state of New Mexico. And now, let me give you an overview of this movie.
In the meantime, you can also read Minority Report and Along for the Ride.
Plot Of The Book Of Eli | What’s It About

The story of The Book of Eli is centered around the character of Eli, an African-American man, protecting a sacred book after a nuclear holocaust changes the entire world. At the beginning of the film, the male lead fights with all his might to save a sacred book from a group of savages while trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.
As the story progresses further, the lead actor arranges arms and ammunition to fight against the savages. Shortly after, a group of drifters find Eli and ask for his help. The male lead makes a brilliant plan and teaches other members of the group basic survival skills.
Watch The Book of Eli and find out the full story!
Final Words
We’ve reached the final segment of this piece. I hope now you fully understand where was The Book of Eli filmed. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments section below. But if you’d like us to cover the filming locations of any other movie, you can add the title in the comments.
Who Is The Cinematographer Of The Film The Book Of Eli?
Don Burgess is the cinematographer of the film The Book Of Eli.
What Is The Rating Of The Film The Book Of Eli?
The film The Book Of Eli has an R rating.
Who Is The Music Director Of The Film The Book Of Eli?
Atticus Ross is the music director of the film The Book Of Eli.
Who Is The Producer Of The Film The Book Of Eli?
David Valdes and Joel Silver are the producers of the film The Book Of Eli.