Apple TV has significantly increased its filming presence in Los Angeles, with various new and returning series choosing the city as their production hub in 2026. This growth follows the damaging wildfires that swept through Southern California in 2025, prompting the streamer to support local industry by filming several projects, including Anya Taylor-Joy’s series Lucky.
Following the disaster, Apple TV’s commitment to #StayinLA has brought multiple productions to the region. Established shows like Sugar, Shrinking, and The Studio continue to film in Los Angeles, while recent additions such as Lucky have embraced the city’s resources and community in the aftermath of the fires.
Filming Lucky Amid Post-Fire Recovery
During Apple TV’s press event at Santa Monica’s The Barker Hangar, Anya Taylor-Joy reflected on the significance of filming Lucky shortly after the 2025 wildfires. She described the experience as one of collective pride and gratitude among cast and crew who remained dedicated despite recent hardships.
“We were making this in the aftermath of the L.A. fires, I think we were one of the first shows that really got going after that,”
Taylor-Joy shared.
“Just the sensation of pride and love that our cast and our crew had every single day going into work, and how grateful we were that we all had something that we could focus on and try and give back to the community in that way … that was really magical.”
– Anya Taylor-Joy, Actress and Producer
The Impact of Filming in a Recovering City on Other Productions
Kerry Washington echoed similar feelings regarding the positive impact of filming her limited series Imperfect Women in Los Angeles after the fires, alongside co-stars Kate Mara and Elisabeth Moss. Though centered on British characters, the production benefited from its adaptation to the local environment and talent pool.
“To be able to shoot here after the fires last year was so meaningful to the city and meaningful to us and our crew.”
– Kerry Washington, Actress and Producer
Elisabeth Moss emphasized Washington’s initiative to set the series in Los Angeles, highlighting the value of employing both the city’s notable locations and its skilled film crews.
“meant a lot to bring some work here … and not only use all the beautiful places, but to use these incredible crews.”
– Elisabeth Moss, Actress
Moss also spoke about the creative stimulation that came from exploring Los Angeles as a multifaceted backdrop, which Washington expanded on by noting the city’s diverse meanings.
“When we think about Los Angeles, we think bright sunshine, bright lights, glamour and beauty, and then there is this other kind of dark underbelly and long history where things are not new and fabricated, they’re grounded and older,”
Washington said.
“There’s a richness to the culture and the history here.”
– Kerry Washington, Actress and Producer
Notable Star-Studded Productions Setting Up in L.A.
David E. Kelley’s adaptation of Rufi Thorpe’s novel Margo’s Got Money Troubles attracted a gifted cast including Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman, and Nicole Kidman, and also filmed in Los Angeles. Irish actress Thaddea Graham, participating in her first U.S. production, praised the opportunity.
“To be with this cast and this team was a real privilege.”
– Thaddea Graham, Actress
In addition, actor Shea Whigham decided to return for the second season of Sugar partly because of its Los Angeles filming location and the chance to work with longtime friend and series star Colin Farrell.
“He came to me — It was like Super Bowl this time last year. My family and I, we went to his place. And he and his lovely sister, Claudine, came and said, ‘We have this thing. Take a look at it.’ I said, ‘I don’t even need to read it.’ I took the chance to go to work with him,”
Whigham recalled.
“And he would say, ‘No, no, no.’ But we’re going to shoot in Los Angeles. And I love this place. And I love ‘Sugar’ and the crew —The crew … they’re amazing — Everything you said lived up to it.”
– Shea Whigham, Actor
Colin Farrell on Los Angeles as a Filming Location and Cultural Hub
Colin Farrell reflected on Los Angeles’s distinctive role in the industry, observing that despite a decline in production in recent years, the city continues to hold cinematic depth and cultural diversity that few others can match.
“I was watching Friedkin’s ‘To Live and Die in L.A.’ the other day and just seeing … how rich and cinematic a city Los Angeles is,”
Farrell said.
“‘Cause what’s it mean, cinematic? And what’s it mean, rich? It just means there’s a lot going on. And all that’s going on in this town, it all has different origins, whether it’s South American, European influence, Asian influence, California in itself. East coast of America that comes here. There are so many different cultures, not, unlike New York — not unlike a west coast version of New York — that converge together in this city.”
– Colin Farrell, Actor and Executive Producer
Despite the known challenges of Los Angeles’s competitive film industry, Farrell pointed out the city’s openness as a vital aspect that provides creative freedom and refuge for characters like his in Sugar.
“You can be whatever you want to be here,”
he said.
“It’s a very accepting city in many ways.”
– Colin Farrell, Actor and Executive Producer
The Effects of Recent Events on Apple TV Productions
The presence of Apple TV in Los Angeles was also marked by the somber loss of beloved actress Catherine O’Hara, star of the series The Studio, which was absent from the press day in acknowledgment of her passing. Her death has cast a reflective shadow over ongoing projects, deepening the sense of unease around the productions still filming in the city.
As the Los Angeles film community continues to recover from recent tragedies, Apple TV’s efforts to sustain and grow production there highlight both the city’s resilience and its enduring creative importance to the industry. The involvement of high-profile talent such as Anya Taylor-Joy, Kerry Washington, and Colin Farrell signals a strong investment in the future of filming in Los Angeles amid uncertain times.
