Where Joe Pesci & Michael Pitt's 'Day of the Fight' Was Filmed in New Jersey
Dec 6, 2024 at 11:22 PM
Joe Pesci, the Oscar-winning star of "Goodfellas," found himself on his home turf in Jersey while filming "Day of the Fight," an indie movie that tells the story of a boxer on a redemption journey. The movie also features its lead star, Michael Pitt, a West Orange native who is known for his roles in "Boardwalk Empire" and "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." Pitt takes on the role of fallen fighter Mike Flannigan. "Day of the Fight" is the feature directorial debut of English actor Jack Huston and was filmed mostly in black and white in various locations across New Jersey, although it is set in 1989 New York. The movie follows Flannigan as he prepares for his first fight after leaving prison. Pesci, who grew up in Belleville and played boxer Joey LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's "Raging Bull" (1980), here plays the lead character's father. Alongside Pitt and Pesci, the cast includes John Magaro, Nicolette Robinson, Steve Buscemi, and Ron Perlman.Huston was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's identically titled 1951 documentary short about a day in the life of Irish American boxer Walter Cartier, which also filmed in Newark. Huston comes from a family with a strong connection to filmmaking. His father is Oscar-nominated actor, writer, and director Tony Huston, his aunt is Oscar-winning actor-director Anjelica Huston, and his grandfather was Oscar-winning director John Huston. Both Huston and Pitt were regulars on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," with Huston playing Richard Harrow and Pitt playing Jimmy Darmody.Project officer Joe Marra with the New Jersey Motion Picture and TV Commission informed NJ Advance Media that "Day of the Fight" began filming in New Jersey in December 2022 and continued into 2023. The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2023 and includes various locations in Pesci's native Newark as well as Paterson, Elizabeth, Jersey City, and Hoboken, including the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton. "Day of the Fight" recorded spending more than $7 million filming in Jersey.The movie, which is rated R and runs for 1 hour and 45 minutes, is now playing in New York at the AMC Lincoln Square 13 and Village East by Angelika. Huston and Pitt will have a Q&A session after the 7:15 screening on Saturday, December 7, and the 3 p.m. showing on Sunday, December 8. The film will expand to more theaters next week. Here are the Jersey locations where the movie was filmed:In Essex County:- YMCA Newark on Broad Street- The former Salvation Army in Newark- Skylite Plaza Parking on Halsey Street in Newark- Unity Beef Halal Meat Market on Orange Street in Newark- 60 Branford Place in Newark- 550 Broad St. in Newark- Private homes in Newark- St. Luke's Episcopal Church on South Fullerton Avenue in Montclair- Green Hill Senior Living on Pleasant Valley Way in West OrangeIn Passaic County:- St. John the Baptist Cathedral on Grand Street in Paterson- The Art Factory (now closed) on Spruce Street in Paterson- Nesty Dry Cleaner on Park Avenue in Paterson- St. Michael's Church on Cianci Street in Paterson- Blax Wellness on Mill Street in Paterson- Park East Terrace on East 11th Avenue in PatersonIn Hudson County:- Hoboken Terminal- Pier A Park in Hoboken- Wicked Wolf bar on Sinatra Drive in Hoboken- Pet Shop bar on Newark Avenue in Jersey City- Private homes in Jersey CityIn Union County:- Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary and St. Michael's Catholic Church on Smith St in Elizabeth- The former Spirito's Restaurant at 714 Third Ave. in Elizabeth- Union County Detention Center in Elizabeth- Grecian Cave on Elizabeth Avenue in ElizabethThank you for reading. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup.
