One of Netflix exclusive series Bloodline is being shot in the Keys on Islamorada making it the spot of a big Hollywood production that is putting the island on the map. The series is about a wealthy family whose dark secrets are exposed after their black sheep brother comes back home creating a juxtaposition with the beautiful Keys that are sometimes portrayed as dangerous in the show as it delves into the Keys’s seedy past.
The island’s harbor has a history of smuggling of drugs and alcohol, which is brought up in some of the first episodes of the show. And it was this sleazy past that helped the series’s location manager, Maria Chavez and the Oscar-winning Sissy Spacek choose Islamorada as the ideal location.
With the growing popularity of the show more and more people are showing up to set locations like the local resort, which is used as the fictional Rayburn House a resort belonging to characters Robert and Sally Rayburn. The actual building used for filming is a private residence, but fans of the show that are willing to drop some serious cash can stay at one of the other 18 accommodations on the property.
There has been a boom in the local economy as the show is becoming well known worldwide and tries to feature as many real, local places as possible. Like Anne’s beach featured in episode 2 or Robbie’s of Islamorada, a real life place where you can charter a fishing or snorkeling boat and rent water sport vehicles. And not only that but some of the vehicles used in the show, like the Rayburn house boat, are owned by Keys’s locals.
The cast has found themselves at ease on the island as people tend be private and aren’t the types to ask for photos or autographs. Maker 88, a waterfront bar & grill, is a favorite hangout for noted Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn and Emmy-winner Kyle Chandler on their free time. Another notable cast member is ER vet Linda Cardellini. Residents of this island famous for its sport-fishing will have to get used to the increase in tourist as the show grows in popularity.
Haute Cuisine
November 11, 2015SF: Craft Lessons Are Now In Session(s) at The Presidio
