In the movie "Next", Nicolas Cage plays a Las Vegas magician who has the actual power to see
two minutes into his own future - and the ability to change that future. He has kept his talent a
secret, using it to make discrete wins at the Vegas gaming tables. But when a government
agency discovers his secret, they seek to capture him and use the reluctant magician to find
a terrorist organization planning a nuclear attack on the U.S.

Although much of the movie is set in Vegas, it's no surprise that Los Angeles
locations wind up playing a key role.

For instance, the "Vegas" diner where Cage first meets his future love interest (Jessica Biel)
isn't really in Vegas at all. It's actually Pann's Restaurant, at 6710 La Tijera Blvd., in Los Angeles.

( The same Pann's diner was used in the 2005 movie "Bewitched", with Nicole Kidman. )

You'll find the diner in a triangle formed where La Tierra Blvd, La Cienega Blvd & Centinela Ave meet,
about a mile and a half southwest of Fox Hills Mall and Holy Cross Cemetery.

After Cage is caught by the agency, he experiences a vision of the future where he sees his girlfriend
captured by the terrorists, tied to a wheelchair on a rooftop, and strapped with explosives.
In his vision, she is subsequently blown up. Trying to prevent this from happening in real life,
he and the government agents go to that rooftop and plot a rescue mission.

That rooftop, which plays a key role in "Next", is actually the roof of the L.A. Times parking garage,
located at 213 S. Spring Street - in downtown Los Angeles. That's bordered by 2nd St (on the north),
3rd Street (on the south), Broadway (on the west), and Spring Street (on the East).

( In the photo above, the camera is pointed south/southwest. )

The terrorists have placed the girl on the roof as bait, hoping Cage will come there to rescue her,
so that a sniper on a nearby roof can shoot & kill him.

In real life, the sniper was perched atop the MJ Higgins Building, at 244 S Main Street, in
downtown L.A. That's at the southwest corner of Second & Main Streets, about 500 yards
to the southeast of the Times rooftop.

( In the photo below, you can see L.A. City Hall in the distance, behind the assassin. )

The movie reaches its climax at a harbor port where the terrorists have smuggled in a
nuclear weapon. Cage and the government agents (led by Julianne Moore) race to find
the bomb, defeat the terrorists, and free Jessica before the bomb goes off.

To do so, they must battle the terrorists on the wharves, stalk them throughout a
warehouse, and aboard a docked ship, using Cage's uncanny talent to avoid
boobytraps and assassins along the way.

These scenes were shot at Southwest Marine, a ship repair facility, at 985 Seaside Avenue,
at Berth 240, near the southwestern part of Terminal Island, in the Los Angeles Harbor.

The top (aerial) photo above is looking down south at the area, just above the Terminal Island prison.

Built in 1917, the old Southwest Marine facility is a very popular filming location when it comes
to shooting ship docks and old warehouses. Other movies filmed there include
"Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Hollywood Homicide".

American Marine (and its surrounding area to the east) is also seen in some scenes.
American is located at 1500 Barracuda Street, on Terminal Island.

          

More Movie locations!

The photos on this page are stills from the DVD of "Next"
(which you can buy by clicking here) and are copyright Paramount Pictures.

The rest of the page is Copyright © 1999-2024-Gary Wayne / Seeing-Stars.com