The filming of One battle After another

Photos, Filming Locations Text/Map, and Videos by Sicco Rood

Last May, Borrego Springs resident Sicco Rood was conducting fieldwork for UCI when he noticed a large Warner Bros. production crew arriving in the valley. The crew of 250 people and a long line of convoy vehicles were here to film parts of the now award-winning movie “One Battle After Another,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Benicio del Toro. Filming took place throughout May 2025.

Actors Sean Penn and Chase Infinity with Writer, Director, Producer Paul Thomas Anderson at Palm Canyon Resort
Lockjaw's crashed SUV's (at least 3) were stored at BSR for a few months after the filming here completed
Section of road used for the car chase
Bob looking for his daughter Willa in the crash site at the bottom of the Montezuma Grade where Lockjaw crashed
Warner Bros wrapping up for the day
Bob briefly stops at the Sea View fruit stand to ask for directions
Salton Seaway S22 was briefly shown with Lockjaw driving Willa to meet with the bounty hunter Avanti
Warner Bros wrapping up for the day
There were lots of takes with simulated explosions and smoke makers to enhance the crash
Tectonic Gorge
Bob on Texas Dip looking for his daughter Willa
Borrego Springs mentioned in the film credits

Having read and enjoyed Vineland, the book that inspired the film, Sicco connected its narrative to the filming locations. When the film was released, he and his wife traveled to the Vista theater in Hollywood to see it in ultra-high-quality format. There was no documentation of the filming itself, so Sicco created a location map, which is available at the ABDNHA nature center and online in various places for visitors exploring the film’s making. 

Filming Locations in Borrego Springs & Nearby

All the desert filming locations (see photos with captions) used in the explosive climax of the film. This includes Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs, Shelter Valley, Ocotillo Wells SVRA, and parts of Imperial County.

Film Locations:

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

  • Montezuma Grade (film crew staged at Hellhole Canyon/Palm Canyon Hotel & RV Resort)
  • S22 highway (film crew staged at Pegleg monument)
  • Texas Dip (film crew staged at Borrego Air Ranch. The crashed vehicles were stored for a while after the crew had moved on at Borrego Springs Resort)

Borrego Springs

  • DiGiorgio Rd and Henderson Canyon Rd (this is an agricultural area in Borrego Springs with citrus farms and long roads)

Shelter Valley/Banner

  • Scissors Crossing (film crew staged at Grapevine Mountain Trailhead from what I gathered from the locals in Shelter Valley)
  • The Banner Store can be seen for a few moments in the chase

Ocotillo Wells SVRA

  • Ocotillo Wells RV Park & Store – Lockjaw and the vegetarian Sisters of the Brave Beaver
  • Tectonic Gorge Trail (film crew staged at Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area. It is the same location where they filmed the X-Files season finale scene with the village getting blown up.

Imperial County

  • The “River of Hills” a very dangerous road section further east (more info and WARNING in the photo captions)
  • Camp 1776 by Walters Landing – Actual location is Walter’s Camp. It shows a white supremacist compound along the Colorado River.
  • Calexico US/Mexico Border – Filming Location where Perfidia buys a disguise at local thrift store and crosses into Mexico to disappear “into the wind”.

Part of the process involved closing Montezuma Grade for high-speed driving scenes and a car crash. Other filming locations included the grapefruit stand on DiGiorgio and Henderson Canyon Roads, and Texas Dip, as well as other spots in the desert. Sicco interacted with the film crew in in town and learned where scenes were going to be filmed, and he discovered a place in one location where he was out of camera range to enjoy the acting and the action. 

Download Map

Click above to download the map for printing, or stop in the Desert Nature Center to pick up a copy of the map.