Bruce Springsteen is bringing his iconic life story to the big screen with the new biopic, Deliver Me From Nowhere. This film, produced by 20th Century Studios, explores the making of Springsteen's seminal 1982 album, Nebraska, and began filming late last year.
With a star-studded cast led by Jeremy Allen White of The Bear, the production kicked off its scenes in November and has already filmed extensively across New Jersey. Following this initial wave of filming, the crew is slated to continue shooting early next year, with concert scenes expected to take place in East Rutherford.
Much of the filming has occurred in the culturally rich city of New Jersey, where locations such as Frank’s Deli and Restaurant on Main Street, the famed Stone Pony, the Convention Hall, Carousel House, and the beach have all been adorned to look as they did during the 1980s. This transformation has included parking period-appropriate vehicles on Main Street to authentically recreate the look and feel of the era.
Inside the Carousel House, filmmakers painstakingly recreated the charming, old merry-go-round and other rides reminiscent of the classic Boardwalk attractions, as springtime memories come flooding back for many who grew up visiting the area.
Particularly at the Stone Pony, the atmosphere was electric, as White skillfully recorded multiple takes of Springsteen performing Little Richard's classic, “Lucille.” The marquee outside was fittingly fashioned to mirror its early '80s aesthetic, with the group Cats on a Smooth Surface topping the bill, including musicians who later made their mark with bands like Bon Jovi and Meatloaf.
Filming also spread beyond the familiar locales, with scenes shot at John’s Midtown Tavern in Bayonne and various sites across Montclair including the town library. Initially, Springsteen’s hometown of Freehold was expected to be one of the key sites, but scheduling irregularities arose, with filming temporarily suspended due to the medical issue of one crew member. When filming resumes, efforts are set to turn Main Street back to its early '50s look.
2024 has proven to be quite the milestone year for Springsteen, with his 2023-2024 tour pulling in over four million ticket sales and featuring his unforgettable hometown performance at the Sea.Hear.Now festival last summer. The tour and its triumphs are portrayed compellingly through the recent documentary, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, which is available on Hulu and Disney+.
Beyond concert tours, the year marked the release of Best of Bruce Springsteen, showcasing the legendary artist’s expansive career through two albums, and celebrating his classics like Born to Run with notable reissues.
Looking forward, 2025 will see Springsteen return to Europe, performing sixteen shows across six countries alongside The E Street Band, with plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Born to Run—a defining album of his career. The anniversaries of other beloved albums such as The River, The Ghost of Tom Joad, and Devils & Dust are all expected to receive special recognition next year, alongside the anticipation of unreleased material being featured sometime down the line.
Directed by Scott Cooper, Deliver Me From Nowhere is based on Warren Zanes’ acclaimed 2023 book chronicling the making of Nebraska. The film not only captures the essence of Springsteen's music but also offers glimpses of his life, with significant roles played by actors including Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Stephen Graham, and Odessa Young, with each character connected to Springsteen's life during the era.
With the excitement of upcoming shoots and the passionate retelling of Springsteen’s legendary story, Deliver Me From Nowhere is anticipated to be more than just another biopic; it's set to be an homage to the cultural impact of music and the heart behind the lyrics of one of America’s greatest musicians.