- Brooklyn waterfront estate with $30,000 (~$48,000 AUD) daily filming fee
- 14,000-square-foot property has six-car garages and a 1,000-square-foot pool
- Former Russian heiress’ home perfectly embodies the oligarch lifestyle
Hollywood doesn’t frequently use CGI to portray excessive wealth because sometimes, reality does the job better. The Brooklyn waterfront mansion that was featured in Anora, this year’s Oscar sensation that walked away with five wins, is proof of that. The mansion that easily covers 14,000-square-foot and even has a real-life Russian high-society backstory didn’t just serve as a backdrop — it became a character in its own right.
The property, located in Mill Basin and once owned by Russian heiress Galina Anisimova, was sold in 2013 for $30 million (~$48 million AUD), making it the kind of place where even the chandeliers probably have their own security detail. It sits in a secluded corner of Brooklyn that most New Yorkers don’t even know exists and its imposing presence helped Anora edge out heavyweight contenders like Emilia Pérez and Demi Moore’s The Substance at the Academy Awards, suggesting that sometimes the perfect location can elevate a film from great to legendary.
Where Reality Meets Fiction
The mansion’s role in Anora isn’t just about establishing pretty shots. It serves as the powerful backdrop for the tumultuous romance between Ani (Mikey Madison), who is a Brooklyn strip club worker, and Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the privileged son of a Russian oligarch. The property’s limestone facade, dark glass windows, and ornate wallpapers – remains of its actual Russian heritage – created an authenticity that money can’t buy.
Assistant location manager Ben Wiseman emphasized the estate’s role in the film, stating, “Having a mansion like that as almost a character in the movie was important. It really speaks to the character of Ivan and the over-the-top, crazy rich person he is.”
A Silent Star in Cinematic History
The property’s impressive features include five bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, a private theatre, staff quarters, a spa, and a dining pavilion that can seat 40 people. And let’s not forget the garage, which proved useful when the production crew decided to fill it with the current owner’s actual luxury car collection for filming.
As you probably guessed, that kind of luxury doesn’t come cheap. Filming took place inside the home for two weeks and the film’s production had to pay an eye-watering $30,000 USD (~$48,000 AUD) per day to use the mansion.
While the mansion has changed owners twice since 2013, its star turn in Anora has cemented its place in cinematic history, proving that sometimes the most compelling characters in a film don’t need any lines at all.
