Netflix put out a ton of content in 2026, and it's not showing any signs of slowing down. Case in point: those with a Netflix subscription can watch Jessica Chastain's new thriller movie Heartland this weekend. The movie is set in Nashville, and filmed some scenes right in the heart of Broadway. Director Shana Feste spoke to CinemaBlend about this experience, and one problem they kept having during production in the country music destination.
In Heartland Jessica Chastain was deep into character playing Misty Jones, a washed up (Grammy-winning) country singer. After living in seclusion for years she returns to Nashville in search of her missing niece Charlie Heart, played by real-life country singer Carter Faith. As you can see in the video above, I spoke to director Shana Feste about shooting on location, where she told me:
We were a big movie, but we weren't that big. So it's not like we could really shut anything down. So we just went on to Lower Broadway right in the middle of like chaos. And we got our truck and we just, I think we didn't even have really any camera equipment. So we used the like, what is that? The lever from the, one of the big trucks, whatever it's called. We just put our camera on that and we like pressed down and he like went, so we had this big top shot and then it like went into the audience.
Nashville is a big vacation destination, and most of the action happens on Broadway. As such, there are ton of people there at any given day, going to the various bars, restaurants, and music venues throughout the strip. Feste wanted to make sure Heartland captured that energy, which is why there were a number of scenes shot in Nashville itself. Although it was a bit of a logistical challenge.
Chastain crushed it in the movie's 114-minute runtime, with the Oscar-winner transforming her body and voice into Misty. Still, filming in Nashville had challenges, including one common issue with the background actors. As Feste went on to say:
I mean, the hardest thing was getting people to like stop looking at the camera and just like walk naturally because you're, it's like shooting a Las Vegas strip, you know? It's like pure chaos. But that is what I wanted to include in the movie.
Between the busy street traffic and folks looking directly into camera, those days in Nashville were not without roadblocks. Although having seen Heartland before it arrived on Netflix this weekend, I think it was totally worth it. The energy was electric, and helped to make the new streaming film all the more immersive.
When speaking with Feste about shooting on location, there was one other factor that I couldn't stop thinking about. Namely all the Bachelorette Parties that are happening in Nashville on any given day. The Run Sweetheart Run director confirmed they were part of the equation, offering:
Oh total bachelorette parties. So funny that you say that. A lot of the actual background players that we got to choose like and dress that we threw into the world were... I had like six bachelorette parties. So we provided all those costumes.
It sounds like shooting in Nashville isn't for the faint of heart, but the cast and crew of Heartland were ultimately able to pull it off. It helps give the new movie a tactile and real time and place, especially as Misty searches the town in search of her niece Charlie.
Folks can see it all for themselves, as Heartland is on Netflix as part of the 2026 movie release list. Jessica Chastain crushes her role as the film's protagonist, including belting out a few country musical numbers. After all, this is Nashville we're talking about.
