Dead Giveaways That Netflix's Griselda Wasn't Shot in Miami

Producers of Netflix's Griselda thought they could pass off filming locations in and around Los Angeles as the Magic City, but Miamians are not easily fooled.

The six-episode series, which premiered on January 25, chronicles the life of Griselda Blanco, AKA the "Cocaine Godmother," as she builds a powerful drug empire in Miami during the 1970s and '80s. Colombian-born actress Sofia Vergara, famous for her Gloria Pritchett character in Modern Family, stars as the savage and brutal cartel leader.

Read our review: "Things Go Bitter With Coke: Netflix's Griselda Will Render You Uncomfortably Numb"

The show seeks to encapsulate the Godmother's life in Miami during the era's bloody cocaine wars, with locations representing iconic Miami sites such as Crown Liquors and Coconut Grove's Mutiny Hotel, the latter a favored base for South Florida cocaine dons. Yet, within the first ten minutes of the first episode, any Miami native could tell the series was filmed nowhere near the Sunshine State.

The giveaways? The towering, skinny fan palm trees native to California. The beach scenes. The hilly terrain.

Reddit users were quick to chime in with other elements they spotted that were foreign to Miami and its surrounding neighborhoods.

"Using the bus as a reliable method of transportation was the first giveaway," joked one user.

"The fake Dadeland mall was hilarious," noted another.

One user gave the show credit for dialing in on some details of the era: Colombian cigarettes, the Cozzoli’s Pizza signage, and retro police logos.

It's not unusual for movies and TV shows set in Miami to be filmed outside the Sunshine State.

Following its first season, Dexter, the Showtime hit centered on a fictional Miami-based vigilante serial killer, was primarily filmed in Los Angeles. The 1983 classic Scarface, aside from its famous Ocean Drive chainsaw scene, was largely shot in California.

During Charlie Crist's stint as governor, the state sought to attract more film production and to that end enacted a sweeping package of industry incentives with tax credits. Applicants could receive a cost rebate up to 30 percent with a maximum of $8 million per applicant on in-state expenditures. From about 2010 to 2016, the state gave out nearly $300 million in incentives to different film productions.

The initiative helped bring the likes of Tom Cruise to Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood Beach for the filming of Rock of Ages, a production that pumped $55 million into the local economy, according to the Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources.

After the state ceased offering tax incentives in 2016, movie and TV production slowed down in the Sunshine State, as production companies were lured away to Los Angeles and Georgia to take advantage of tax offerings. The popular South Florida-based HBO series Ballers starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson relocated to Los Angeles, and creators of Florida Keys-based Bloodline cut the series short.

Aside from the financial benefits, Griselda co-creator and executive producer Eric Newman said the series was filmed in Los Angeles because Miami's cityscape has been revamped to the point where it was hard to find locations that still gave off that 1980s vibe.

"When we couldn’t go to Miami, because Miami looks nothing like pre-cocaine explosion Miami, where our story is set, we had to recreate it in Los Angeles, and we were very meticulous about it," Newman explained.

Armando Salas, the show's director of photography, grew up making skateboarding videos in Miami and used his familiarity with the city to re-create the setting.

While the production team passed on filming in Miami, Netflix hosted Griselda's U.S. premiere at the Fillmore Miami Beach, and local landmark restaurant Casadonna hosted the star-studded afterparty. Carolina Giraldo Navarro, AKA Karol G, who plays Carla in the limited series, and Vergara were spotted around town during the week leading up to the festivities.