Georgia a big part of Robert Redford's cinematic legacy

AT:ANTA - Robert Redford died Tuesday at age 89, leaving behind a legacy tied not just to Hollywood classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting, but also to Georgia locations that will make films such as A Walk in the Woods, The Conspirator and The Legend of Bagger Vance ones people remember most in his wake.

Actor Nick Nolte (L) and Sundance Institute President Robert Redford attend SLC Gala Screening of "A Walk In The Woods' during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Chad Hurst/Getty Images for Sundance

Expand

‘A Walk in the Woods’

What we know:

Redford’s most recent Georgia project, the 2015 buddy comedy "A Walk in the Woods," filmed largely in metro Atlanta and North Georgia. Director Ken Kwapis said the production leaned on Georgia locations despite the Appalachian Trail setting, calling it a "not a big studio film" that benefited from indie sensibilities. Key scenes were shot at Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, where the trail’s approach begins.

Metro Atlanta doubles for several waypoints in the film. The Colonnade Restaurant on Cheshire Bridge Road makes a recognizable appearance, a moment that drew smiles from local audiences, and Louise’s Restaurant near Kennesaw Mountain in Marietta also hosted a Redford-Nick Nolte scene.

Director Robert Redford speaks at the "Conspirator" Press Conference held at the Hyatt Regency during the 35th Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Getty Images)

Expand

‘The Conspirator’

What we know:

Redford’s return to Savannah as a director produced "The Conspirator," the 2010 historical drama about Mary Surratt. 

The shoot began in October 2009 and wrapped in December, employing local extras and staging night sequences that transformed downtown into a period set — loud enough, one reporter wrote, to feel like "the Fourth of July." Fort Pulaski National Monument stood in for a Civil War-era military prison.

Actor Will Smith talks to director Robert Redford on the set of "The Legend Of Bagger Vance", 2000. (Photo By Getty Images)

Expand

‘The Legend of Bagger Vance’

What we know:

A decade earlier, Redford directed "The Legend of Bagger Vance," set in 1930s Georgia and filmed on Savannah streets and nearby coastal locations. Archival Savannah Morning News photos show extras lining Congress Street for period scenes, underscoring how the city’s historic core doubled seamlessly for the era.

Local coverage over the years highlights how Redford’s productions plugged into Georgia communities — from Dawson County park staff watching Amicalola Falls become a movie backdrop to Savannah residents answering casting calls and pulling on period costumes.

Together, the three projects trace a clear arc: Redford repeatedly chose Georgia for its cinematic range, from coastal squares and forts to mountain vistas and classic Atlanta dining rooms — and the state’s film infrastructure was ready for him.