Where was Dope Thief filmed? All filming locations explored

The crime drama TV series, Dope Thief which premiered on Apple TV Plus on March 14, 2025 has been a huge hit with the audience. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Dennis Tafoya, the series follows the lives of two Philadelphia friends who impersonate DEA agents to steal from minor drug dealers.

With the themes that Dope Thief addresses, the locations where it was filmed are a significant aspect of its story. The series smoothly transitions from urban settings with high-rise buildings and modern amenities to dark environments with shady streets and run-down buildings.

Audiences would be surprised to know that the series managed to achieve a balance of these moods by filming in locations such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Chester, Pennsylvania; Delaware County, Pennsylvania; and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

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Primary filming locations for Apple TV's Dope Thief

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Scenes of the show were filmed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Image via Getty)

As noted earlier, one of the major filming locations used for filming Dope Thief was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The same place is also where the plot of the show is centered. Hence, using it as a filming location lends credibility to the story.

Among the sites in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania used in filming the show as indicated by Moviedelic include Philadelphia City Hall, Market Street, Center City, Eastern State Penitentiary, and Pennsylvania Avenue.

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Chester, Pennsylvania

Scenes of the show were filmed in Chester, Pennsylvania (Image via Getty)

Chester in Pennsylvania was another location that was used to film scenes of Dope Thief.

The setting was an ideal mix of cityscape defined by housing blocks scattered over a large area coupled with abandoned building and dingy alleys which served to convey instances of tranquility and turmoil in Ray and Manny's lives.

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Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Scenes of the show were filmed in Delaware County, Pennsylvania (Image via Getty)

Delaware County in Pennsylvania is another location that was used for filming scenes of Dope Thief.

One of the primary locations here where filming was done included Newtown Square, as per Movidelic. As per the source, the crew of the show spent quite some time here. Some scenes of the show were also shot in the town of Norwood.

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Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Scenes of the show were filmed in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (Image via Getty)

Some of the series' scenes were also shot in Montgomery County within Pennsylvania.

One of the places where filming was done in Montgomery County, as reported by Moviedelic, is Wyndmoor. The source mentions that filming for the show was conducted in the intersections of Willow Grove Avenue & Flourtown Road and Willow Grove Avenue & Traymore Avenue.

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About the show and its cast and crew

Dope Thief is written and created by Peter Craig (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, Top Gun: Maverick, and Gladiator II). The series boasts a talented cast of actors including Brian Tyree Henry, Wagner Moura, Marin Ireland, Amir Arison, Nesta Cooper, Kate Mulgrew, and Ving Rhames.

While Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura feature as the main characters of Ray Driscoll and Manny Carvalho, the rest form the supporting cast of the series featuring in a number of significant characters.

That having been said, following is the official description of the show from Apple TV Plus which explains the show's central plot. It states:

"Based on Dennis Tafoya’s book “Dope Thief,” the series follows long-time Philly friends and delinquents who pose as DEA agents to rob an unknown house in the countryside, only to have their small-time grift become a life-and-death enterprise, as they unwittingly reveal and unravel the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern Seaboard."

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