Why HBO’s ‘DTF St. Louis’ wasn’t actually filmed in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - HBO dropped a new limited series on Sunday night with St. Louis right there in the title—but St. Louisians might have plenty to say about the hometown references, especially because the show wasn’t actually shot here.

DTF St. Louis, starring Jason Bateman, David Harbour, and Linda Cardellini, follows three characters navigating life’s complications in the Gateway City. But despite its name and setting, the series was filmed entirely in Georgia—a decision that has reignited conversations about film production infrastructure and tax incentives in Missouri.

The Creator Defends His Decision

Writer, producer, and director Steven Conrad sat down to discuss the highly anticipated HBO series and addressed the elephant in the room right away: “Don’t kill me because we didn’t shoot in St. Louis—it’s impossible.”

Conrad, who says he’s lived in the Midwest and wanted to subvert people’s assumptions about the region, explained his reasoning. “They’re wrong. Every mistake you can make, you can make in St. Louis. Every bad decision that awaits you, awaits you in St. Louis, the same way it does in Chicago and elsewhere.”

But when it came to production logistics, Conrad said St. Louis couldn’t support the scale of the project. “There has to be an industry that can support 80 days. There has to be stages, camera houses, and prop houses, and we looked,” Conrad said. “The show would have suffered immensely if we tried to go without those things. St. Louis would have come off poorly if we didn’t have the tools that I feel are necessary to make this world recognizable and beautiful. So, I hope you’ll forgive me.”

He added plainly: “At the end of the day, it’s money, it’s dollars and cents.”

The Infrastructure vs. Incentive Debate

Kelley Hiatt of the St. Louis Film Office disagrees with Conrad’s assessment that there isn’t adequate film infrastructure in St. Louis. Instead, she argues, there’s simply not enough financial incentive to attract major productions.

“Other places offer much bigger tax credits,” Hiatt explained. In 2023, the Missouri legislature passed the Show MO Act, which offers incentives to film and television productions. However, the $16 million pot of credits is split between various types of projects—something Hiatt says filmmakers are asking state lawmakers to change, with hopes of increasing the overall amount.

For now, the limited funding keeps the St. Louis Film Office focused on more moderate-budget productions. “I really like to focus on the $3 to $10 million range,” Hiatt said.

The Economic Impact

Still, Hiatt emphasized that any time a film chooses the region, there are significant economic benefits—even ones not immediately visible. “You end up in areas where all of a sudden a production comes in and they’re renting a church parking lot for 10 days. You’re feeding this great impact into communities—injections you don’t always think about.”

The current tax credit structure isn’t a blank check—it comes with parameters. Productions can earn up to 22% in additional credits by employing veterans and apprentices, filming in blighted areas, or maintaining production offices in tier two or three neighborhoods. One of the biggest incentives is a 5% bonus for showing Missouri in a favorable light.

“If it’s a horror movie, the killer can’t have a Cardinals shirt on, but the guy who gets killed can,” Hiatt quipped.

One recent film that utilized the tax credit, Chasing Summer, actually changed its ending to take advantage of this incentive—altering the outcome to portray Missouri more favorably.

Political Perspectives

Not everyone supports expanding these incentives. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley expressed skepticism when asked about the film tax credits.

“I don’t really want to give a bunch of Hollywood people tax breaks,” Hawley said. “Why don’t we give some tax breaks to working people in Missouri? How about we give the guy working on the assembly line who hasn’t gotten a real wage increase in years a raise, as opposed to some Hollywood studio? A lot of times, these corporate types and these Hollywood types want a whole bunch of tax breaks. They want us to spend our money on them. If you’re asking me personally, that would not be my first priority.”

Looking Ahead

State lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would extend Missouri’s film tax credits until 2035. Right now, they’re set to expire in 2029, and Hiatt says that uncertainty has made some projects hesitant to commit to filming in the state.

As for Conrad, he hopes the authentic details in DTF St. Louis will resonate with viewers, even if the backdrops are Georgian. “Just allow for St. Louis to sometimes look like Atlanta, please,” he said. “It’s all I could do to keep the show set there. The Midwest is something that I care about. And if you care about it too, I hope that you come to respect the way we handle the way people think we are—and are wrong about.”

For more in-depth coverage of DTF St. Louis, including full interviews with the show’s creator and local film officials, check out the “DTF St. Louis: The Unofficial Aftershow” podcast, available wherever you stream podcasts.