First trailer for Netflix film ‘Sweet Girl’ shows off Pittsburgh locations

Pittsburghers will recognize quite a few locales in the first trailer for Netflix’s “Sweet Girl.” The movie was shot in the Pittsburgh area in fall 2019 and winter 2020. It was recently given an Aug. 20 release date and on Friday Netflix released the first full trailer for the Brian Andrew Mendoza-directed film starring Jason Momoa (“Aquaman”) and Isabel Merced (“Dora and the Lost City of Gold”). “Devoted family man Ray Cooper (Momoa) vows justice against the pharmaceutical company responsible for pulling a potentially life-saving drug from the market just before his wife (Adria Arjona) dies from cancer,” reads the plot description on Netflix’s press site.

“But when his search for the truth leads to a deadly encounter that puts Ray and his daughter Rachel (Merced) in harm’s way, Ray’s mission turns into a quest for vengeance in order to protect the only family he has left.” The trailer positions the film as a high-octane action-thriller featuring a reluctant hero as concerned about keeping his daughter safe as taking down the system that failed his wife. Its tagline is “fight for family,” which also seems appropriate given that seems to be literally what Momoa’s character is doing from start to finish.

More importantly, there is a lot of Pittsburgh packed into this trailer. It opens with an overhead shot of Downtown with the instantly recognizable glass towers of PPG Place in the foreground. Other scenes show other prominent local landmarks like Fifth Avenue Place and its iconic Highmark Health sign. The trailer ends on a clear shot of a lit-up PNC Park. At one point, it appears that Momoa is engaging in a fight scene set on a T train. At another, a local newscaster takes a call from Momoa’s Ray Cooper and says, “Our next caller is from Pittsburgh.” That suggests that the film is at least partially set in the Steel City.

Aug. 20 is going to be a busy day for Pittsburgh pop culture fans. That’s when Netflix is also premiering the Pittsburgh-filmed TV series “The Chair,” starring Sandra Oh. “The Protege,” starring Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton, also lands in theaters Aug. 20. Pittsburghers will also be able to check out their city on the small screen Sept. 12 when Showtime begins airing “American Rust,” the Jeff Daniels-starring series that’s currently filming throughout Western Pennsylvania.

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