“South Florida by the numbers” is a web feature that catalogs the most notable, quirky and surprising real estate statistics.
“Bad Boys for Life,” the third in the Will Smith-Martin Lawrence action series, opened to huge numbers this month and once again shined a global spotlight on Miami and the beaches. The Magic City has long been a favorite backdrop for filmmakers, and many of the area’s most famous (and notorious) real estate holdings have played starring and cameo roles in recent years. Which iconic Miami setting has been the most memorable – and marketable – on the big screen? We explore that in this month’s “South Florida by the numbers.”
63: Robin Williams’ age when he tragically took his own life in 2014. Williams endeared himself to fellow cast and crew members while filming the 1996 comedy “The Birdcage,” set at The Carlyle Hotel in South Beach, and mourners gathered there to honor his memory during the week of his passing. [MiamiHerald]
5: Percent increase in business after the release of “Moonlight” at Jimmy’s Eastside Diner in Miami’s Little River neighborhood. Much of the 2017 Best Picture Oscar-winner’s final act takes place in the restaurant, drawing interest from locals who scout out the same booth where the main characters sat in the film. [SunSentinel]
$12.26 million: Purchase price for Miami icon Tony Montana’s mansion in “Scarface” — but the house was not actually in Miami. The sprawling, 10-acre estate featured in the film is really in Montecito, California, about 90 miles from Los Angeles. The CEO of a private Houston-based investment bank purchased it in 2015. [BusinessInsider]
13: Jersey number of Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino, who granted Oliver Stone access to his Windmill Ranch Estates home in Weston to shoot key scenes for the 1999 film “Any Given Sunday.” In the movie, the home belongs to Jack “Cap” Rooney (played by Dennis Quaid), quarterback of a fictional Miami football team. [SunSentinel]
50,000: Gallons of gasoline used to destroy an actual $40 million Delray Beach mansion for the filming of “Bad Boys 2” in 2003. Local developer Mark Pulte owned the three plots of land upon which the house sat and intended to sell them off separately, but realized he needed to demolish the house first. He placed an ad in Variety suggesting it could be used for a film, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay agreed. [NYPost]
This column is produced by the Master Brokers Forum, a network of South Florida’s elite real estate professionals where membership is by invitation only and based on outstanding production, as well as ethical and professional behavior.