Barry Levinson’s wrenching drama of childhood friends and a terrible secret is set in the tough Hell’s Kitchen of 1960s New York – filming across the city, with a Connecticut building standing in for the reform school at the story’s heart.
Where was Sleepers filmed?
Sleepers was filmed across New York City – Hell’s Kitchen and Manhattan – with a reform school in Connecticut.
Every Sleepers location, explained
1
Hell’s Kitchen – New York
The boys’ neighbourhood used the West Side of Manhattan, New York.
2
The reform school – Connecticut
The Wilkinson Home for Boys used a building in Newtown, Connecticut.
3
The city diners and streets
Key scenes used Manhattan diners and streets, from Hell’s Kitchen to the Upper East Side.
4
The wider New York
The film is steeped in the neighbourhoods of New York City.
Planning a visit
Hell’s Kitchen in New York – the film’s real neighbourhood – is an accessible, much-changed part of Manhattan.
Sleepers Fun Facts
1
Set in Hell's Kitchen The story unfolds in the tough West Side of 1960s New York.
2
Connecticut reform school The Wilkinson Home used a building in Newtown, Connecticut.
3
A star-studded cast The film gathers Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt, Dustin Hoffman and more.
4
Based on a memoir It adapts Lorenzo Carcaterra’s controversial book.
5
A Levinson drama The film came from director Barry Levinson.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Sleepers filmed?
Across New York City – Hell’s Kitchen and Manhattan – with a reform school in Connecticut.
Is it set in New York?
Yes – in the Hell’s Kitchen of 1960s New York.
Can you visit the locations?
Yes – Hell’s Kitchen in New York is accessible.
Who directed Sleepers?
Barry Levinson.
Who stars in Sleepers?
Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt and Dustin Hoffman.
