🎬 Top 20 filming locations for cult films
The film industry not only creates a film library, but also provides great travel ideas. Resourceful businessmen offer tours to the filming locations of cult films. But if you are someone who prefers freedom of movement and wants to plan a trip to movie locations on your own, then take the popcorn with you and go on an adventure.
“Sex for Friendship”, 2011
Where to go: Los Angeles, California, USA
No one can resist the Los Angeles vibe. The city was also captivated by the heroine of the film “Sex for Friendship,” played by Mila Kunis. The first thing you need to do in “LA” is rent a house with access to the ocean. Well, or find relatives with such a house.
Second, climb the southern slope of Lee Peak in the Santa Monica Mountains, where the famous Hollywood sign is located. True, if you are not a professional stuntman with a couple of spare lives and a tidy sum in your account to pay a fine, then climbing over the fence, much less climbing a sign, as the heroes of the film did, is not recommended.
What else was filmed in Los Angeles:
- “Exchange Holiday”, 2006
- “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, 2019
- “To me or to you?”, 2023
“Pirates of the Caribbean. On Stranger Tides”, 2011
Where to go: Kauai and Oahu islands, Hawaii, USA
Another place on the planet where you want to whisper “Pinch me”! This is heaven on earth, where the sun shines all year round and coconuts fall from tall palm trees. It was here that Captain Jack Sparrow moored his ship in the fourth film of the Pirates of the Caribbean saga.
By the way, the coconuts were prudently removed from the trees before filming so that the actors’ heads would not be damaged.
Pirate fans liked Halona Bay or, as it is called in the film, Foam Bay in the Oahu area. Every curious tourist wants to check if there are any dangerous mermaids left there.
What else was filmed in the Hawaiian Islands:
- Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981
- “Six days seven nights”, 1998
- “Pearl Harbor”, 2001
” Roman Holiday”, 1953
To walk around the Italian capital together with the heroes of ” Roman Holiday” you will need to rent an old Vespa scooter. It’s easy to maneuver through narrow streets and overtake drivers honking here and there.
While driving through the most recognizable places in Rome that were featured in the film, don’t forget to look at the port of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Find there an antique slab with a mask of Triton. According to legend, if a person who puts his hand in the open “Mouth of Truth” turns out to be a liar, then he will never see his hand again.
Be sure to order a glass of champagne somewhere in a cozy cafe near the Pantheon. You can end the film tour with a romantic dance against the backdrop of Castel Sant'Angelo.
What else was filmed in Rome:
- “Gladiator”, 2000
- “The Bourne Identity”, 2002
- “Da Vinci’s Demons”, 2013
” The Lord of the Rings “, 2001
Where to go: Queenstown, New Zealand
In a place called Matamata there is a village called Hobbiton. It was specially built for the filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Unlike the usual movie sets made of plywood, everything here is real: hole-in-the-wall houses, well-kept gardens and even the “Green Dragon” tavern. Only hobbits are missing.
Every day, the film attraction welcomes about 300 tourists to take them on a journey through the fantasy world of their favorite film.
After visiting the village, you can take a walk through the magical Isengard Forest, which is located in Mount Aspiring Park. Or look for orcs and other evil spirits in the vicinity of Mordor, the prototype of which is the Tongariro National Volcanic Park.
If you find yourself in New Zealand and follow in the footsteps of the Fellowship of the Ring, then be sure to find the magical Bruinen River. In reality, it is located in Skippers Canyon near Queenstown. For tourists there is a route that can be covered by car or by boat, dodging the ledges of sharp rocks along the way.
What else was filmed in New Zealand:
- “The Last Samurai”, 2003
- “King Kong”, 2005
- “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, 2005
- “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”, 2008
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“Blue Lagoon”, 1980
Where to go: Turtle Island, Fiji
The tranquil island of Nanuya Levu, or Turtle Island as the locals call it, is part of the Yasawa Islands group in Fiji. It was here that the film “The Blue Lagoon” with Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins was filmed. The flow of tourists to this place is small, since the cost of living here is quite high. The thing is that the island is private and was closed to visitors before filming. But its owner, Richard Evans, liked hosting guests so much that he built a hotel complex here.
What else was filmed in Fiji:
- “Pearl in Paradise”, 2018
“Interstellar”, 2014
Where to go: Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Iceland
For those who want to do more than just stroll through the streets of beautiful cities or laze on the beach, the sands of which have become a film set, there is a more serious offer.
In the south-eastern part of Iceland, footage of the film “Interstellar” was filmed on the Svínafellsjökull glacier. This place acted as the icy planet Mann, shrouded in chlorine and ammonia gases.
Svínafellsjökull is ideal for hiking.
What else was filmed in Iceland:
- “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”, 2001
- “Prometheus”, 2012
- “Noah”, 2014
“Survivor”, 2015
Where to go: Alberta, Canada
The harsh conditions in which the main character Leonardo DiCaprio had to fight for life in the film “The Revenant” are not 3D animation, but real landscapes of Canadian nature. True, this beauty is quite inhabitable.
In the Rocky Mountains of Banff Park, which became the main filming location, there are places to go snowboarding, skiing and gondola rides. Not far from the park, you can climb Mount Sunshine, which offers views of the province of British Columbia – another filming location for the film.
In addition, there are many hotels in the surrounding area that are ready to host travelers.
What else was filmed in Canada:
- “I, Robot”, 2004
- “Deadpool”, 2013
- “50 shades of gray”, 2015
“Avatar”, 2009
Where to go: Hunan Province, China
Going to Pandora in the footsteps of the Na'vi tribe is the dream of every Avatar movie fan. Becoming the rider of Toruk, the largest flying animal on Pandora, is unlikely to be lucky. And it won’t be possible to find an ancient willow – the Tree of Souls – to connect with Eywa (the collective identity of the planet).
But the unique landscapes and “floating” rocks in the film are quite real and anyone can admire them. The prototype of nature on Pandora was Zhangjiajie National Park in China. After the film, crowds of amazed film tourists poured there. One of the most picturesque sandstone columns was even renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain.
What else was filmed in China:
- “Mission: Impossible 3”, 2006
- “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”, 2008
- “007: Skyfall Coordinates,” 2012