What would you do if we tell you that the magical places in your fantasy movies and shows existed in real life? These are real places unlike the green screens in most of the deceiving movies. Not only are we going to share some of the places where famous moments were shot, but also reveal some fascinating stories behind them. These spots have intriguing facts that every movie buff must know. Find out the 12 interesting facts about the iconic movie and TV series locations.
The Martian
Don’t worry if you can’t afford a trip to Mars with the other billionaires. Even the sci-fi movies like “The Martian” couldn’t, so the crew filmed it in Wadi Rum, Jordan which is also known as “Valley on the Moon”. It has also appeared in other space movies such as “Last Days on Mars” and “Red Planet”.
Groundhog Day
We did promise you that the locations mentioned in this list were not man-made sets but hear us out first. The Tip Top café that served as the central location of the iconic film was created solely for the movie. However, this set soon turned into a real-life café for over 20 years that attracted many tourists and movie and movie buffs.
Star Wars
“Star Wars’ had a film set in the city of Tunisia. Scenes of planet Tattooine in the Star Wars franchise were mostly shot in Tataouine, Tunisia. The caves below its ground have attracted tourists and filmmakers from all around the world.
Mission: Impossible III
The Caserta Palace stairs are vividly recognized from “Mission: Impossible III” which now attracts even more tourists. These stairs will definitely remind you of “Angels and Demons” whether you have seen the movie or not. And as it turns out, Caserta Palace did make an appearance in Tom Hanks’ movie.
Waterworld
“Waterworld” had spent an exorbitant amount of money on the productions to create the post-apocalyptic world. So much brain was used to create the massive set on the waters of Hawaii that they forgot to build bathrooms. The crew had to travel on a boat and climb up to use bathrooms on hilltop.
The Matrix Reloaded
Will you believe us if you tell you that the expressway in “The Matrix Reloaded” was not a real road and it wasn’t created digitally? The crew built the 1.5-mile highway on a naval base and installed high walls to cover the view of San Francisco. Building it alone cost the productions a whopping amount of $2.5 Million.
Harry Potter
Every “Harry Potter” has a separate bucket list that is solely dedicated to the Wizarding World- from collecting its souvenirs and merchandise to visiting the famous studio in England and also the Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland. You better add Alnwick Castle to the list as well. Everyone’s dream school Hogwarts was shot on the picturesque grounds of Alnwick Castle in “Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Chamber of Secrets”. It has also housed other shows and movies like “Downton Abbey”.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The best part about studying in a school in Los Angeles is that you get to see a lot of shooting. Some movies and series create schools on their sets while some prefer to go to the same school again and again. John Marshall High School is probably less famous among parents but more popular among filmmakers who have shot “School of Rock”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Grease”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” etc., on its grounds.
Gone With The Wind
Sometimes the production houses have to clear their studio buildings off props and sets from previous movies. How do they get rid of it? While some turn it into a tourist spot like the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio or sell props at auction, some studios burn down the set. But they made sure to make money even out of burning the sets. How? The burning of Atlanta in “Gone With The Wind” was shown by putting the sets of “King Kong” and “King of Kings” ablaze.
Speed 2
“Speed 2” was an utter disaster that couldn’t stand even in the vicinity of its predecessor, “Speed”. Sadly, the productions had taken about 6 months to build the coastal town with 30 full-size buildings. They had also built one-third of the cruise-liner and a track under it to ram it into the city.
Raise The Titanic
“Raise The Titanic” was a flop thriller where America and Russia compete to retrieve the remaining Titanic as they believe it holds the key ingredient to prevent nuclear. Unlike the romantic “Titanic”, this thriller didn’t do well. According to reports, the productions had to spend $5 million alone on building a 55-foot ship and $7 million additional on the tank keeping it afloat.
The X-Files
Since the series was unable to shoot in the desert of New Mexico, they built their own desert of red sand. They used a deep pit in Vancouver and put thousands of gallons of red paint all over it.
