The most captivating movies have storylines and actors that intrigue the audience. But there are rare occasions where the location steals the show. Here are six movies where locations are the real stars.
- Star Trek Beyond: Dubai, UAE
In the Star Trek franchise movie, the USS Enterprise is forced to fight off an alien race after crash-landing into their mysterious world. The location for the mysterious world was shot in the futuristic cityscape of Dubai. Fans can spot the well-known skyscrapers in the UAE capital, including the Jumeirah Lakes Towers and the Dubai Financial Center. The sci-fi movie did not miss the chance to feature the popular Burj Khalifa among the iconic locations used.
- Casino Royale: Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
This James Bond franchise features jaw-dropping scenes from the Montenegro Hotel which was actually filmed on several locations within the Czech Republic. The storyline focuses on Bond as usual, tasked with the mission to prevent a dangerous banker from winning a casino game. Among the multiple casino game choices, ranging from roulette and poker to baccarat, the choice game for the fast-action movie was a high-stakes Texas hold ’em poker game where the winner walks away with $130 million. The casino scene, which is literally the focus of the movie, was shot in Karlovy Vary, a Spa town popular for its grand aesthetics and tourist attractions.
- Moana: Fiji, Samoa and Oahu
This Disney-animated movie follows the story of Moana, the eldest daughter of the village chief Tui, who sets out on a journey to return the goddess Te Fiti’s heart after it was stolen by Maui, a demigod. The fantasy movie was set in long-ago Oceania and brings the Polynesian culture and landscape to life. Tahiti and Bora Bora, Moana’s fictional home, are real-life islands in French Polynesia. Moana learns Polynesian wayfinding skills from Maui and navigates several terrors across the Pacific Ocean to retrieve the heart of the goddess of creation and restore life to her people’s land. Other iconic sceneries in the musical fantasy adventure movie were also inspired by the real-life landscapes and seascapes in Samoa and Fiji.
- La La Land: Los Angeles
This six-Academy Award-winning romance movie features the love story of Mia, an actress, and Sebastian, a jazz musician. La La Land was shot in Los Angeles, and viewers can see much of the city throughout the course of the movie. Los Angeles is a popular cinematic destination for Hollywood movies, and La La Land reinforces why. The lovebirds shared a magical dance under a star-lit sky at the Griffith Observatory, a popular landmark where viewers get stunning views of LA’s metropolitan area. The captivating City of Stars song from the romantic musical film was recorded against the backdrop of Hermosa Pier Beach. Mia and Sebastian can also be seen strolling along the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena against a beautiful sunset.
- Hiroshima Mon Amour: Hiroshima
Hiroshima Mon Amour is a decades-old romantic drama based on a tragic real-life event. The 1959 film was shot in a documentary-style featuring the devastating effects of Hiroshima’s nuclear holocaust. The movie follows the story of a French actress and her Japanese architect lover as they recount their past. The actress talks about her traumatic past in World War II, where she lost a German soldier whom she had a brief affair with. The architect shares how the atomic bombing of Hiroshima affected the city and its people. Throughout the movie, the producers switched between the lovers’ scene and real-life footage of Hiroshima after being rocked by the nuclear blast. Although the lovers’ relationship was only temporary, they had to separate at the end of the film; Hiroshima Mon Amour is one of the top movies where the location is the central theme to the movie.
- The Lord of the Rings: New Zealand
The Lord of the Rings is a fantasy action movie series based on the trilogy of novels by J. R.R. Tolkien. All three parts of the movie franchise, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, were filmed in New Zealand. The movie tells the story of Frodo Baggins, the hobbit divinely chosen to destroy the One Ring, created by the evil entity Sauron. The village of Hobbiton, Frodo’s home, was shot in New Zealand’s Matamata town, a beautiful, lush farming region. The forbidden pool where Frodo captured Gollum in the second film was captured at the breathtaking Tawhai Falls in the Tongariro National Park. The epic battle of the Pelennor Fields between Sauron and his orcs and the men of Gondor and Rohan was filmed in the grassy fields of Mackenzie. The Lord of the Rings is one of the top-grossing movies where the location was the star of the show.
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