One of the most interesting parts of the movie business is the incredible locations that are used for filming all over the world. Whether it’s filming in the deserts of Tunisia to simulate the planet of Tatooine, in Jordan’s Wadi Rum to mimic the planet Mars, or even in the glaciers of Iceland to replicate a frozen wasteland in a faraway world, locations bring a film to life.
However, not all movies have the luxury or even the need to film in such exotic locations. Instead, many filmmakers opt to film in busy cities, where filming can be done either in the streets or in a pre-built set. This city filming has allowed for a massive amount of movies to be made worldwide, and here are the eight cities where the most movies have been filmed.
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8 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Warner Bros. Pictures
With its beautiful architecture and European inspiration, Buenos Aires has earned the nickname “Paris of South America”. With such beautiful buildings as well as a breathtaking landscape, Buenos Aires is easily the most popular filmmaking location in not just South America, but also one of the most popular in the Southern Hemisphere. Buenos Aires is home to movies such as Focus, Children of Men, Seven Years in Tibet, and more.
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7 San Francisco, California
WETA
The first of multiple cities in the United States, San Francisco has had popular films such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Hulk, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Pursuit of Happyness, and many more filmed and set in its area. With the iconic Golden Gate Bridge looming, different architectural styles around the city, and the towering redwoods in the surrounding area, San Francisco is a great West Coast landscape for the films that are set there.
6 Chicago, Illinois
Paramount Pictures
Another sprawling city with endless opportunities for filming, Chicago is a beautiful town that is also cheaper to film in than the likes of the more popular cities like New York or Los Angeles. Movies famously filmed in Chicago such as Child’s Play, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off along with many more contribute to the city’s reputation as one of the world’s top filming locations. Not only that, but Chicago being along Lake Michigan provides a beautiful backdrop against the urban cityscape.
RELATED: Best Movies Set in Chicago, Ranked
5 Vancouver, British Columbia
20th Century Fox
If a filmmaker is looking to save money on production, look no further than the city of Vancouver. Filming in Vancouver helps save on production costs as the Canadian government provides tax incentives for those that are working there. The city of Vancouver is also in a rich geographical area and is in the same time zone as Los Angeles. These factors combined make Vancouver one of the most popular filming destinations in the world, as movies such as Elf, Titanic, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Deadpool and more were all filmed there.
4 Toronto, Ontario
Universal Pictures
The second Canadian city on the list, Toronto is popularly used in film for similar reasons to that of Vancouver. The tax incentives offered from the Canadian government, combined with a vast cityscape that can emulate other, more popular cities makes Toronto a top location for any production looking to save some money. The Incredible Hulk, Good Will Hunting, Pacific Rim, Suicide Squad, and more are all films that utilized the city of Toronto to film their movies, even though they are not set there.RELATED:Turning Red & 5 Other Movies Set in Toronto
3 London, United Kingdom
Eon Productions
Easily Europe’s most popular filming destination, the City of London also offers tax incentives similar to that in Vancouver and Toronto. Not only that, but London’s revered architecture along with the charming surrounding area makes it a premier destination for European and American filmmakers alike. Popular films such as Shaun of the Dead, Sherlock Holmes, Skyfall, and countless more contribute to London’s prominence as a top filming location around the globe.
2 New York City, New York
Netflix
America’s most populous and most recognizable city, it’s no wonder why so many movies would be set and filmed in the endless streets of New York City. Because the city is so big, it is also the home of many filmmakers and artistic minds, providing the perfect backdrop for these talents to put their skills to the test. Ghostbusters, Uncut Gems, American Psycho, Home Alone 2, Spider-Man, Goodfellas, and too many more iconic movies to count, the filmmaking world would not be the same without everything that New York means to the profession.
RELATED: Scream 6 Will See Ghostface Wreak Slasher Havoc in New York City
1 Los Angeles, California
Summit Entertainment
Far and away the most popular location in the world for filming movies and television shows, Los Angeles has been the cultural center for the film industry since the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s. There’s a reason why any aspiring actor, director, filmmaker, or musician wants to move out to L.A. with dreams of living the life of luxury. Los Angeles is also the home of countless celebrities, which contributes to the massive amounts of movies and shows being filmed there. Some famous examples of movies filmed in L.A. are La La Land, The Fast and the Furious, Nightcrawler, Blade Runner, and Chinatown, just to name a few.
