It’s finally that time of year. Schools are on break, three-day weekends are aplenty, and the forecast calls for a splendid summer blockbuster. Weekend after weekend, we return to the time-honored tradition of finding a central air conditioning place within the walls of the hallowed movie theater halls. But while we bask in the Hollywood sunshine of the summer blockbuster, we also have the post-pandemic travel bug itch that needs to be scratched. Do we fly in a plane to the other side of the world? Or do we watch Vin Diesel drive cars out of planes on the other side of the world? Why not both?
Spain
Unfortunately, the small American desert town of Asteroid City is not really an American town. The quirky 1950s diner, auto shop, and freeway ramp that leads to nowhere were entirely built for the film by Wes Anderson’s talented crew. The fictional desert town of Asteroid City is actually located outside the farming town of Chinchón, Spain. It’s surprisingly the perfect place for mid-century Western-influenced film, as the area has historically posed as the American West for legendary cinematic pictures like Once Upon a Time in the West and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
Anderson chose the region not only for its history but for the particular orange tone that the rock sediment of nearby quarry exudes into people’s skin. The crew trucked and moved around pounds of sediment to cover fertile dirt that grows chickpeas and watermelon in the summertime at Chinchón. The town provided close proximity to housing for cast and crew when not filming. Actors of Asteroid City stayed in a refurbished convent and shuttled, bicycled, or walked to set for work each day. You too can stay at the Parador de Chinchón, and if you’re feeling trendy, film a video to the tune of Alexandre Desplat for the ‘Gram.
Peru
Whoever pitched Peru as the travel destination for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts gets a beast-size gold star. This gorgeous country soars into the franchise on a refreshing mountain breeze and is a big selling point for the eyes. If you’re someone who didn’t grow up with the toys or watch any of the previous movies, the relaxing location balances out the make-believe aspects of a film revolving around warring robot car aliens.
The film uses every opportunity to showcase the lush grasses and full forests that cloak the sweeping slopes of the endless countryside. These wild landscapes belong to the San Martin region, where filmmakers have utilized the beautiful remains of Machu Picchu and Sacsayhuaman. The movie also stays impressively faithful to the history around Plaza de Armas of Cusco (with a very fictional Transformer addition) when planting an ancient (Transformer) artifact beneath the plaza built on a sacred Incan square. It’s a big piece of the movie and a neat way to showcase Peru and its traditions. Who knew Transformers would be an ad for the Peruvian tourism board agency?
Italy
A busy filming location in 2021 was the country of Italy. Several American and UK-based blockbusters were filmed within their borders, mainly in part because of the stunning countryside and architecture. Also, perhaps partly due to the lovely 40% tax rebate for filmmakers. Both commodities come in clutch when you’re making a $340 million movie (Fast X) or even a $290 million movie (Mission Impossible).
You don’t need that kind of cash to see some of the beautiful locations featured in the blockbusters that were shot there, though. If you want to be where the people are, look no further than the crystal waters of the island of Sardinia. Rescue your prince charming on the silky sands of Rena Majore Beach, and then use your imagination to tour his fictional castle along the coastline of Castelsardo.
For more of a city-feeling to your Italian tour, take a second to jump from Rome to Turin and then back and forth again like the chase scenes in Fast-X. Though for your travels, we’d advise trying it out in a slightly slower and less infrastructure-damaging fashion.
South Korea
This location has a major presence on-and-off screen throughout Celine Song’s Past Lives. The movie’s protagonist, Nora (Greta Lee), moves from South Korea to Canada with her family at 12 years old, but not before going on playdate with her childhood sweetheart and best friend, Hae Sung (Teo Yoo). The rest of the movie skips between her adult life in NYC and her relationship with Hae Sung over two decades.
The opening scenes in Seoul establish the “past life” of Nora and a platform for the audience’s understanding of her background. A fork in the Bukchon Hanok Village pathway that leads to both of their homes, hers leading up the steps to the right, and his continuing down the main path on the left, is constantly revisited in the film. This backdrop holds not only atmospherical beauty but emotional beauty in the weight of its symbolism as Song shows how her characters are physically separating in the directions their future lives will take them.
Other featured landmarks: Myeongdong Cathedral, Yakhyeon Catholic Church, the National Folk Museum, and the Gyeongbokgung Palace.
France
Oh, the places you’ll go! In his picture book, Dr. Seuss was not thinking about the future multi-million dollar action franchise, but we’re thinking about it for John Wick: Chapter 4. We’ve all watched the series for three reasons: Keanu Reeves, the stunts, and the places he’ll travel to meet with another badass gun-slinger. In this fourth installment, the locations: Berlin, Germany, Tokyo, Japan, Jordan’s Wadi Rum Desert, and Wall Street in New York do not disappoint. But it’s Paris, France, for the extended finale of this nearly 3-hour movie that utilizes its location to the max.
This movie manages to tick an absurd amount off the list in a city packed with landmarks. They give us The Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) meeting with the head of the New York Continental (Ian McShane) in long tracking shot of the Louvre’s Room 77. The Palace of Versailles, where The Marquis is headquartered, is an unparalleled life of luxury, even for a blockbuster movie villain. The Marquis also has control of the incredibly opulent Palais Garnier opera house as well.
For the scenes with Wick, we blaze through various action sequences that use Paris’ landmarks in equal parts as obstacles and stepping stones in Wick’s mission to reach The Basilica of the Sacred Heart by sunrise. This marathon is littered with a seemingly endless stream of opponents (Who knew this underground organization had such a vast population?). A very cyclical chase scene occurs at the Arc de Triomphe, but the true finale occurs in the great climb of the Rue Foyatier. At this point in the movie, it’s a medical marvel that Wick is still standing and continues to stand after tumbling down Rue’s 222 steps multiple times.
Other featured national treasures: Le Jardin du Luxembourg (where *blind man* listens to his daughter play the violin) and The Trocadéro, the site of the Palais de Chaillot (where Wick and The Marquis discuss duel rules with the Eiffel Tower behind them).
Vancouver, BC (and China?)
The Crazy Rich Asians writer turned first-time director Adele Lim’s Joy Ride – begins with two forever friends, Audrey (Ashley Park) and Lolo (Sherry Cola), living in Vancouver before they decide to take the coming-of-age narrative to China in search of Audrey’s birth mother. While there, they round out their squad with Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo’s cousin, and Oscar-nominee Stephanie Hsu– Audrey’s former roommate turned soap opera starlet. The film has been described and advertised as raunchy R-rated comedy, and with a Seth Rogen producer credit, it’s coming across as a Hangover-esque piece with substantial backbone.
What has us a bit baffled about how exactly to pin this location on the map. Is the movie located in Vancouver or mainland China? Perhaps both? Whatever the case, this wouldn’t be entirely out of the question in the realm of movie magic. But with the number of accolades behind the film’s cast and creators, it would be slightly surprising. Hours of internet sleuthing, however, have only unearthed the mention of a single location; the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.
New York City, NY
New York City, NY, has the most summer movies shot within city limits. The notoriously traffic-congested town must have been all stop and no go with the filming of Problemista, Transformers, Past Lives, and John Wick (to name a few). NYC has always been a popular pick for a skyscraper location as it is so recognizable. It’s a mix of modern and historic, and it is even more of a symbol of America than Washington, D.C.
Two stories with themes of immigration- Problemista and Past Lives, likely established their setting in NYC for this reason. Past Lives features a beautifully nuanced scene where two of its lead characters drift past the Statue of Liberty. It conveys the film’s central theme: two friends and the distance between their partially overlapping cultures. In a less A24-esque fashion, though still has great results, Transformers filmmakers achieved recreating a 90s Brooklyn, NY. New York will always have something for everyone- Autobots or auteurs.
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