Location, Location, Location...

1.

Not sure of their motivation, but NetCredit — a personal finance company — has done a study of the favourite places where movies are filmed. They identified the many "Hey, I recognize that place" spots in every country in the world. NetCredit used the IMDb Advanced Search feature, selected movies from Jan. 1, 1900 through to Dec. 31, 2020 that had data about filming locations and counted the number of appearances of each location in each country. Globally, on the IMDb list, they found just four countries had film locations with credits on more than 100 productions: U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Afghanistan. So, you're probably thinking...Afghanistan? Yes, the most-credited location outside of Europe and North America is Kabul in Afghanistan, with 113 credits. Both 2011's Hell and Back Again and 2010's Restrepo earned Best Documentary Oscars, while The Horsemen (1971) is probably the biggest movie shot there, but it has been the chosen location in many films (most documentaries). Are you surprised that Afghanistan was the filming location in so many movies?

Yes

49%

1126 votes

No

32%

740 votes

Undecided

19%

434 votes

2.

The most-filmed location in the world is Central Park in New York City, with 532 movie credits. The first film that acknowledged Central Park was released in 1900 and, creatively, it was called "In Central Park". Specific locations within countries are used because -- simply put, nothing will do quite like the real thing. Not surprising, these locations are often the top tourist attractions in these locations. Have you visited any of these top movie locations?

Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada is the most used film location in Canada. The falls have 142 movie credits

37%

855 votes

Europe's No. 1 location is Trafalgar Square in London, England, with 131 credits.

14%

329 votes

France's most filmed location is at the Eiffel Tower

14%

311 votes

St. Mark's Square is Italy's busiest location

9%

200 votes

Ecuador's Galapagos Islands and Chile's Atacama Desert vied for top spot in South America, each of which has 50 credited appearances:

3%

64 votes

Moscow's Red Square is Russia's most-used film location.

3%

66 votes

Asia's top location is Japan's Mount Fuji, which served as the backdrop for the 1956 film Around the World in 80 Days and Street Without End.

3%

65 votes

Israel is most often captured on film at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall

3%

71 votes

Dubai's most popular film location is the Burj Khalifa tower

2%

50 votes

The Taj Mahal is India's go-to film location.

2%

55 votes

Dakar in Senegal is Africa's most popular filming spot.

1%

14 votes

Australia's most recognizable building, The Sydney Opera House has starred in movies like Mission: Impossible II and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.

4%

94 votes

Spain's Cabo de Gata is a coastal region in Andalusia, and it's known as "Europe's only desert." Because of its unique geography, the desert has starred in several Western movies, disguising itself as the American West.

2%

36 votes

Mexico's Sierra Madre has been used in more films than any other location in that country

3%

58 votes

None

50%

1160 votes

3.

It seems once a good location to film is discovered, it becomes a favourite. Have you personally gone to any of these often used movie locations?

Ireland's Cliffs of Moher - The Princess Bride (1987) (as the filming location for "The Cliffs of Insanity"), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), and Leap Year (2010).

5%

111 votes

Torrance High School, in southern Los Angeles -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003) Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000) Not Another Teen Movie (2001) She's All That (1999) The Hot Chick (2002) Bruce Almighty (2003) Cursed (2005)

6%

131 votes

Kilmainham Gaol , former prison turned museum in Ireland -- The Face of Fu Manchu, (1965), The Italian Job, (1969), The Mackintosh Man, (1973), The Last Remake of Beau Geste, (1977), The Whistle Blower (1987), The Babe, (1992), In the Name of the Father, (1993).

4%

91 votes

Alnwick Castle, England -- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets., Blackadder, Downton Abbey,

3%

79 votes

Bradbury Building, Los Angeles -- 500 Days of Summer , Blade Runner(1982), The Unfaithful (1947), Shockproof (1949), D.O.A. (1949), and I, The Jury (1953)

2%

54 votes

None of them

85%

1951 votes

4.

Have you personally visited any of these often used film and TV locations?

Ennis House, Los Angeles (the Frank Lloyd Wright designed mansion) -- House on Haunted Hill (1959), Blade Runner (1982), Black Rain (1989), The Day of the Locust (1975) and the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

3%

64 votes

British Columbia Institute of Technology Aerospace campus -- . I, Robot (2004), The Cabin in the Woods (2011), Intelligence (2014), The X Files TV series, The Flash TV sereis

6%

129 votes

Point Dume State Beach in Malibu -- Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010), The Big Lebowski (1998), The Fast and the Furious (1954), Planet of the Apes (1968), I Dream of Jeannie TV series

5%

106 votes

University of Toronto campus, Toronto -- Mean Girls (2004), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Good Will Hunting (1997), The Prince and Me (2004), Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

9%

202 votes

None

79%

1822 votes

Hatfield House, England -- Batman (1989) The Avengers (1998) Shakespeare in Love (1998) Sleepy Hollow (1999) Band of Brothers (2001) Tomb Raider (2001) The Importance of Being Ernest (2002) Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)

3%

60 votes

Vasquez Rocks, park located in northern Los Angeles -- Alpha Dog (2007); Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie (2014); Apache (1954); Army of Darkness (1993); Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, original Star Trek series, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Into Darkness and Star Trek: Voyager.

4%

84 votes

Results: Location, Location, Location...