From Spain to NYC: the most-used filming locations across the globe

Even though Hollywood and the rest of Los Angeles is synonymous with the entertainment industry, the most popular filming location in the world isn’t actually in California. 

According to a new study from NetCredit, New York City’s famous Central Park is the United State’s most popular filming location, with the luscious green space having racked up scenes in 532 films between 1900 and 2020.

Some famous scenes filmed in Central Park include Will Ferrell’s snowball fight in 2003’s Elf, Macaulay Culkin wandering through the park in 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, and more recently, it’s where Thor beamed Loki back to Asgard at the end of 2012’s The Avengers.

According to the Central Park Conservancy, the aforementioned Chris Hemsworth scene, which was shot at Bethesda Terrace, is among the most asked about by those visiting the park.

In addition to the most popular locations in the United States, NetCredit also looked at what the most popular location in each country around the world is, using information from IMDB.

Check out the three most popular filming locations in America, along with others from different countries around the globe:

Central Park, New York City

532 films have been shot at Central Park, the first of which was a 1908 silent production of Romeo and Juliet by Brooklyn-based studio Vitagraph. The two most popular locations for filming are the Mall--with its line of elm trees used in 1989’s When Harry Met Sally--and the iconic fountain at Bethesda Terrace, which housed Amy Adams’ fairytale song and dance in Enchanted.

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Bronson Canyon, Los Angeles

285 films have been shot at Bronson Canyon, including 1956’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the 1956 John Wayne Western The Searchers.

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park, Agua Dulce, California

253 movies have filmed scenes at this park, including 1997’s Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

Cabo de Gata, Almería, Andalusia, Spain

Dubbed “Europe’s only desert,” 99 films have been shot here, with many productions using the location as a stand-in for the American West in the Spaghetti Westerns of the ’60s and ’70s.

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St. Mark’s Square, Venice, Veneto, Italy

54 films have been shot here, most recently being featured in Spider Man: Far From Home in 2019.

Atacama Desert, Chile

50 films have been shot at what is reportedly the driest place on Earth, serving as a substitute for planets like Mars.

Alexanderplatz, Mitte, Berlin

38 films have been shot here, including 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy, which shows Matt Damon meeting Julia Stiles beneath the square’s sculptural world clock.

Praha Hlavni Nadrazi, Wilsonova, Prague

35 films have used Prague’s main railway station for filming, including 2006’s The Illusionist and Casino Royale that same year.

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Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt

29 films have been shot here, including 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me.

Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland

26 films have used this lush, green estate for their production, being featured in 1981’s Excalibur as well as 1992’s Far and Away, starring then-married Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise.

Iguazu Waterfalls, Misiones, Argentina

25 productions have used this massive waterfall system in their films, including 2018’s Black Panther and 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

While 21 films have been shot here, Angelina Jolie’s 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was reportedly the first feature to be shot in Cambodia since the ’60s.

Ait Benhaddou, Morocco

21 films have been shot at this clay village, the location where Russell Crowe shouts “Are you not entertained?” in 2000’s Gladiator.