Hey fellow explorers,
Some destinations earn their reputation over centuries. Others make it onto the map in two hours, somewhere between the opening scene and closing credits. A landscape so striking it stops a director in their tracks. An ancient city that needs no set dressing. A steam train crossing a viaduct that belongs in a fairy tale.
This month, The 100 turns its attention to the cinematic places that proved too eye-catching to stay fictional – destinations that drew the cameras in and gave audiences around the world a new reason to book a flight. The full list has a worthy winner, but these four are where we'd start.
Sicily, Italy
Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey arrived in cinemas last month, and with it comes renewed interest in the Sicilian islands where much of it was filmed. Nolan spent over six weeks shooting on and around the Aeolian Islands – volcanic, dramatic and unlike anywhere else in the Mediterranean – and the Aegadian Islands, where Favignana's extraordinary turquoise waters provide the backdrop to Nolan’s Ithaca, the home Odysseus is so desperately trying to get back to. When you see it for real, you’ll understand why.
Jacobite Steam Train, Scotland
For anyone who grew up with Harry Potter the Jacobite steam train needs little introduction – this is the real-life Hogwarts Express. Perhaps most famous is the sight of it crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which features in four films across the franchise, most memorably during the flying car sequence in Chamber of Secrets (2002). The train runs through the Scottish Highlands year-round and, unlike Platform 9¾, no brick wall is required to board.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Twenty five years ago Angelina Jolie brought Lara Croft to life among the temples and jungle of Siem Reap, turning Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm into some of cinema's most iconic backdrops. The roots-entwined ruins of Ta Prohm look much as they did on screen, which makes exploring them feel like stepping directly into the film. Beyond the Tomb Raider (2001) trail, floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake, night markets and traditional Apsara dance shows await.
Chicago, USA
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) turns 40 this year, and Chicago – its undisputed star – shows no signs of slowing down. The Art Institute steps, Dearborn Street and the Chicago Board of Trade all feature in the film, and John Hughes wasn't the last to notice how naturally the city translates to screen. The Dark Knight (2008) deployed the city as Gotham, while hit TV show The Bear shoots almost entirely on location here.
There are ten destinations on the full list, each with its own story to tell, on screen and off. Find out which one takes the top spot and make your own call on the film location you most need to see in the flesh.
Our Route 66 journey just crossed the halfway point, right into a state that's given cinema some of its most iconic backdrops, from the dusty plains of No Country for Old Men (2007) to the wide-open loneliness of Paris, Texas (1984). Texas holds the second-shortest leg of Route 66 despite being the largest state in the lower 48, but it delivers legendary barbecue, roadside diners and small-town hospitality at every mile.
