As the cameras are rolling, part of the Hollywood movie magic is taking a location and effectively making use of it or converting it into something new. More and more movies utilize partially or entirely digital landscapes, but it was common for two separate films to use the same sets. Therefore, when watching a movie, audiences tend to be drawn to the characters and the dialogue among them but ignore what’s going on in the background.
Audiences don’t realize that they’re looking at the same set with a few extra decorations or with some serious CGI added in. Set designers take great pains most times to ensure that audiences don’t figure out where they’ve seen buildings, rooms, parks, etc. But sometimes, they are spotted by eagle-eyed fans.
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#1 John Marshall High School
Source: © Pretty in pink / Paramount Pictures, © Bachelor Party / Bachelor Party Productions and co-producers
John Marshall High School is one of the best-known campuses, chosen to be part of the scenery in movies like “Pretty in Pink”, “School of Rock”, “Bachelor Party”, and “A Nightmare on Elm Street”.
#2 The Courthouse Square set
Source: © Back to the future / Universal Pictures and co-producers, © Bruce Almighty / Spyglass Entertainment and co-producers
Both “Back to the Future” and “Bruce Almighty” have scenes that take place in Courthouse Square, located in Universal Studios. We can see it in other films, such as “Gremlins”, “Casper”, and “The Cat in the Hat”.
#3 Hatfield House corridor
Source: © The Crown / Left Bank Pictures and co-producers, © Rebecca / Netflix and co-producers
Hatfield House is an elegant place that is suitable for shooting scenes for many films, including “Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft”, “The King’s Speech”, “Sherlock Holmes”, “Rebecca”, “Bridgerton”, and “The Crown”.
#4 The golden idol
Source: © Raiders of the Lost Ark / LucasFilm and co-producers, © Raiders of the Lost Ark / LucasFilm and co-producers, © The Majestic / Castle Rock Entertainment and co-producers
Remember that the scene where Harrison Ford takes a golden idol in” Raiders of the Lost Ark” becomes one of the most iconic scenes of the franchise. The golden idol also appeared in “The Majestic”.
#5 The Quality Cafe
Source: © Mad Men / Lionsgate Television and co-producers, © (500) Days of Summer / Fox Searchlight Pictures and co-producers
The Quality Cafe, located in LA, become a place to shoot scenes for different films. Some have been filmed from the same seats. The Quality Cafe was used in movies such as “500 Days of Summer”, “Se7en”, “The Seven Deadly Sins”, and “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”.
#6 The barricade
Source: © Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone / Warner Bros. and co-producers, © Les misérables / Universal Pictures and co-producers
Diagon Alley made its first appearance in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”. It was also used to transform into the barricade scene in “Les Misérables”.
#7 The replica of a jet
Source: © True Lies / Twentieth Century Fox and co-producers, © The Avengers / Marvel Studios and co.producers
Do you remember a jet that was piloted by Arnold Schwarzenegger in “True Lies”? This jet was made especially for the film and was kept together until 2012 when it appeared in The Avengers.
#8 “The Classic” car
Source: © The Gift / Lakeshore Entertainment and co-producers, © Spider-Man / Columbia Pictures and co-producers
The Oldsmobile 88 car, named “The Classic” by director Sam Raimi appeared in “Spider-Man”, “Army of Darkness”, and “The Gift”.
#9 The teddy bear
Source: © Die Hard / Silver Pictures and co-producers, © The Hunt for Red October / Paramount Pictures and co-producers
The teddy bear held by Bruce Willis in the first installment of Die Hard also had its moment of fame in the movie, The Hunt for Red October.
#10 The Vasquez Rocks landscape
Source: © Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home / Paramount Pictures and co-producers, © Friends / Warner Bros. Television and co-producers
Vasquez Rocks, a natural park located in Los Angeles, was the backdrop to scenes of many different movies. Its rock formations appeared in movies: “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” and “Star Trek: The Beginning” and a “Friends” episode, “The One with Joey’s Big Break.”
#11 The “Mr. Fusion” coffee grinder
Source: © Alien / Brandywine Productions, © Back to the Future Part II / Universal Pictures and co-producers
A coffee grinder appearing in the opening scene of “Alien” was reused in “Back to the Future Part II”.
#12 The newspaper prop
Source: © Married with Children / Embassy Television and co-producers, © No Country for Old Men / Miramax and co-producers
Some audiences with eagle eyes noticed that the same newspaper has appeared in some movies and shows, such as “Married... with Children”, “Modern Family”, and “No Country for Old Men”.
#13 An EVA pod
Source: © 2001: A Space Odyssey / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and co-producers, © Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace / LucasFilm
In 2001: A Space Odyssey, EVA pods served as transporters and mobile workshops. This artifact can be seen in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace in the scene set in Watto’s junkyard.
#14 The wig
Source: © Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery / Capella International and co-producers, © Ocean's Eleven / Warner Bros. and co-producers
In “Ocean’s Eleven”, Brad Pitt wears a wig to disguise himself, and this wig was worn by Mike Myers in “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.”