14 Common Sets In Different Movies That Filmmakers Hope We Don’t Notice

What most of today’s audience doesn’t realize is that they’re watching the same sets among different movies. And it stands to reason the audience doesn’t notice similar points. Directors and scene creators take great pains to distract viewers, for example, by adding in a few extra serious CGI and decorations or setting the scene at a different time of the day.

Simply put, they would strive to ensure viewers don’t figure out the same old room, building, or location is being reused. Using tricky tactics, they alter the movie sets so that it accommodates the movie with the prime purpose of saving time and money for other sets. While most pairs of similar sets are a little difficult to tell, some are pretty obvious for observant audience members like us.

So far, we’ve found many same objects and sets appearing in numerous films, but the following 14 pairings are the easiest to point out for us. We don’t mean they’re too obvious, yet we could easily recognize these sets right from the first second as they are all our favorite shots in the movies.

#1 Hatfield House Corridor

Source: © The Crown / Left Bank Pictures and co-producers, © Rebecca / Netflix and co-producers

Hatfield House is the go-to destination when a movie needs a classic, sophisticated setting. Many films have been filmed here, including Tomb Raider III: The Adventures of Lara Croft, The King's Speech, Sherlock Holmes, and Rebecca. Some scenes from the shows Bridgerton and The Crown were also shot here.

#2 The Courthouse Square Set

Source: © Back to the future / Universal Pictures and co-producers, © Bruce Almighty / Spyglass Entertainment and co-producers

Scenes from both Back to the Future and Bruce Almighty take place in the same location - Courthouse Square. It’s located in Universal Studios. This location has appeared in numerous other films, including Gremlins, Casper, and The Cat in the Hat.

#3 The “Mr. Fusion” Coffee Grinder

Source: © Alien / Brandywine Productions, © Back to the Future Part II / Universal Pictures and co-producers

A coffee grinder is mounted on the wall in the opening scene of Alien. And we can see this model once again in Back to the Future Part II, where it’s used to create Mr. Fusion.

#4 An Eva Pod

Source: © 2001: A Space Odyssey / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and co-producers, © Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace / LucasFilm

EVA pods served as transporters and mobile workshops in 2001: A Space Odyssey. This artifact can be found in the scene set in Watto's junkyard in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.

#5 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 is a natural park in Los Angeles that is open to the public. It also served as the setting for scenes in a variety of films. Its rock formations appeared in several Star Trek films, including Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek: The Beginning. They also appear in "The One with Joey's Big Break," a Friends episode.

#6 The Barricade

Source: © Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone / Warner Bros. and co-producers, © Les misérables / Universal Pictures and co-producers

Many fans will recall Diagon Alley, which first appeared in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The set where it was shot was also used for the barricade scene in Les Misérables.

#7 “The Classic” Car

Source: © The Gift / Lakeshore Entertainment and co-producers, © Spider-Man / Columbia Pictures and co-producers

The Oldsmobile 88 car, dubbed "The Classic" by the director, makes an appearance in all of Sam Raimi's films. Spider-Man, Army of Darkness, and The Gift all have it.

#8 The Newspaper Prop

Source: © Married with Children / Embassy Television and co-producers, © No Country for Old Men / Miramax and co-producers

Many people may overlook commonplace props. However, these little oddities are always noticed by someone. In this case, one user discovered that the same newspaper has appeared in dozens of films and television shows, including Married... with Children, Modern Family, and No Country for Old Men. Earl Hays Press is the company that created the prop.

#9 The Replica of a Jet

Source: © True Lies / Twentieth Century Fox and co-producers, © The Avengers / Marvel Studios and co.producers

True Lies contains an intriguing scene in which Arnold Schwarzenegger is seen piloting a jet. This one was created specifically for the film and was kept together until it appeared in The Avengers in 2012. It is now on display at the Volo Auto Museum.

#10 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

The golden idol that Harrison Ford takes in Raiders of the Lost Ark, leading to one of the franchise's most iconic scenes, also makes an appearance in another film. It's also in the 2001 film The Majestic.

#11 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 appeared in The Hunt for Red October. Both were directed by the same person.

#12 John Marshall High School

Source: © Pretty in pink / Paramount Pictures, © Bachelor Party / Bachelor Party Productions and co-producers

When we think of American films, we probably think of great high schools attended by teenagers. John Marshall High School has one of the most well-known campuses. This is where Movies like Pretty in Pink, School of Rock, Bachelor Party, and even A Nightmare on Elm Street were filmed.

#13 The Quality Cafe

Source: © Mad Men / Lionsgate Television and co-producers, © (500) Days of Summer / Fox Searchlight Pictures and co-producers

The Quality Cafe in Los Angeles has been the setting for several scenes and dialogues in various films. The number of well-known films and television shows that have been shot here is astounding; some have even been shot from the same chairs. We discovered (500) Days of Summer, Se7en, The Seven Deadly Sins, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith among them. It was also featured in the television show Mad Men.

#14 The Wig

Source: © Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery / Capella International and co-producers, © Ocean's Eleven / Warner Bros. and co-producers

Brad Pitt wears a wig to disguise himself in a scene from the film Ocean's Eleven. This is the same wig that Mike Myers wore while filming Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.