Diksha Sundriyal
If you want a sci-fi film full of action and adventure, then ‘Starship Troopers’ is one of your best options. Based on the sci-fi novel of the same name by Robert Heinlein, it follows the story of Johnny Rico, a young soldier who joins the Mobile Infantry to battle the Arachnids who have declared war on humanity. The story takes the character from his home on Earth to the trying environs of Klendathu. If you wonder how the film managed to create two different planets so elaborately, here’s the answer. The following are the filming locations of ‘Starship Troopers’.
Where Was Starship Troopers Filmed?
‘Starship Troopers’ follows the story of an intergalactic battle between humans and Bugs. While the film required a lot of CGI and greenscreen, most of the shooting took place on location in various parts of the country. Several places in California, Wyoming, and South Dakota were used to create a futuristic Earth as well as the planet with which it is at war.
Los Angeles, California
The story of ‘Starship Troopers’ begins with the place where Rico receives education. The filming of these scenes took place in the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, 1011 Baldwin Park Boulevard in Baldwin Park. The scenes featuring Rico’s family home were filmed at The Henman House, 33583 Mulholland Highway in Malibu. After completing his training, Rico advances to the Federal Service. The scene of the spaceport from where he departs is filmed at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street in LA.
The next step of Rico’s journey is the military boot camp. To film these scenes, the production used a one-time Navy landing field in Mile Square Regional Park, 16801 Euclid Street in Fountain Valley. The football match scene was filmed at the Walter Pyramid, 1250 N. Bellflower Boulevard in Long Beach.
Apart from this, several scenes were also filmed on location in the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, the Park Plaza Hotel in downtown LA, and the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park in LA. The crew also used the Sony Pictures Studios at 10202 W. Washington Boulevard in Culver City.
Hell’s Half Acre, Wyoming
While showing a futuristic Earth is not an easy task, it is better than creating an alien planet. The fight of the troopers is against the Arachnids who come from the world of Klendathu and to win against them, the soldiers have to take the fight to them. This is where a brutal battle takes place between humans and the bugs, and it is one of the most important scenes of the film.
Getting it right required a perfect location that would allow the filmmakers to present an alien planet. They found their answer in the badlands of Hell’s Half Acre in Natrona County, Wyoming. The production set camp here with an expansive set built to portray the humans’ command center. A little CGI here and there allowed them to turn this place into Klendathu.
South Dakota
While Wyoming’s Hell’s Half Acre was used to film the battle scenes, it wasn’t the only place that subbed for the planet of Arachnids. The Badlands National Park in South Dakota also features in numerous scenes in ‘Starship Troopers’.
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