Naman Shrestha
Directed by Roland Emmerich, ‘10,000 BC’ is a period action-adventure movie that chronicles the adventurous life of a prehistoric tribe of mammoth hunters. At the center of the narrative is one of the hunters named D’Leh, who is deeply in love with the magnificent and blue-eyed tribeswoman, Evolet. Everything is going well until some horseback-riding warriors capture Evolet along with most of D’Leh’s tribespeople. Now, he must set off on a dangerous mission to rescue all the captives.
Set in the prehistoric era, the open fields, be it plains, deserts, or mountains, in the backdrop tend to keep the viewers wondering about the production locations used for the action-adventure film. Moreover, the coexistence of the wildlife with the tribe members also plays a significant part in keeping the narrative seemingly realistic. So, if you wish to know all about the production of the Roland Emmerich directorial, allow us to rid you of your curiosity.
10,000 BC Filming Locations
‘10,000 BC’ was filmed in Namibia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Thailand, specifically in the Namib Desert, South Island, and Cape Town. The principal photography seemingly commenced in early 2006 and took a total of 102 days, 20 days more than the production team had intended. This delay was partly due to some restrictions Emmerich and his team faced in Africa while filming.
Apparently, the director wanted to tape the entire movie in Africa but the authorities did not allow him to carry out an important sequence that required the usage of a helicopter. Thus, they had to travel all the way to New Zealand to film those specific shots. Now, let’s traverse the specific locations that create the settings for the film set in the prehistoric era.
Namib Desert, Namibia
The production team of ‘10000 BC’ filmed a significant portion of the film in the Namib desert in Southern Africa to lense some pivotal sequences. Although the massive desert stretches for over 2,000 kilometers along the Atlantic coasts of Namibia, South Africa, and Angola, it seems that the cast and crew members utilized the portion of the desert that is situated in Namibia.
In particular, they also taped several important scenes on the Spitzkoppe. It is a group of granite mountains located between Usakos and Swakopmund in the Namib desert of Namibia. The pyramids, God’s palace, miniature replicas of the pyramids, the slave quarters, and even the Nile River were all constructed by the production team in Namibia. As per reports, the buildings were built in Munich and then transported to the African country via 15 different sea containers.
South Island, New Zealand
The filming of the action film also took place in the snow-covered landscapes of South Island in New Zealand. For shooting purposes, the cast and crew of ‘10,000 BC’ set up camp in South Island or Te Waipounamu, which is known for its lakes, glaciers, and peaks. The team conducted location shooting in several places across the island, particularly in the adventure town of Queenstown, Snow Farm at 2127 Cadrona Valley Road, and other sites in and around Wānaka in the Otago region. A portion of filming also took place in the country’s southernmost region of Southland.
Cape Town, South Africa
A few important sequences were also filmed in Cape Town, one of the three capital cities of South Africa. Also known as the Mother City, it has a vast and versatile terrain that makes it a favorable filming site for different types of movies and TV shows. Some of the notable filming projects that have been shot in the capital city are ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ ‘Hitman,’ and ‘Homeland.’
Thailand
According to reports, the cast and crew of ‘10,000 BC’ also utilized a few locales of Thailand for the film. It has been reported that the jungle scenes were recorded in the dense and wild jungles of the Southeast Asian country.
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