Sumith Prasad
Directed by Chloé Zhao, Marvel’s epic superhero film ‘Eternals’ centers around the immortal alien race — the Eternals — who band together after thousands of years to protect Earth from the Deviants, who are monstrous and evil humanoids. Led by Ajak, the Eternals assemble upon returning from different parts of the world to resolve their internal conflicts and safeguard the human race from the Deviants’ attacks.
The 26th film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), ‘Eternals’ marks a change from the typical superhero productions by filming the majority of the scenes in real locations rather than relying on blue or green screen studios completely. The film offers a distinct visual appeal that is organic, original, and true to the narrative. Inspired by the revolutionary transition, we have covered the filming locations of ‘Eternals’ in detail. Let’s take a look!
Eternals Filming Locations
The filming of ‘Eternals’ took place in Spain, England, and the US. The principal photography of the film began in July 2019 in Buckinghamshire, England. The principal filming wrapped in February 2020, right before the global entertainment production got affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A set of reshoots reportedly took place in November 2020 and additional filming in February 2021.
As the film presents the backstory of individual superheroes and their homeland, ‘Eternals’ is set in Mesopotamia, Babylon, India, South Dakota, Alaska, and the Amazon rainforest. The locations in Spain and England mostly stand-in for these settings in the film. Now, let’s take a closer look at the filming locations.
Canary Islands, Spain
The Canary Islands is a Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago consists of eight main islands and numerous other small islands. In the southernmost region of Spain, the Islands are one of the major tourist attractions of the country. The islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, the second and fourth largest islands in the archipelago, stand in for Mesopotamia, Babylon, and Australian Outback in the film.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CU7qUhAFbc0/
On Fuerteventura, filming took place at several locations across the island. Penitas Gorge, a narrow valley in Betancuria Rural Park, also appears in the film. Located south of Fuerteventura in Pájara and known for its black-sand beach, La Solapa Beach also features in the film, prominently in the scene where the Eternals assembles. Las Barcas beach, Corralejo sand dunes, and Buen Paso palm groves also serve as the shooting locations for the film.
On Lanzarote, the filming was done around the Cuervo Volcano, one of the most accessible volcanoes in the region with even access to the crater. According to reports, the filming also took place in Charco de Los Clicos, where the crater of an extinct volcano submerges into the Atlantic Ocean to form a lagoon. The production team also chose the volcanic scenery of Rodeos Mountain in the Los Volcanes Natural Park to shoot some of the scenes in the film.
Buckinghamshire, England
The principal photography of the film began in Buckinghamshire at the Pinewood Studios. The film and television studio is located on Pinewood Road, Slough, in the village of Iver Heath, a few miles west of central London. It is also the home of the ‘James Bond’ franchise. ‘Eternals’ was filmed in a number of stages, including 1, 2, 3, 4 and The Roger Moore Stage.
The production team constructed grand sets in the facility to bring the epic comic book sequences to life. Black Park, comprising 618-acre heath and woodland, stands in for the Aztec pyramid setting. It is situated adjacent to Pinewood Studios and serves as a pivotal location for the ‘Harry Potter’ film series.
London, England
London, the capital city of England, is one of the principal filming sites of ‘Eternals.’ At the film’s start, Sersi emerges from the Piccadilly Circus, a road junction in Westminster at London’s West End. The filming also took place in Hampstead Heath, a 790-acre ancient London heath. Parliament Hill, located on the southeast corner of Hampstead Heath, is used for filming as the Hill offers a magnificent view of London.
Situated in northwest London, Camden Town also serves as a location for the film. The production took place in various places in the district, including Camden Lock, by the Regent’s Canal. The iconic Belsize Park in Camden also serves as a shooting site for ‘Eternals.’
Oxford, England
The University of Oxford, situated at Wellington Square, Oxford, also appears in the film. The filming also took place in the University’s Museum of Natural History, situated at Parks Road, Oxford. The museum contains the University’s natural history specimens.
Other Locations in England
Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, which is home to the renowned Stonehenge, stands in for the South Dakota ranch of Ajak. The chalk plateau is one of the prominent remaining grasslands in northwest Europe. Swinley Forest in Berkshire is where the scenes set in Alaska were filmed.
Los Angeles, California
Under the working title ‘Sack Lunch,’ the additional filming of ‘Eternals’ took place in Los Angeles in February 2021. The cast and crew were spotted shooting at West 5th Street and South Spring Street. The City of Angels is no stranger to the filming of such large-scale productions. It has served as a filming site of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ ‘Black Widow,’ ‘The Avengers,’ ‘WandaVision,’ ‘Captain Marvel,’ and many others.
Read More: Best Marvel Movies and Shows on Netflix
