Arka Mukhopadhyay
‘London Has Fallen’ is an action-thriller movie set in the city of Big Ben that becomes the target of a massive terrorist attack. Iranian-Swedish filmmaker Babak Najafi directed the movie as a straightforward action nail-biter, with epic scale and disastrous proportions. Following the death of the British Prime Minister, members of the G7 arrive in London. Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, his superior Lynne Jacobs, and others escort US president Benjamin Asher to the funeral.
The media touts the event as the most secure on earth, but unfortunately, they jinx it. Long before you know, London is up in flames, and the President is on the run, barefoot. The cat-and-mouse chase takes us through different parts of the city, while the early shots reveal the city’s iconic architecture. If you are wondering where the movie was filmed, you can rely on us. Here’s everything you need to know!
London Has Fallen Filming Locations
‘London Has Fallen’ was filmed in and around Bulgaria, the UK (especially in London), and India. Filming commenced on October 24, 2014. After a prolonged Christmas break, filming resumed in February 2015 and was wrapped up by April of the same year. Ed Wild, whose previous works include the 2006 movie ‘Severance,’ served as the cinematographer for the project. Joel Collins of ‘Black Mirror‘ fame handled the production design. Let’s go through the specific filming locations!
London, England
Most of the story unfolds in London, and accordingly, several scenes were lensed in the capital city of England and the UK. The early jogging scenes were filmed at Kensington Gardens, one of the Royal Parks of London. The funeral procession scenes were indeed shot at the Somerset House, London’s iconic art center. The scenes where the French President prefers a boat ride were filmed near the 19th century-built architectural wonder Tower Bridge. Meanwhile, the under-construction house the terrorists use as their headquarters is also in the city, and it was at the epicenter of the 1854 Cholera epidemic.
A few shots in the film showcase Buckingham Palace, but it’s not a sight you want to see for real. However, with some VFX, the spectacle is visceral. The funeral procession would supposedly end at St. Paul’s Cathedral, and while that does not happen, the drone shots entice the viewers. One scene also features the Cutty Sark, a historic clipper ship turned into a museum. It now lies at the King William Walk in the Greenwich district of London. Filming also took place in Clifton Street, Earl Street, the neighborhood of Hackney, and in the London Underground tunnels.
Surrey, England
The Air Force One drops the President in Stansted Airport, but the scenes were filmed in an airstrip in Surrey, a historic county just southwest of London. The scenes were captured at the Dunsfold Aerodrome, home to the ‘Top Gear’ studio and test track. Incidentally, the airplane used as Air Force One, a Boeing 747-200 (G-BDXJ), can be identified in several episodes of ‘Top Gear.’ It is the same aircraft that you see in ‘Casino Royale.’
Sofia, Bulgaria
The studio work was almost entirely carried out in Sofia, the culturally vibrant capital of the Balkan country Bulgaria. Nu Boyana Film Studios, a vast state-of-the-art movie production facility located at 84 Kumata street in the city, lent its premises for the filming of the scenes. From ‘300‘ to ‘Loving Pablo,’ several blockbuster productions were filmed in the studio.
India
In the early segments of the movie, we see the wedding of Aamir Barkawi’s daughter, supposedly in Pakistan. However, due to security and other reasons, the director and the crew members sought to film the sequences in India. The country presents a cost-efficient opportunity for budding filmmakers, coupled with the allure of Bollywood-savvy dance numbers.
Read More: London Has Fallen Ending, Explained
