Nishitha Dutta
Directed by Michael Bay, ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ is a sci-fi action film that delineates Sam Witwicky’s encounter with the savage Decepticons, two years after the events of the 2007 film. The second chapter in the ‘Transformers’ franchise leaves the protagonist exposed to more danger and chaos despite his resolve to lead a normal life. Like its predecessor, the 2009 edition is packed with thrilling visuals that cover multiple locations all over the world. If you’re curious to know where this movie was filmed, here’s everything we know about it!
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Filming Locations
‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ was filmed over countless locations, which include California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Indiana, and Florida, among others. You’ll be even more thrilled to know that the movie was also filmed in countries like Cambodia, Russia, Jordan, and Egypt. The principal photography commenced on May 3, 2008, and ended on November 2, 2008. If you’re curious to know more, we have your back!
California
A few scenes were shot in California, especially the indoor clips. Most of them were filmed in the former Hughes Aircraft Co. headquarters in Playa Vista. The soundstages established there in Culver City housed the production of the movie. In addition, the team set up their equipment on the Los Angeles-based Paramount Studios, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood.
The city also serves as a substitute for a few parts based in Egypt. Meanwhile, the scene featuring the Shanghai battle was shot in Long Beach. Besides that, Palm Dale, San Diego, Sherman Oaks, and Lone Pine also make appearances in the film. Another location that was used as a shooting site is the Edwards Air Force Base.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania serves as one of the most significant filming locations for the film. The team started shooting there on June 2, 2008 and finished two days later on June 4. One of the most prominent action sequences was actualized at the Bethlehem Steel site in Bethlehem, which acted as a substitute for some parts of Shanghai.
On June 9, 2008, the crew entered Philadelphia and utilized an inoperative PECO Richmond power station. They also shot at the Free Library of Philadelphia, Eastern State Penitentiary, Drexel University, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia City Hall, Fairmount Park, the Delaware Generating Station, historic Chancellor Street (which stands in for Paris), and Wanamaker’s. One of the scenes was filmed at the University of Pennsylvania in a section endearingly known as “The Castle.” Yet, the university did not allow the producers to use the name because of ethical reasons.
New Jersey
The production team traveled to New Jersey on June 22, 2008. The cameras began to roll on Princeton University, but the entire feat irked a few students there. A part of it stemmed from the idea that director Bay had decided to reshoot scenes at Princeton and include the name of the university in the movie. Similar to how things turned out at the University of Pennsylvania, the production wasn’t allowed to mention the university name at any point.
New Mexico
New Mexico, a part of the southwestern region of the country, served as the next filming location. Known for its expansive areas that are spectacularly scenic to watch, it is no surprise that the film features the state. In September 2008, the crew got to shoot at the Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range. These places successfully filled in for Egypt-based scenes. The city of Alamogordo in Otero County also appears in a few scenes.
Arizona
In Arizona, the crew primarily conducted filming at Tucson International Airport and the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. The cast and crew worked hard on-location in October 2008 under the working title ‘Prime Directive’ as a tribute to ‘Star Trek.’ a portion of filming also took place in Camp Pendleton and Davis–Monthan Air Force Base.
Other Locations in the US
The production team made use of various locations within the country. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center National Air & Space Museum in Virginia additionally makes the cut. The filming finally wrapped up at the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis on November 2, 2008.
Egypt
‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ was filmed internationally in several locations, out of which Egypt stands out as extremely significant. The shooting continued for three days at the Giza pyramid complex in Greater Cairo and Luxor in Upper Egypt. Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura disclosed that a crew of 150 Americans and several Egyptians were involved in the process.
Director Bay had to persuade the Egyptian government, especially Zahi Hawass — Egyptologist and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, to let him film at the pyramids. Yet, he formed a good rapport with Bay and let the production pull through. Bay was disappointed at the way the climax plays out in the first part. So, he decided to host the final battle for the second edition in Egypt so that the action scenes are easier to follow.
Other Locations in the World
Besides Egypt, the team spent four days in Jordan, where the Royal Jordanian Air Force assisted them at Petra, Wadi Rum, and Salt. Their help is attributed to King Abdullah II’s fondness for science fiction movies. More filming took place in France. They visited the Place de la Concorde in Paris, where the second unit took a few shots of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Several scenes were filmed in Moscow (Russia) and Cambodia.
