Take that, Hollywood.
The US location that’s been used in the most movies isn’t in California. It’s right here in New York City.
Just above midtown between the east and west sides, to be exact.
A new study from NetCredit found that Central Park is the US’s most popular filming location, with the famous green space having racked up 532 credits between 1900 and 2020.
Central Park was where Will Ferrell had a snowball fight in 2003’s “Elf,” where Macaulay Culkin wandered in 1992’s “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York” and where Thor beamed Loki back to Asgard at the end of 2012’s “The Avengers.” (That last scene — shot at Bethesda Terrace — is among the most asked about by park visitors, according to the Central Park Conservancy.)
The data crunchers at NetCredit also looked at what was the most popular location in each country around the world.
And while the survey uses information from IMDB and may not be exactly scientific, it’s still a fun yardstick for determining where directors like to set up their cameras.
Take a look at the three most popular locations in America, as well as 10 others from countries around the globe.
Central Park
532 films
Likely the first film to be shot in the park was a 1908 silent production of “Romeo and Juliet” by prolific Brooklyn-based studio Vitagraph. Since then, countless movies have made use of the park’s green spaces and unique geography. The park hosts 300-400 shoots a year, including movies, news pieces, print photo shoots and student films. The two most popular areas for filming are the Mall, with its line of elm trees used in 1989’s “When Harry Met Sally,” and the iconic fountain at Bethesda Terrace, home to Amy Adams’ fairytale song and dance in “Enchanted.”
Bronson Canyon, Los Angeles
285 films
The parkland features a barren landscape and a set of caves that have served as the backdrop to hundreds of films, including 1956’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and the 1956 John Wayne Western “The Searchers.” (It also doubled for the Batcave’s entrance in the 1960s TV series.)
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park, Agua Dulce, California
253 films
Several “Star Trek” episodes and films have been shot amid the park’s jutting rocks and rocky cliffs. It was also used for the climactic scene in 1997’s “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,” in which the hero flees Dr. Evil’s lair.
Cabo de Gata, Almería, Andalusia, Spain
99 films
“Europe’s only desert,” with its rocky hills and dusty flats, provided a good stand-in for the American West in the Spaghetti Westerns of the ’60s and ’70s, including Sergio Leone’s 1966 classic “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” The region’s beaches were also popular with the cameras. “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” from 1989 shot here.
St. Mark’s Square, Venice, Veneto, Italy
54 films
The town’s bustling main square was recently used in 2019’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home” as the location for a battle between the hero and a water monster.
Atacama Desert, Chile
50 films
This barren stretch — reportedly the driest place on Earth — has served as a substitute for arid planet Mars, and was also used in 2004’s Che Guevara biopic “The Motorcycle Diaries.”
Alexanderplatz, Mitte, Berlin
38 films
In 2004’s “The Bourne Supremacy,” Matt Damon’s superspy meets Julia Stiles beneath the square’s sculptural world clock, before disappearing into a crowd.
Praha Hlavni Nadrazi, Wilsonova, Prague
35 films
Prague’s main railway station was used in the climax of 2006’s “The Illusionist,” when Ed Norton’s character evades his police pursuer, Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti). It was also used in 2006’s “Casino Royale” as a stand-in for the Trieste train depot.
Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt
29 films
In 1977’s “The Spy Who Loved Me,” James Bond (Roger Moore) tries to track down metal-toothed villain Jaws (Richard Kiel) amid the stone columns.
Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland
26 films
This lush, green estate with a picturesque waterfall is featured in 1981’s “Excalibur,” as well as 1992’s “Far and Away,” starring then-married Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise.
Iguazu Waterfalls, Misiones, Argentina
25 films
This massive waterfall system stands in for the Warrior Falls in 2018’s “Black Panther” (though the actual fight scenes at the base of the falls were filmed in a studio) and also turns up in 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” when the heroes go over the falls in a Jeep.
Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
21 films
Angelina Jolie’s 2001 flick “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” was reportedly the first feature to be shot in Cambodia since the ’60s. It turned this sacred temple into a tourist attraction.
Ait Benhaddou, Morocco
21 films
This fortified clay village is where Russell Crowe shouts “Are you not entertained?” in 2000’s “Gladiator.” A handful of scenes from 1962’s “Lawrence of Arabia” were also shot here.
