Believe it or not, everyone has a favorite superhero. They provide their fans with plenty of life lessons, especially when they make mistakes and are forced to learn from them and fix them. A superhero’s movie typically depicts their involvement in many things such as culture, emotional issues, philosophy and much more. If you pay enough attention while watching a superhero film, you may notice how the scenery and settings change according to the hero’s character development. Locations are incredibly important for this exact reason.
One of the most loved heroes is Wonder Woman. DC Films, grouping with RatPac Entertainment and Tencent Picture, produced a film based on her life during World War 1. Warner Bros. Studios distributed the movie, and Patty Jenkins directed it.
Allan Heinberg did the screenplay with the story written by Zack Snyder, Heinberg and Jason Fuchs. The film has an ensemble cast including Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright and David Thewlis.
The film is the fourth chapter in the DC Extended Universe. In December 2020, a sequel named Wonder Woman 1984 was released, with Jenkins returning to her job and Gadot, Nielson, and Pine returning to their roles.
The story sets out in the time of World War I. An American spy and pilot, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), crashes into Themyscira, the Amazonian island, and informs the Amazons about the war. Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), a fellow Amazon, tries to stop the war, believing that these conflicts were because of Ares, the god of war, and the Amazons’ old-time enemy.
Production began in November 2015 under the title of Nightingale. The crew began shooting in locations including the Australia House in England, Lower Halstow in Kent, the Castel del Monte, Camerota, and Sassi di Matera in Southern Italy. Then, they went on to Hatfield House, Hertfordshire in England, the Louvre Museum in Paris, Cilento Coast, Salerno Province in Southern Italy, and many more.
Where Was Wonder Woman Filmed in 2017?
Tilbury Fort
This Essex fort was the double for the Ottoman Military Base in the film. This is where Steve steals the notebook of German chief chemist Dr. Isabel Maro (Elena Anaya) who tries to invent a carcinogenic form of mustard gas under the control of General Erich Ludendorff (Danny Huston).
Tilbury Fort is a cannon fort on the northern bank of the River Thames. King Henry VII established it in order to guard London against France. Now, English Heritage Trust is maintaining the fort and designating it as a tourist spot.
Address: Tilbury RM18 7NR, United Kingdom
Bourne Woods
The forest scenes were shot at the Bourne Woods in the south of Farnham, Surrey. Popular films such as Gladiator, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince, Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Dark Shadows, Children of Men, and Snow White And The Huntsmen have used this location for filming.
The woodland is ten minutes away from the Hankley Common in Elstead and two hours away from London. It is called Clumps by the locals. This place is now under the ownership of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and represented as the Farnham Heath Natural Reserve.
Address: Lower Bourne, Farnham GU10 3RW, United Kingdom
Cilento Coast
The exterior scenes of Themyscira were filmed in Palinuro in the south of Cilento Coast, the stretchy coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea located in the Salerno Provinces of Southern Italy. The sequences of Diana’s home island were then added with CGI.
The crew planned to shoot in the area beside the Natural Arch of Palinuro, but the locals implied that it might be unsafe. So, the cliff was added with visual effects in the beach scenes.
Just like the Cilento Coast, many regions of Campania were used as the home island where young Diana lived.
It is also known as Italy’s best-kept secret because it is not a tourist spot and human nomadism is forbidden in that area. It hardly shows up in any tourist books or brochures. Even this film shoot happened in an area which is not reserved.
Arundel Castle
The German High Command used this castle’s external area for when Dr. Maru and Ludendorff attended a fancy party.
Arundel Castle comes from the medieval age and was founded by Roger de Montgomery precisely on Christmas in 1067. It was spoiled during the English Civil War and then was refurbished between the 18th and 19th century under the command of Charles Howard, the 11th Duke of Norfolk.
Since the 11th century, it has served as the throne castle of the Earl of Arundel and, for around 400 years, the Duke of Norfolk.
Address: Arundel BN18 9AB, United Kingdom
Louvre Museum
This famous museum in Paris was used as the place where Diana works as the curator of the Department of Antiquities. You may have noticed it more precisely when the Wayne Enterprises truck parked outside the museum to deliver the memorable photograph of Diana.
The Louvre Museum is considered the largest art museum in the world. It is also a historical landmark. The museum is present inside the Louvre Palace, which was built in the late 12th century under the province of Philip Augustus. Still, the fragments of the original Louvre Fortress are in the museum’s basement.
Address: Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
Villa Cimbrone
The balcony from the Villa Cimbrone with beautiful gardens was used in some Themyscira scenes. It is a famous place in a small town called Ravello in the Amalfi Coast near Positano. This location was also in the Christopher Nolan movie, Tenet.
It is actually a historic landmark that was dated way before the 11th century. In the early 20th century, it was extended and altered by Ernest William Beckett. Now, it stands strongly with several architectural elements from many parts of Italy and other countries.
The villa is used as a hotel and is a perfect luxury wedding destination. Its gardens are open to the public.
Address: Via Santa Chiara, 26, 84010 Ravello SA, Italy
Castel del Monte
This is where the God Killer, a legendary and powerful sword in the DC Universe, was kept before Diana took it to save the world from Ares.
Castel del Monte was built in the 13th century as a citadel, and it is only three hours away from Naples. It is located on the hill of Andria in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. You can explore the castle by walking or biking with or without cultural and theme tours. The cost changes accordingly.
Address: SS170dir, km 0, Strada Statale 170, 76123 Andria BT, Italy
Matera
Matera is a city in southern Italy. The crew used it as one of the locations to shoot the interior scenes of Themyscira. TV series such as Game of Thrones have also used this location.
It is the capital of the Province of Matera. This city was under the siege of Angevins, Longobards, Saracens, Swabians, Byzantines, the Greeks, Romans, Aragonese, and Bourbons over time.
There are cave dwellings in the city that have become popular tourist attractions with various restaurants, museums, and hotels.
This city was affirmed as the European Capital of Culture in 2019. In 1993, Sassi di Matera and the Rupestrian Churches’ park were announced as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Address: Matera, 75100 Province of Matera, Italy
King’s Cross Station
This station is portrayed as itself and is used when the soldiers travel during wartime. You may remember the scene in which Diana tastes ice cream for the first time and praises the seller. The filmmakers used an actual 1940 train for that shoot.
This railway terminal was built in 1852 and established by the Great Northern Railway to lodge the East Coast Main Line. In 1923, it was owned by London and North Eastern Railway as an element of the Big Four group.
It is known by people around the world due to its appearance in many films during the late 20th century. One of its most specific appearances is when it is shown as Platform 9¾ in the Harry Potter franchise.
Address: Euston Rd, London N1 9AL, UK
Long Gallery of Hatfield House
The indoor scenes of the fancy party conducted by the German High Command were filmed in the Long Gallery of Hatfield House, located in Hertfordshire. This manor is used in several movies and series. Some of them are the 2020 movie Rebecca, BBC series Trust, and Taboo (2017).
The Long Gallery is the standard feature in the Jacobean House and one of the best pieces of Jacobean craftsmanship is the Hatfield House. The Cecil family has owned the estate for over 400 years.
Other locations include the Tilbury-Gravesend Ferry terminal,Sicilian Avenue in Bloomsbury, Trafalgar Square, HaLong Bay and Tajo de Ronda bridge.
However, the final battle scene in the Belgian village of Veld was built as a big set in the studio.
The film was well-received by critics and the audience, praising the acting, action scenes, direction, musical score and visuals. It earned over $821 million worldwide, became the tenth highest-grossing film in 2017 and the highest-grossing film directed by a female director until it was surpassed by the 2021 movie Hi, Mom.