And the Oscar goes to...
The 2023 Academy Awards are just days away and while this year's assortment of movies offers plenty to celebrate—excellent acting, on-point cinematography, and dynamic directing, to name a few—we at House Beautiful are admittedly partial to the sets. Many scenes were filmed on traditional sound stages and masterfully transformed by the industry's top production designers, but if you look closely, there are plenty of big movie moments that were filmed in public places you can actually visit in person.
In honor of Hollywood's biggest night, we're pulling back the curtain on the coolest film locations this year had to offer. From idyllic landscapes to historical landmarks, you're that much closer to bringing some movie magic into your life.
With a whopping 11 nominations, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a modern-day epic of an unlikely hero traversing the multiverse. The frontrunner might be jam-packed with mind-bending effects, but the bagel portal is real—well, sort of. Jobu Tupaki's villanous lair was actually filmed in Vibiana, a former Catholic church that has since been reimagined into a special events space.
The Cate Blanchett-led psychological drama follows musician Lydia Tár all around Germany, but if you want to take a break from brutalism, the opening scene was filmed at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. As production designer Marco Bittner Rosser told Condé Nast Traveler, the team layered in scenes from other locations post-productions to play into the film's lyrical story.
When we weren't engrossed in Padraic and Colm's turbulent friendship, we were taking in the dark comedy's sweeping Irish landscapes. As it turns out, Banshees of Inisherin was actually filmed on Inis Mór, one of Ireland's western Aran Island that sits at the mouth of Galloway Bay. As for the head-butting buddies' go-to bar? Director Martin McDonagh reportedly had the pub built from scratch on Achill Island.
Though Elvis chronicles the talented (and often tragic) life of the late King of Rock, the Baz Luhrmann masterpiece was actually not filmed at Presley's former residence. Instead, Graceland was recreated for filming in Queensland, Australia. Don't worry: You can save the trip down under and tour the legendary estate in Memphis.
You don't have to have your pilot's license to visit this Top Gun: Maverick locale. Executive producer Tommy Harper told Decider that the majority of movie was filmed in California, including a lot of the flight footage in the Golden State's Death Valley. Since the northern part of the Mojave Desert is accessible by foot, might we recommend an action-packed hike?
Though Blonde is decidedly a fictionalized account of Marilyn Monroe's life—and gave Ana de Armas her very first Oscar nod—the production team wanted to base many of the movie's elements in reality. That's exactly why they chose to shoot the film at some of the late starlet's homes—including the exact room where she died.
"[Director Andrew Dominik] wanted to take the audience down a visual journey that was very accurate,” production designer Florencia Martin previously told House Beautiful. “It felt like an honor to be able to represent her factually [in that way.]”
You may not be able to tour most of Monroe's private residence, but you can swing by the Beverly Carlton Hotel, which is now known as the Avalon Hotel. Though the lodging has since been redesigned by Kelly Wearstler, Blonde's production team restored it back to its 1948 aesthetic.
Heading across the pond? You might want to go on a walking tour of Living, which earned Bill Nighy a Best Actor nomination. From the Morning Room at the Athenaeum to Lido Café, many of the film's IRL locations will require a reservation. If you can't squeeze them into your schedule, you can always swing by Waterloo Station, which made a cameo in the movie.
If you want to satisfy a bout of wanderlust, take a cue from Triangle of Sadness. The satire boasted spectacular views of Greece, including some special shots on Chiliadou Beach. No spoilers, but let's just say we hope your trip is better than the movie's cruise...
Enjoy the luxurious at the Glass Onion—minus the murderous mayhem, of course—by booking at stay at Greece's Amanzoe. Though the five-star hotel in Porto Heli provided the bones of Miles Bron's mega-mansion, a little post-production magic transformed it into a remote respite.
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