With Hollywood being the beating heart of the film industry, it’s not unusual to see familiar landmarks appear in various movies. Places such as the Griffith Observatory, Sunset Boulevard, and the Hollywood Sign are frequently shown in films taking place in Los Angeles. Sometimes famous filming locations are even referenced in LA-set movies, such as thePsychohouse in TI West’sMaXXXine.La La Landshows the window where Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman famously spoke inCasablanca. It’s relatively common in the industry.
Another practice that is perhaps more common than you might think is reusing entire sets for other movies. Many movies have repurposedsets or locationsfrom previous movies for a multitude of reasons. Budget, proximity, and design are just some of the reasons a film crew might reuse a set used in a different movie. Sometimes the perfect set is one used for an entirely different story.
So, here are 10 movies that used the same set as another movie.
10’Die Hard' and ‘Speed’
The Nakatomi Plaza inDie Hardis perhaps one of the most famous buildings in movie history. Almost the entire movie takes place in this building, except for the very beginning, when he’s riding in a limo to meet his wife at the Nakatomi building for their company’s Christmas party. This is where the real action begins, asJohn McClane (Bruce Willis)has to rescue an entire building full of hostages from Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his cronies as they attempt to rob the Nakatomi Corporation for all it’s worth.
The building is actually called Fox Plaza, and it is so recognizable that it would be hard to miss it when it shows up again at the beginning ofSpeed. The SWAT team in the opening conducts a full sweep of Fox Plaza’s lobby, which is shown frequently inDie Hard. Fun fact: the building is called Fox Plaza because it is the corporate headquarters of 20th Century Fox, the studio behind both movies.
9’Aliens' and ‘Batman’
Action Lane Power Station
One of the biggest set pieces in James Cameron’sAliensis the giant alien nest in the spaceship toward the end. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) fights for her and Newt’s lives, trying desperately to make it out of there alive and away from the alpha alien. That sequence was filmed at the Action Lane Power Station in West London after Cameron looked extensively for the right spot. The building had to be stripped down and painted silver to work for the movie.
Just a few years later, Tim Burton also got his hands on the set while filmingBatman. He used the power station as the plant for Axis Chemicals, the place where the Joker (Jack Nicholson) falls into the vat of chemicals that turns him into the Joker.
8’A Nightmare on Elm Street' and ‘Pretty in Pink’
John Marshall High School
Most high schools follow the same basic layout and design, because there really isn’t a need to differentiate from the typical set-up. Which is why most high schools shown in movies look very similar. However, sometimes the reason a high school shown in a movie looks so familiar, as is the case forPretty in PinkandA Nightmare on Elm Street.John Marshall High School in Los Angeles was used for both movies.
InPretty in Pink, the school is shown in the movie often as Andie (Molly Ringwald) deals with romantic relationships and contrasting social circles before prom.A Nightmare on Elm Streetuses the high school quite differently, however. It is the backdrop to nightmares plagued by the boogeyman himself, Freddy Krueger.
7’Billy Madison' and ‘X-Men’
Parkwood Estate
The massive, gorgeous Parkwood Estate in Ontario, Canada, is likely a familiar landmark to many movie fans. Maybe for different reasons, as it was used extensively in two hugely popular movies. The estate was first used inBilly Madisonas the sprawling mansion that immature Billy (Adam Sandler) lives in.
Nevertheless, the most well-known use of the Parkwood Estate is most likely inX-Men. It was used as the building for the famous Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters in the first X-Men movie. It is undoubtedly the most recognizable school building in movie history.
6’Saw III' and ‘Scary Movie 4’
The Parody Bathroom
Somethingthe horror franchiseSawis known for is the infamous dingy, dirty bathroom that Adam (Leigh Whannell) and Lawrence (Cary Elwes) wake up in at the opening of the first movie. It’s a bathroom absolutely no one would ever want to see again. Regardless, theScary Moviehorror parody franchise, of course, had to spoof that scene inScary Movie 4. The crew tried their best to recreate the disgusting bathroom for a scene poking fun at the first Saw movie.
Surprisingly, theScary Moviecrew did such a great job at recreating the set that the crew onSaw IIIdecided to use it as well. There’s a flashback scene inSaw IIIofSawin the bathroom with Adam and Lawrence. Despite the set being made for a spoof movie, it was so well-constructed and accurate to the originalSawthat it just made sense for the third installment to reuse that bathroom.
5’Mr. and Mrs. Smith' and ‘Se7en’
Quality Café
While not necessarily an iconic Los Angeles landmark, the Quality Café was a quaint diner with a classic diner look located in-between the Westlake and Downtown areas of LA. It may not be widely recognizable to people outside the area, but it was an extremely popular spot for Hollywood films. In fact, it was permanently closed to the public in 2006 and, until 2014, was only available for use as a film set.
Many movies have used the Quality Café as a set location, includingGhost World, Catch Me if you’re able to, Million Dollar Baby, andGone in 60 Seconds. It also happened to be featured in two of Brad Pitt’s most famous movies,Mr. and Mrs. Smithand David Fincher’s crime thriller,Se7en.
4’Blade Runner' and ‘The Artist’
Bradbury Building
Yet another historic landmark in Los Angeles is the Bradbury Building. It was built in 1893 and is known for its stunning architectural design. Perhaps its most notable feature is the winding staircase that takes up the majority of the building’s middle section. This beautifully crafted staircase was featuredin Ridley Scott’s classic1983 sci-fi filmBlade Runner, although it was partially covered by fog.
Nearly three decades later, the staircase made yet another grand film appearance. It was used in the black and white filmThe Artist, which follows a silent movie star named George (Jean Dujardidn), whose life is affected by the rise of talkies, also known as talking pictures. The five-time Academy Award-winning film also featured the staircase partially covered, but it can be seen as George glides down its winding structure.
3’Spider-Man' 1-3 and ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’
Greystone Mansion
When a movie calls for a luxurious and expansive mansion to house a wealthy character, the Greystone Mansion is one of Hollywood’s go-to filming locations. Fittingly situated in Beverly Hills, the mansion has been used in a few different movies to portray wealth and success. However, one of its most interesting uses was in J.J. Abrams’Star Trek: Into Darkness. Using a mix of CGI and decorating, the mansion was transformed into a futuristic hospital for theStar Treksequel.
Movie fans might also recognize it from another major film franchise. The Greystone was used in Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy in all three movies. The picturesque mansion was used as none other than the Osborne Mansion throughout the trilogy.
2’Sherlock Holmes' and ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’
Hatfield House
Yet another massive mansion on this list, the Hatfield House is an enormous mansion situated in the English countryside. It has also been featured in its fair share of movies, but it was first featured in the 2001 film adaptation of the popular video game,Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The mansion’s exterior as well as the interior corridors were used in the Angelina Jolie-led movie, remaining almost entirely unchanged from its original design.
Eight years later, the mansion was used once again in Guy Ritchie’s 2009 adaptation ofSherlock Holmes. In the Robert Downey Jr. starring film, the mansion’s hallways and corridors were dressed up a bit more with period-accurate artifacts to depict the setting of the film. However, the mansion’s library was used by the main characters in both movies.
1’Ghostbusters' and ‘The Mask’
Fire Station no. 23
Cinema’s most famous paranormal hunting team operates out of a fire station in Manhattan. Despite taking place in New York, theGhostbustersteam utilized Fire Station Number 23 in Downtown Los Angeles for their headquarters in the movie. Both the exterior and interior of the station are shown frequently throughout the movie, so it should be a recognizable set for fans of the franchise.
Which is whyGhostbustersfans might have found a particular set in the1994 Jim Carrey comedyThe Maskoddly familiar. The building was used as an auto-body shop in that movie rather than a fire station. Jim Carrey’s Stanley Ipkiss can be seen walking through the body shop during the movie.
