Gendarmenmarkt, view of the French Cathedral, blue sky, a few white clouds Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Which famous movies were filmed in berlin?

When you think of Hollywood movies and stars, you probably only have the United States of America in mind. But many of our favorite cinema blockbusters were also shot in Germany, or more precisely in Berlin. Famous places like Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstraße or the Olympic Stadium might also be seen in your favorite action movie. We've rounded up some of these places and their corresponding movies for you! Ready for the close-up? 😉 

Marvel superheroes right in Germany's capital city! 

One of the most popular movie universes, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), regularly break records with their films. The productions are associated with a lot of effort and impress, among other things, with computer-generated special effects. And although the actors often bring their fictional characters to life in front of a green screen, there is also a change of scenery for some parts.

In The First Avenger: Civil War, Captain America (played by Chris Evans) and Co fight on the streets of Berlin. The filming took place at several locations: The Sony Center, the underpass at the ICC, the Olympic Stadium and the Federal Press Office can all be seen in the popular Marvel classic.

Underpass Messe ICC Photo: Adrian Trinkhaus, Unsplash
Underpass Messe ICC

From the Districts of Panem to Tempelhof Airport

The underpass at the ICC was also turned into a filming location in another world-famous film series. In the last part of the Hunger Games series they used Berlin for some scenes as well. Thus, the old combined heat and power plant in Köpenickerstrasse was transformed into the 13th district, while the chemical factory in Rüdersdorf was turned into the 8th district. And last but not least the Tempelhof Airport turned into the 2nd district. 

The idea of using the Tempelhof airport as a backdrop was also shared by the producers of the Bourne series. And since they must have liked the German capital very much, Friedrichstraße, the Spreebrücke, the tunnel at Alexanderplatz or the East and Central Station were also included. In some cases, these places represented completely different locations in, for example, Moscow or Naples.

Even celebrities like Brad Pitt have been in front of the camera in Berlin. Together with Christoph Waltz, who himself lives in Berlin, they filmed some scenes of Inglourious Basterds in Fort Hahneberg Spandau, in the U.S. Consulate Dahlem or also at the Einstein Café. 

Babelsberg and Berlin, instead of France and England

A place that is specifically intended for film productions is not located directly in the middle of Berlin, but near Berlin in Potsdam. We are talking about the Babelsberg Filmpark. "Around the World in 80 Days" with Jackie Chan was shot here, but Berlin was also put to good use in this film. The French Cathedral at Gendarmenmarkt became the Bank of England, while Charlottenburg Palace represented Paris. 

Filmpark Babelsberg Photo: Dbrechmann, Pixabay
Filmpark Babelsberg

Can I also visit the Babelsberg film studios?

If you're interested in getting a closer look behind the scenes of film productions, you can visit Filmpark Babelsberg in Potsdam yourself! You can expect exclusive insights, original film sets and great events and shows. The entrance fees start at about 20€ for adults. For detailed information on tickets, opening hours and hygiene measures, check out the Filmpark website here.

Fun Fact: Some big celebrities can even speak a little German themselves! Sandra Bullock grew up mostly in Nürnberg until she was 12 years old. Leonardo DiCaprio has German roots on his mother's side and also spent part of his youth in Germany. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt learned German in school and still has some of it stuck in his head today. 


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