Where was Interstellar filmed? Filming locations of Christopher Nolan's Academy Award-nominated sci-fi drama, explored

Christopher Nolan’s iconic film titled Interstellar was released in the year 2014 and is an extremely visual and exquisite sci-fi masterpiece that highlights humanity’s hunt for finding a new home in the universe.

The film is set in a future that is dystopian where planet Earth is hurriedly deteriorating. Nolan’s film here follows through with a group of astronauts who set out on an interstellar journey in search of a planet that is habitable.

The movie’s astounding cinematography plays a crucial role in submerging the viewers in both the deserted landscapes of Earth and the unknown terrains of deep space.

Interstellar stars Matthew McConaughey as Cooper, Anne Hathaway as Dr. Amelia Brand, Jessica Chastain as Murphy Cooper, and Matt Damon as Mann.

The film was shot in various locations all around the globe. From Canada to Iceland, every setting was cautiously selected to bring Nolan’s vision to life with extremely slight dependence on CGI.

Here’s a detailed look at where Interstellar was filmed:

1. Alberta, Canada – the Earth scenes of Interstellar:

a) A whole lot of the depiction in the film about a decaying Earth was filmed in Alberta, Canada, even though the story is set in a futuristic version of the USA. The plains in Alberta along with its open landscapes delivered the picture-perfect backdrop for the dirt storms and agricultural failure as seen in the movie.

To boost the realism, the production team planted 500 acres of corn in Alberta to characterize Cooper’s farm. This gigantic cornfield, which played a major role in the story, was later wrecked in a practical effect scene during a forceful dust storm.

A still from the trailer of Interstellar (Image via. Warner Bros. UK & Ireland/Youtube)

b) The small town of Longview, Alberta, with its tiny population and rural setting, was selected as the spot for Cooper’s farmhouse. A ranch house in Longview acted as the chief set location for Cooper’s home, while Longview School was utilized for scenes that featured Murph’s school.

c) In addition to this, the football game scene—where a dust storm disrupts the play—was filmed at Seaman Stadium located in Okotoks, Alberta. This location proved to be the accurate setting for showcasing life in a world that is slowly but steadily perishing due to environmental collapse.

2. Iceland – The Ice and Water Planets

Nolan is famously known for his liking towards more practical effects, so instead of being heavily dependent on the use of CGI, he picked Iceland to showcase the alien planets that were being visited by the astronauts in Interstellar. Iceland’s theatrical and otherworldly-looking landscapes made it the idyllic selection for these particular sequences.

a) Svínafellsjökull Glacier – Mann’s Planet (The Ice Planet)

The icy, run-down planet where the team has an encounter with Dr. Mann (a character played by Matt Damon) was filmed at Svínafellsjökull Glacier, which is an outlet of Vatnajökull, a.k.a. Europe’s biggest glacier. The location’s huge ice formations and terrible conditions shaped a realistic and hypnotic setting for Mann’s frozen world.

In the film, Mann misleadingly makes a claim about how the planet is appropriate for human life, which leads to a stressful confrontation.

b) Orrustuhóll – Miller’s Planet (The Water Planet)

The horrifying water planet, where time dilation causes years to pass in only a few minutes, was filmed in Orrustuhóll, situated in Iceland’s Eldhraun lava field.

During filming, Anne Hathaway confronted real-life trials as at one point in time, her spacesuit failed which exposed her to the chilly Icelandic waters. The power of these real-world circumstances only added to the validity of the film’s hazardous setting.

3. Los Angeles, California – NASA and Interior Scenes

While a lot of Interstellar was filmed in outdoor locations, some of the filming was expected to be filmed in indoor sets with the environments being controllable.

For this, the Interstellar team visited Los Angeles, California.

a) Westin Bonaventure Hotel – NASA Facility

The Westin Bonaventure Hotel located in downtown Los Angeles was made into the headquarters of NASA in the film. The team spent almost three entire weeks to construct the set inside the hotel. However, filming the scenes here took merely 3 days.

b) Culver City – Soundstage Filming

Interstellar had a lot of complicated space scenes, which included showcasing the interiors of a spaceship. This was filmed on soundstages in Culver City, California. This helped the team in controlling the environment which led to a precise cinematographic experience, contributing to an effortless mix between real-world locations and visual effects.

4. Colorado – The Secret Base

One of the primary locations of Interstellar is the secret NASA base kept hidden inside a mountain. The filming for this hidden NASA base was done in Colorado.

a) Cheyenne Mountain Complex – NASA’s Secret Base

For the outside shots of the underground NASA base, Nolan’s team made use of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex situated in Colorado Springs. This real-life military bunker, intended to endure nuclear attacks, was the ideal choice for the film’s portrayal of NASA’s final chance for humanity. However, the team was not permitted to film inside, so all of the interior shots were created on a soundstage.

Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is a film that mixes a science fiction story with real-world locations, making its journey feel strikingly authentic. From the farmlands of Alberta to the icy territories of Iceland, every single filming location was cautiously selected to bring Christopher Nolan’s vision to life.

By spotlighting more practical effects over the use of CGI, the film accomplished a level of realistic dystopian depiction that to this day captivates its viewers after nearly a decade of it being released.

Whether Nolan depicted the Earth deteriorating or the vast mysterious deep space, the filming locations of the film play an extremely important role in letting its viewers be completely immersed in its riveting narrative.