19 Famous TV Shows And Movies That Were Set In The USA, But Were Actually Filmed In Australia

Netflix

While this Netflix series looks to be set in Oakland, California, it was mostly filmed in Melbourne, Australia. Why? Well, co-creator and producer Tony Ayres is from Australia and noted the similarities between the two cities while driving through Oakland. Key locations included the exterior of Town Hall Broadmeadows (used for the police station’s exterior), the leafy suburb of Camberwell (used for the Brewer home), Macrobertson Girls’ High School (used for the school scenes) and the beachside suburb of Elwood (used for Pia’s apartment). Plus, a number of Australians were attached to the cast and crew, like Phoenix Raei who played Detective Roshan Amiri.

Disney+

Warner Bros

Although The Matrix gives viewers the impression that it’s set in a futuristic metropolis in the USA, all but a few scenes were filmed at Fox Studios Australia, as well as around Sydney’s CBD. For example: The woman in the red dress scene was shot at Martin Place’s fountain, The Westin Hotel was used for interior shots involving chase sequences (and its stairs were part of a glitch in the matrix/deja vu cat scene), the Colonial State Bank Centre was where Agent Smith held Morpheus hostage and the roof of the Aon Tower on Kent Street was where Neo’s bullet-time fight scene was done.

Universal Pictures

Production of this Angelina Jolie-directed flick was based in New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. Locations such as Moreton Bay, Werris Creek, Cockatoo Island and the suburb of Blacktown were used to illustrate small-town America, Berlin and Japanese POW (prisoner-of-war) camps. Scenes were also shot in Fox Studios Australia and Village Roadshow Studios.

Universal Pictures / Getty Images

Sony Pictures

The story of Ghost Rider is set mainly in Texas, but was filmed entirely around the Australian city of Melbourne and at Dockland Studios. Key locations include: The town of Bacchus Marsh (where a young Johnny Blaze strikes his deal with the devil), Etihad Stadium (used for the SoBe Dome — and since it’s an Aussie rules football ground, it had to be remodelled to look like an American football field), Little Collins Street, Melbourne General Cemetery, St Mary Star Of The Sea Catholic Church, Southbank Pedestrian Footbridge and the Yarra River.

Sony Pictures / Getty Images

Warner Bros.

There are a couple glimpses of the USA in Superman Returns, but the majority of scenes were shot in Fox Studios Australia, as well as around New South Wales. The Rivendell Hospital was used as the Vanderworth Mansion, the Kent family farm in Smallville, Kansas, was actually filmed in Tamworth, and University House became Newhart Federal Bank, where Superman prevents a robbery. Various other scenes were also filmed around Sydney’s CBD, including a familiar shot of the fountain at Martin Place which was also featured in The Matrix.

Warner Bros.

Roadshow Entertainment

The larger-than-life scenes in The Great Gatsby, which is set in 1920s New York, were filmed in Fox Studios Australia, as well as around Sydney. The International College of Management Sydney stood in for the sprawling exterior of Gatsby’s mansion, whereas the driveway was recreated in the suburb of Centennial Park. For Nick Carraway’s home, Mount Wilson in the Blue Mountains was used and White Bay Power Station in Rozelle was transformed into The Valley of the Ashes. Plus, if you’ve ever been to Waverley Cemetery, you might recognise it from the scenes depicting Gatsby’s funeral.

Warner Bros.

Australia’s very own Melbourne was chosen as one of the key locations for Where The Wild Things Are. The island Max is marooned on is Bushrangers Bay and the desert sand dunes scenes were filmed at Discovery Bay Coastal Park. Several other locations, like Gemsbrook forest, Newport, Mt Arapiles and Docklands Studio, were also used during production.

Warner Bros. / Getty Images

20th Century Fox / Disney+

Much of the city of Sydney was transformed to emulate the Japanese cities and villages seen in The Wolverine. Bonna Point Reserve doubled as a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, while scenes shot in Sydney Olympic Park and the suburbs of Parramatta and Surry Hills were designed to look like the streets of Tokyo and a Japanese village blanketed in snow. Plus, those beginning moments of the film showing Canada’s Yukon region were actually filmed in the town of Picton, located in New South Wales! There’s also a fight scene in Sydney’s Chinese Garden of Friendship.

20th Century Fox / Disney+ / Getty Images

Amazon Prime Video

Although Liane Moriarty’s novel (on which the series is based on) was originally set in Australia, the show’s setting was changed to Northern California. But due to COVID-19, it ended up being filmed in Australia anyway. Most of the Tranquillum House scenes were filmed at a real-life spa called Soma in Byron Bay, which you can actually stay at. Other indoor scenes were filmed at Lune de Sang, a sustainable timber plantation, whereas outdoor scenes were done at Killen Falls, Ballina and around Sydney.

Amazon Prime Video

NBC

For this series, Queensland and the city of Brisbane was turned into Pennsylvania, Hawaii and Miami to film chapters from Dwayne’s early life and rise to fame. Alongside shooting in Screen Queensland Studios, The Brisbane Entertainment Centre stood in for scenes featuring Madison Square Garden, whereas Moreton Daily Stadium and Queensland Art Gallery were used for college scenes at the University of Miami. The Gold Coast’s renowned beaches stood in as Hawaii and there was plenty filmed in suburbs around Brisbane.

Disney

Edging out both Puerto Rico and New Orleans, Dead Men Tell No Tales became the largest production to ever shoot in Queensland, Australia. Village Roadshow Studios, the Whitsunday Islands, Byron Bay, Helensvale, Mount Tamborine and Hastings Point were just some of the locations used to capture scenes. A massive village film set was also built in Mausland, while a 15-year old ship underwent an extensive refit to become the Dying Gull.

Disney / Getty Images

Disney

Thor: Ragnarok was one of the first Marvel films to be shot in Australia — and it all started with Chris Hemsworth asking execs if they could film in his native country. They agreed and the rest is, well, history! The movie was primarily filmed at Village Roadshow Studios, alongside location shots in Oxenford Quarry (used for the Intergalactic dump), the Brisbane CBD (used for the streets of NYC), Mount Tamborine and Cedar Creek Falls (used for the forests of Asgard) and Dirk Hartog Island. The upcoming sequel, Thor: Love And Thunder, was also shot in Australia.

Disney / Getty Images

Warner Bros.

Like other movies on this list, Aquaman took advantage of the stunning beauty of Queensland, with Gold Coast locations like Main Beach, Coomera, Southport and Amita Point featuring heavily in the film, as well as using Village Roadshow Studios. Another key location was Hastings Point in New South Wales, which was used to depict Arthur Curry’s hometown in Amnesty Bay, Maine.

Warner Bros. / Peter Graham / Google Maps

Warner Bros.

The reboot to the Mortal Kombat franchise was filmed entirely in Australia, with the movie making use of unique and otherwordly locations around the city of Adelaide. For example: The opening sequence takes place in 17th century Japan, but was filmed at Mount Crawford’s pine forest. The landscape of Outworld is in Leigh Creek, a coal mine town, while Sonya Blade’s home in Gary, Indiana became a boatyard in Garden Island, Adelaide. Kanu-Breakaways Conservation Park, Coober Pedy and downtown Adelaide were some other locations used during filming.

Warner Bros.

Universal Pictures

While the movie’s plot is set in San Francisco, The Invisible Man was shot entirely in Australia. Fox Studios in Sydney was utilised, as was the locales of Barangaroo, Potts Point, Martin Place and Kiama (which replicated the hillier streets of San Fran). As for the ultra-modern and luxurious house seen in the movie, that was filmed at Headland House in Gerringong.

HBO

According to Screen Australia, producers Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman spent a hefty $134 million in Australia, shooting 80% of the series in Victoria to recreate the war epic’s 1920s setting. Filming took place at a number of locations, including Melbourne Central City Studios, Flinders Street, Flinders Street Station, La Trobe University, Mornington Railway and many, many more. Other key filming locations around Australia were in Queensland (Port Douglas, Drumsara Plantation and Mowbray National Park).

Paramount Pictures

The majority of MI2 were done almost entirely around Sydney, with the exception of a couple scenes being filmed in Utah and at Dead Horse Point State Park. The hideout of villain Sean Ambrose was done at Bare Island Fort in Botany Bay, the headquarters of the fictional Biocyte company is Governor Phillip Tower and there’s scenes depicting Royal Randwick Racecourse, Darling Harbour and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Plus, Argyll Street in The Rocks and Boomerang Mansion stood in for scenes depicting Seville, Spain.