Part of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which we have all grown to love, ‘Eternals” is the twenty-sixth installment in the long story of the mighty saviors of the Earth. The film is directed by Chloe Zhao, who also played a part in writing the screenplay.
Eternals follows the story of immortal beings created by the Celestials, who have lived secretly on the Earth for thousands of years, but who must now come out of hiding and stand together to protect Earth from their evil counterparts – the Deviants.
The movie boasts of a star-studded cast – Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Barry Keoghan, Kit Harrington, among many others.
This movie has a very different feel from many of the other MCU movies because it is mostly shot in real locations. This unique feature, which is quite unlike Marvel movies, can be credited to Chloe Zhao’s creative vision.
Real Filming Locations of Eternals
Most of the shooting for the film took place between July, 2019 to February, 2020. Ben Davis served as the director of photography. Besides few shots being filmed in the Pinewood Studios, the film captured some stunning sequences in places like London, Oxford, and the Canary Islands.
Some additional shots were filmed in Los Angeles, California in early February, 2020. The film features some of the characteristics of Zhao’s style, including 360-degree shots. Now let’s take a closer look at the real locations where the film was shot.
Fuerteventura, Canary Island, Spain
By the beginning of November, 2019, filming had started in the Canary Islands. But, towards the end of the month, much of the cast and crew, including Joulie and Madden had to be evacuated from the shooting location, the island of Fuerteventura, because an explosive had been discovered at the site It was believed to be a remanent armament from the Nazi base.
They were all relocated to a safe spot on the iland, at a safe distance from the discovery spot, while experts were called in.
University of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
By early January, 2020, filming began at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Many commoners spotted Pinewood Studio trucks and location crews at the entrance of the Museum.
The attraction was closed during the days in preparation for the shoots. Museum workers revealed to the press that AngelinJoulie, Richard Madden, and Salma Hayek were shooting in and outside the museum building.
Hampstead Heath, London, England, UK
On 10th January, 2020, some people spotted Gemma Chan suspended about 40ft above the ground in North London. It was reported that a small crane was placed at the top of Parliament Hill. Gemma Chan was lifted into the air, attached to a harness, while leaves were blown at her.
It can be guessed that the scene is from the end of the movie where her character, Sersi, is lifted to the heavens. Passersby and curious residents were kept at bay and forbidden from taking photographs. Even the night before, Kit Harrington, who plays Black Knight in the movie, was also seen talking to Chan near the Heath.
Camden Town, London, England, UK
A huge action sequence for the movie was shot at Camden. The scene reportedly showsthe Eternals being pursued by their enemies and will involve special effects, pyrotechnics, drones, stunts, and the damaging of vehicles.
However, the public announcement of the filming location was released under the code name of “Sack Lunch”. Since, however, Salma Hayek had already announced her arrival at London, it was anybody’s guess what the code name stood for. Filming began on 19th January, 2020, and continued till the 24th of the month.