Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik
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Though only a short distance from travel heavyweight Italy, it seems that many tourists are only just discovering the wonders of Croatia, with its storied streets and incredible coastline. Hollywood has, of course, had a hand in raising the country’s profile as a travel destination, with particular attention being paid to the city of Dubrovnik. Here, we take a look around the walled city, which will be a familiar site to many even if the name isn’t immediately recognisable. Like all good vacation packages, we also recommend some nearby excursions to make the most of your trip!

By Victoria Luxford

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik.
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Dubrovnik Historical Centre (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, 2017) – The Star Wars series has filmed everywhere from the coast of Ireland to the deserts of Tunisia. However, where do you go when you need to portray an intergalactic playground for the rich and famous? Why, Dubrovnik of course! While it was augmented heavily with CGI, the city was used for filming on the eighth episode of the sci-fi juggernaut, when Rose and Finn (Kelly Marie Tran and John Boyega) infiltrate a casino city named Canto Bight. The stunning skyline of the city proves itself as not only an inspiration for historical dramas, but for futuristic planets as well!

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik.
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The Jesuit Steps, Gundulic Square (Game of Thrones, 2011-2019) – It may technically be a TV show, but few franchises are linked to Dubrovnik as closely as Game of Thrones. The city’s historic walled landscape played King’s Landing in the show, and the location now has a number of guided tours that will show you every nook and cranny that appeared on screen. Our favourite? It has to be the Jesuit Steps, which were used for the unforgettable walk of shame in the show’s fifth season. It’s an opportunity to retrace the steps taken by Lena Headey’s Cersei Lannister, although we recommend wearing clothes.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik.
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The Dalmation Coast (Succession, 2018-Present) – From one show everyone used to talk about, to the current show we can’t get enough of! Succession is the story of a family at war with one another, as the offspring of a media mogul (Brian Cox) fight to take over his empire. Croatia has been used a few times for the series, with Dubrovnik featuring in the second season. A show about millionaires, it’s largely from the point of view of a yacht, but even those without corporate bank accounts can see that the stunning coastal city is the perfect spot for sunseekers.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik.
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Villa Sheherezade (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, 2022) – Proving the enduring popularity of the location, we include a movie that hasn’t even been released yet! The new Nicolas Cage comedy sees the Oscar-winner play a fictional version of himself, who gets unwillingly recruited by the CIA. Filmed in Dubrovnik in just 15 days during 2020, there are many recognisable spots featured in the trailer, but it’s reported that Villa Sheherezade plays a big part in the film, which is set at the party of a wealthy fan of Cage’s. The villa’s iconic frontage is seen in the trailer, and for those with a big travel budget and a desire to live like an action star, it’s available to hire.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik.
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Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor (From Russia with Love, 1963) – We couldn’t resist briefly leaving Dubrovnik to check in with the world’s most famous spy, and honestly, who couldn’t resist arriving in the Croatian capital like 007? The second James Bond movie features Sean Connery showing up at the city’s train station to meet with someone who he thinks is his contact, but is actually a SPECTRE assassin in disguise (played by Robert Shaw). While it’s had two renovations over the years, the Croatian capital’s main station still stands. Dubrovnik was reportedly considered for filming the most recent Bond adventure, No Time to Die, but ultimately lost out to nearby Italy.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik.
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Old Town (Robin Hood, 2018) – Fifty years after one British hero visits the country, another makes it his home! Taron Egerton’s Robin Hood was the big-budget production that came to Dubrovnik in 2017 for filming, taking over much of the city as it stood in for England of the past. Once heavily militarised, the Old Town is now a hub for snap-happy tourists and movie fans looking for a piece of world history, as well as a connection to the glamour of Hollywood.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik.
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The Dubrovnik Rooftops (Fan, 2016) – A location you can view from any high point in the city! Dubrovnik’s red rooftops are a remarkable and unique site, and any collection of holiday photos wouldn’t be complete without a panorama of this iconic sight. Filmmakers have also taken advantage of the view, including the Bollywood thriller Fan starring the great Shah Rukh Khan. Clearly seen in the trailer above, the rooftops appear in a scene as Khan’s character, an international superstar with an unhinged fan on his tail, travels around the world. Where once the architecture would have been too fragile to film, drone technology has allowed filmmakers to get a real sense of the city.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik.
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Stradun (Oslo, 2021) – One of the advantages of a historic city is the ability to stand in for many other places that may be closed to productions, or which have been modernised. For this tense drama about the Oslo Accords of 1993, Dubrovnik was one of the locations standing in for Jerusalem. The most recognisable was Stradun, the prominent high street in the centre of the city, recognisable by its two bell towers. It has had a rocky history, suffering damage during the Siege of Dubrovnik in the early ‘90s, but thankfully the only damage made nowadays is to film sets!

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik.
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The Blue Grotto (Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, 2021) – The second of our excursions: Half-day trips are available from Dubrovnik to this natural wonder, a cave where sunlight seeping through lends the ocean floor a magnificent blue glow. It’s a marvel to behold, and no wonder Salma Hayek and Ryan Reynolds were drawn to it in this action comedy, where their characters hide from villains inside the cave. An unmistakable moment in the film, it’s a sign of the way many modern movies with international flavour consider Croatia a key destination, thanks to the variety of backdrops available.

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik.
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Dubrovnik City Walls (Captain America, 1990) – We end with our tongues slightly in our cheeks as we look back on a movie “classic”! Yes, you’re reading that right: there was a Captain America movie made in 1990 starring Matt Salinger in the title role. It’s less fondly remembered than the modern version, with the technology of the time not quite matching up with the current Marvel Universe. However, the cult movie used Dubrovnik as a stand-in for Italy, where villain The Red Skull was hiding. While other movies and shows are more synonymous with the town, this was an early brush with Marvel movie magic!

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Movie Capitals: On Location In… Dubrovnik

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