Dubai is trending among world celebrities and movie stars looking for a luxury home or lush resort. But did you know that this amazing city is also a movie star?
Futuristic cityscape, out-of-this-world architecture, luxury resorts and amenities, golden desert sands — no wonder the silver screen loves to see Dubai on a movie set. For years, Dubai has been catching the attention of Hollywood’s location scouts, providing the background (and much more) for a number of blockbusters.
Let’s take a look at our favorite Top 5.
1. Syriana – 2005
It is the first major Hollywood film to use Dubai as a filming site. Many of the desert sequences in Syriana were shot in the Dubai desert. The Oscar-winning drama, which stars Matt Damon and George Clooney, mixes numerous tales, all of which revolve around the Middle East’s oil business.
The film was shot in Dubai for the most part, with some of the action sequences wonderfully reflecting the magnificence of golden deserts, the hi-tech ambiance, the large highways, and the city center area including inside a few commercial buildings.
2. Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol – 2011
Though Dubai has immensely developed last few years — even in 2011 it could offer some breathtaking scenes for the action-packed part of the Mission Impossible franchise!
Tom Cruise, playing his iconic spy Ethan Hunt role, uses a pair of special suction gloves to reach the 130th floor of the famous Burj Khalifa from outside the building. It is above all one of the most unforgettable scenes in the film. From a height of nearly 1,700 feet, the daredevil actor executed what has become known as the “Mission Impossible Dubai” stunt himself!
Other notable spots in Dubai featured in the film include the Palm Jumeirah, the Armani Hotel, and Zabeel Saray.
3. Star Trek – Beyond – 2016
No secret, that Dubai’s incredible architecture gives a futuristic vibe. Jeffery Chernov, the producer of Star Trek, certainly seems to think so too. While we may not yet have reached the kind of future living seen in sci-fi movies, Dubai is well on its way to becoming one of the world’s most innovative cities.
Significant portions of the Star Trek film were shot in Dubai to simulate one of the Enterprise’s luxurious bases, Yorktown. The stunning architecture of Dubai’s JLT beachfront, Meydan racetrack, and the Burj Al Arab can be appreciated in the beloved sci-fi blockbuster.
4. Geostorm – 2017
Dubai is one of several major cities that meet their doom in Hollywood’s disaster movie, which tells the story of a satellite designer who must save the world from a seriously epic storm. The wrath of a tsunami that rises up from the Arabian Gulf, hits the city smashing everything in its way. We can see a breathtaking view of the beachfront cityscape taken down by the power of water.
5. Vanguard – 2020
Vanguard, Jackie Chan’s latest fantasy action film follows an accountant who is threatened by a lethal organization, and the covert security firm Vanguard, led by Tang Haunting (Jackie Chan), is his last hope in life.
Vanguard is set in a stunning array of dramatic locations, including the futuristic Dubai skyline. The production team traveled to Dubai in 2019 to film sequences, which included Downtown Dubai, the Burj Khalifa, and The Dubai Mall.