Movie Locations in Iceland: The Complete List

Discover the best movie locations in Iceland, from Hollywood blockbusters to iconic filming sites, with expert insight from Iceland's national film commission. Read more for the up-to-date list of international movie locations in Iceland, with official trailers and photos of the places where the scenes were shot.

Iceland's top attractions are among the most iconic filming sites in the world, featured in major productions like Interstellar, Rogue One, Batman Begins, and The Odyssey. Exploring these movie locations in Iceland is easier than you might think, as many are located along popular routes like the South Coast and can be visited on self-drive tours, with a rental car, or through top experiences in Iceland.

Popular TV series such as Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, and True Detective: Night Country have also made use of Icelandic filming locations, but in this article, we're focusing on movies.

This guide, with expert insight from Einar Hansen Tomasson, Film Commissioner at Film in Iceland, explores Iceland as a filming destination. Einar has spent more than twenty years bringing international productions to the country, and his commentary appears throughout the article.

You'll also find practical advice on how to visit each location, from driving routes and guided tours to the best time of year to go.

Key Iceland Movie Locations

• Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon: A View To A Kill, Die Another Day, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

• Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach: Supergirl, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Dilwale, Naayak

• Myrdalssandur Black Sand Desert: Rogue One, Noah

• Dettifoss Waterfall: Prometheus

• Svinafellsjokull Glacier: Interstellar, Batman Begins, The Northman, Against the Ice, Luther: The Fallen Sun

• Vatnajokull Glacier: The Tomorrow War, The Midnight Sky

• Skogafoss Waterfall: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Thor: The Dark World, Dilwale

• Snaefellsjokull: Journey to the Center of the Earth

• Vik i Myrdal: Captain America: Civil War, Rogue One

• Lake Myvatn: The Fate of the Furious, Star Wars: The Force Awakens

• Thingvellir National Park: Game of Thrones

• Reykjanes Peninsula: Noah, Judge Dredd, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Where Are Most Movies Filmed in Iceland

Most movie locations in Iceland are concentrated along the South Coast, including glaciers in Vatnajokull National Park, black sand areas like Myrdalssandur, and waterfalls such as Skogafoss. Because of this diversity, South Coast tours are one of the best ways to visit multiple filming locations.

The icy landscapes of Jokulsarlon is a favorite for sci-fi and fantasy productions, making glacier lagoon tours a great option. Meanwhile, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is one of the best filming locations in Iceland for its glaciers, lava fields, and the iconic Kirkjufell Mountain.

The scenery is only part of the story, though. According to Einar, what turns a one-off shoot into a lasting relationship happens mostly behind the camera.

As for the landscapes themselves, he says productions keep asking for the same signature settings: waterfalls, black sand beaches, black highland deserts, and snow locations. "The otherworldly look is very popular," he explains.

2026 Movies Filmed in Iceland

Several major productions released in 2026 have chosen Iceland as a filming location, from mythological epics to sci-fi blockbusters and superhero reboots. This growing demand reflects the global reach of Icelandic cinema, where local expertise and striking landscapes continue to shape how modern films are made and experienced.

2026 - The Odyssey

The Odyssey is Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic, released in July 2026, and one of the most ambitious movies filmed in Iceland this decade. With a reported budget of $250 million, Nolan made Iceland one of his final and most important shooting locations. This marks his third major production in the country, following Interstellar and Batman Begins.

Although the story takes place in the ancient Mediterranean, Iceland's rugged landscapes were used to portray mythical and barren settings, including the underworld and the Cyclops' realm. The dramatic coastlines, volcanic cliffs, and stormy seas made it a fitting stand-in for the treacherous waters Odysseus must navigate on his decade-long journey home.

Filming took place in Iceland's remote highland and glacier regions, and a large Viking ship was reportedly constructed near Landeyjahofn for the production. Landeyjahofn is one of the ports where you can catch a ferry to the Westman Islands.

2026 - Dune: Part Three

Dune: Messiah, officially titled Dune: Part Three, is the third chapter in Denis Villeneuve's epic sci-fi saga and one of the most visually ambitious movies set in Iceland this year. Unlike its predecessors, which were shot in Jordan, Abu Dhabi, Hungary, and Italy, this is the first film in the saga to shoot in Iceland, capturing the stark, otherworldly scale of the desert planet Arrakis.

From black-sand deserts to volcanic plains and wide, empty highlands, Iceland mirrors the harsh landscapes imagined by author Frank Herbert. Filming in Iceland took place in 2025, though the exact locations have not been officially detailed.

Rebecca Ferguson confirmed a brief appearance in the film. If you want to walk on the same alien-looking terrain, explore it on Reykjanes Peninsula tours.

2026 - Supergirl

Supergirl, originally announced as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, is among the first major entries in James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe and represents a new wave of superhero movies filmed in Iceland. Filmed in early 2025, the production turned to Iceland's striking geology to help shape the visual identity of this new superhero era.

The story follows Kara Zor-El on an interstellar journey across distant and hostile worlds, and Iceland's landscapes were the perfect stand-in. The Iceland scenes were filmed in South Iceland, including at the famous Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, which stood in for the rugged volcanic world seen in the movie.

From sweeping glaciers to steaming geothermal vents, Iceland offers a convincing backdrop for the harsh, unfamiliar planets seen in the film. If you want to visit otherworldly terrain yourself, try the Skaftafell glacier hiking tour or go on volcano tours on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

2020s Movies Filmed in Iceland

The 2020s have cemented Iceland's status as the world's premier location for cinematic landscape shooting. Iceland is now experiencing its most active filmmaking decade ever, from superhero blockbusters to Christopher Nolan epics.

2025 - How to Train Your Dragon (Live action)

The beloved animated franchise How to Train Your Dragon finally came to life, and Iceland was a natural fit. The original animated trilogy drew enormous visual inspiration from Iceland's volcanic landscapes, misty fjords, and wild North Atlantic coastlines.

For the live-action version, director Dean DeBlois turned to the North Atlantic for the film's landscapes, with Icelandic production company Truenorth handling filming in both Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Iceland's black-sand beaches, lava fields, and sea cliffs helped give the world of Berk its raw, weathered heart.

If you want to see the kind of terrain that shaped the film's world, explore the South Coast or visit the dramatic Vestrahorn area.

What makes this location particularly special is how the filmmakers captured the interplay between mist, mountain, and sea. It is something you can only truly appreciate when standing at Stokksnes at dawn.

2023 - Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fantasy action-comedy that proved you could make a genuinely fun, big-budget movie based on the legendary tabletop game. The film stars Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Hugh Grant, and is set in the beloved Forgotten Realms fantasy world.

For scenes depicting vast, untamed wilderness and ancient ruins, the production found exactly what it needed in Iceland's lava fields and wide-open highland interiors. Iceland's almost prehistoric terrain makes the fantastical feel grounded and real.

But here's the truly wild part: this film features one of the most incredible "real-world" special effects ever captured, a live volcanic eruption!

The crew filmed real plates of the 2021 Fagradalsfjall Volcano eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula. These shots were used for scenes of Icewind Dale, showing the protagonists riding past active lava flows. No CGI needed when you have actual molten lava!

If you want to see where real-life volcanoes are, you can enjoy a helicopter volcano sightseeing tour over the Sundhnukagigar Craters or get as close to the recent lava field on a volcano hike in Reykjanes.

2023 - Heart of Stone

Heart of Stone is a spy action thriller distributed by Netflix starring Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot. As a true international spy film, it was filmed in multiple locations around the world, including a big set piece scene in Iceland. Without spoiling the plot too much, our beloved Harpa Concert Hall gets blown up.

Fortunately, the explosion was all just special effects, and Harpa still stands tall by Reykjavik Harbor today. You can even book a table at Harpa and enjoy a delicious meal inside the architectural marvel. It's also a stop on the popular Reykjavik Hop-On Hop-Off tour, which takes you sightseeing around the city.

2023 - Luther: The Fallen Sun

Netflix's Luther: The Fallen Sun brings Idris Elba's brooding detective to the big screen, chasing Andy Serkis's deranged villain far beyond London. The hunt ends at a snowbound compound in the far north, and those frozen scenes were shot at Svinafellsjokull Glacier in Southeast Iceland, an outlet glacier within Vatnajokull National Park.

Luther creator Neil Cross has said the location was chosen so the film would still "smell and sound and feel like Luther," and Iceland's brooding ice delivered. As a bonus, the crew got to see the northern lights during the shoot.

You can walk the same ice on a guided glacier hiking tour on Vatnajokull. Bring a warmer coat than John Luther's famous tweed one.

2022 - The Northman

The Northman is an epic Viking film that is truly visually stunning and was directed by Robert Eggers. The movie stars Alexander Skarsgård and Anya Taylor-Joy in the main roles, with support from Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Iceland's very own Björk. It's by far the most ambitious Viking film ever made, with a budget of about $80 million dollars.

The movie takes place almost entirely in Iceland and was co-written by Icelandic screenwriter and poet Sjón. Other Icelandic actors that appear in the film include Ingvar E. Sigurðsson and Hafthor "The Mountain" Bjornsson.

With all these Icelandic connections and the story of the movie taking place in Iceland, wouldn't you think it was mostly filmed in Iceland? Nope! The movie was mostly filmed in Ireland due to the 2020 COVID-19 restrictions.

Some indoor scenes were filmed in Akureyri, depicting the insides of Viking longhouses. There is also a wide shot of some newly captured thralls hiking over Svinafellsjokull Glacier in Iceland.

We encourage you to try glacier hiking in Iceland, but with some sturdy crampons on your feet to keep you steady, something that the Vikings did not have the benefit of. You can even go glacier hiking in the Skaftafell area, right by Svinafellsjokull, the very glacier that appears in the movie.

2022 - Against the Ice

Against the Ice is a historical survival film about the 1909-1912 Alabama expedition, which set out to recover the records left by the ill-fated Denmark expedition to Greenland's Northeast Coast in 1906-1908.

It stars Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the main role (who's also a co-writer), best known as the knight Ser Jaime Lannister from the Game of Thrones series. The movie also stars Charles Dance, who played Jaime's father in the series, Tywin Lannister.

While the movie takes place in Greenland, Against the Ice was mostly filmed on glaciers in Iceland with minimal use of CGI. 

The movie was produced by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur and also stars Icelandic veteran actors Þorsteinn Bachmann and Gísli Örn Garðarsson.

A large part of the film includes the two voyagers riding across glaciers on dog sleds. As the movie takes place well before the invention of snowmobiles, this was the fastest way to get across glaciers at the time.

If you want to try dog-sledding in Iceland, there are many possibilities, as you can go dog-sledding near Reykjavik or go on an epic Siberian husky sleigh ride in North Iceland.

2021 - The Tomorrow War

The Tomorrow War stars Chris Pratt as a soldier drafted into a war against aliens, fought thirty years in the future. When the fight moves to a glacier for the film's final act, that ice is real: the production filmed on Vatnajokull Glacier, with Iceland's ice caves and frozen expanses standing in for the film's frozen battleground.

The crew set off a real detonation on the glacier, claiming the title of the largest man-made explosion ever filmed in Iceland. Chris Pratt posted videos from the set, marveling at filming on top of a glacier.

One way to follow in his footsteps is an Vatnajokull ice cave tour and professional photo package. Another is to go snowmobiling on Vatnajokull Glacier, across the same white expanse.

2020 - Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

This movie, starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, was released on Netflix on June 26, 2020. It takes place in Iceland and features Icelandic characters, though most of them are played by American actors speaking English.

The film is about two musicians from Husavik who dream of making it on the big stage and participating in the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Iceland and making their small town proud.

The opening song of the film, Volcano Man, features multiple locations around Iceland. This includes Valhnukamol Beach on the Reykjanes Peninsula, with the lone sea-stack Karlinn in the background. The two keyboards still stand there today, bolted to the ground.

It also features Skogafoss Waterfall frozen over during winter. However, that particular shot looks very green-screeny. If you want to see how it looks in real life, you can book a South Coast tour, which brings you right up to the iconic waterfall, no green screens needed.

When the pair gets accepted to participate in the Icelandic song contest in Reykjavik, the University of Iceland is depicted as the headquarters for Icelandic Public Television. Now that's some movie magic! 

The town of Husavik is prominently featured in the film and sets the stage for a whirlwind story. The bar where Will Ferrell and his friends perform can be visited in Húsavík. It has been renamed the Jaja Ding Dong Bar & Eurovision Exhibition and features memorabilia from Iceland’s Eurovision entries, including costumes from the film like the epic Volcano Man outfit.

There is a nod to Husavik's reputation as the "Whale Watching Capital of Europe" when Will Ferrell's character talks directly to the whales at the town's harbor, and two whales perform a synchronized pirouette! If you want to get to see the whales that live in Skjalfandi Bay, book this oak boat whale-watching tour in Husavik. We can't promise a synchronized pirouette, though.

The story of Husavik being chosen as Will Ferrell's character's hometown is pretty interesting. Ferrell had wanted to do a comedy movie featuring Eurovision since he first saw the song contest in 1998 with his Swedish wife. Two decades and countless blockbusters later, he decided to finally make it happen.

However, Sweden was simply too successful in Eurovision, having won it multiple times, so depicting singers from Sweden wouldn't have that same underdog quality. That's why Iceland was chosen.

When they were deciding where to shoot it in Iceland, David Dobkin, the director of the film, simply pointed to Husavik on a map and asked Netflix if they could shoot there, without ever having visited. Netflix agreed, and the rest is history.

If you want to visit the town yourself, make sure to book accommodation in Husavik beforehand, as it's been getting popular in recent years. Above, you can see the many shots featuring this small town, which now has become well-known around the world.

2020 - The Midnight Sky

The Midnight Sky is a film directed and starring George Clooney, and was partially shot in Iceland for scenes depicting the Arctic. This post-apocalyptic movie takes place in the year 2049 and is about an aging scientist and a 7-year-old girl on a large Arctic base looking for a communications tower in the vast icy snowscapes to warn astronauts about the situation on Earth. That's quite a doozy!

While half of the movie takes place in outer space, the other is dedicated to traversing the harsh Arctic plains, and whenever a film needs large swaths of white snow, the glaciers of Iceland make for a great shooting location.

The Arctic parts of the movie, which feature only George Clooney and the girl, were shot on Skalafellsjokull, a glacier tongue of Vatnajokull, the largest glacier in Europe. In some scenes, they zoom across the snowy surface on snowmobiles as they try to reach the large satellite antenna.

You can go snowmobiling on the very same glacier on this exciting 3-hour glacier snowmobiling tour on Vatnajokull. You can even imagine you're a heroic scientist saving the world!

2010s Movies Filmed in Iceland

In the second decade of the 21st century, Iceland had fully established itself as a reliable filming location for big-budget movies. The local production companies had acquired a lot of experience, and the Icelandic camera crews were trustworthy and diligent, resulting in a lot of large projects during this decade.

2018 - Arctic

Few films belong on this list as completely as Arctic, because the entire movie was shot in Iceland. Mads Mikkelsen plays a man stranded in the Arctic after a plane crash, fighting to survive with quiet determination and very few words.

Director Joe Penna filmed for about a month in the highlands of Iceland at Fellsendavatn, with additional locations at Nesjavellir and the Blafjoll Mountains, all chosen to be reachable from Reykjavik.

The crashed plane was a set built right into the landscape, and the ever-changing Icelandic weather supplied the hardship for free. Mikkelsen has called it one of the toughest shoots of his career.

You can explore this raw interior on one of the many available Highland tours. Unlike Mads, you'll have a warm bus waiting.

2018 - Through Night and Day

It's not just big Hollywood filmmakers who get attracted to the allure of Iceland as a backdrop for their blockbusters. Some smaller film industries around the world also utilize Iceland for their movies, such as this romantic comedy from the Philippines.

The movie is about a couple that is getting married, and they decide to go on a trip to Iceland, the fiancée's dream destination, to test their relationship to the fullest. The movie hit #1 on Netflix in the Philippines and was quite popular in its home country when it came out.

Without going into details of the plot, they go through their ups and downs as they travel around the country.

The movie features so many different spots and destinations in Iceland that it's hard to highlight all of them. One of the sweetest scenes in the movie takes place inside Fridheimar, a tomato farm restaurant in Reykholt. You can book a table at Fridheimar if you want to experience it yourself.

Of course, they have to visit the beautiful waterfall Seljalandsfoss, where they try to take an epic selfie without getting too wet. If you want to get your own selfie there, check out this 10-hour South Coast minibus tour, which takes you to the waterfall and other gems of Iceland's southern region.

And, of course, the northern lights make an appearance. The wife-to-be understandably gets mad at her fiancé for not waking her up to see the aurora. If you want to see the northern lights during your visit, make sure to book a northern lights tour to witness the dancing lights up in the sky.

The climactic scene of the movie takes place in the beautiful Reykjavik Botanical Garden, making full use of its autumn charm.

2017 - Justice League

Not many movies utilize the remote and beautiful Westfjords for shooting locations, but that is where the opening scene of the superhero blockbuster Justice League takes place. Bruce Wayne, played by Ben Affleck, goes there to recruit Aquaman to join the team he is forming.

In the movie, Aquaman resides in an isolated village in the fjords, where he is considered some kind of legend who helps the poor townspeople. But first, Bruce Wayne needs to trek toward the village, and he takes a rather tough route across Fjallsjokull Glacier on horseback, which is located way on the opposite side of the country, in the southeast.

Don’t worry, you do not need to follow Bruce Wayne’s trek to get there. You can simply rent a 4x4 vehicle or join one of the Westfjords tours to explore the region.

The town hall of the village is actually an old herring factory in the town of Djupavik. If you want to see it for yourself, go ahead and book accommodations in the Westfjords for a nice place to stay in the region.

It is a very cinematic location as the herring factory is towered by a cliff where Djupavikurfoss Waterfall cascades down and overlooks a fjord, giving it a great dramatic flair that looks good on camera. The ice in the fjord in this shot, however, is CGI added in post-production.

Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa, even attempts to speak Icelandic, which sounds rather unintelligible, but apparently, the townspeople are used to his accent as they seem to understand him, and he gets a big laugh. Maybe they are just too nervous not to laugh at a joke by a God of the Sea?

The scene ends when Aquaman decides to join Batman on his journey to defeat the bad guys, as he walks into the ice-cold waters of what's supposed to be the fjord by the village, but is actually Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon in the southeast of Iceland.

You can see this beautiful natural wonder up close on this boat tour on the Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon. Just dress warmly, as conditions on the water can be cold even in summer.

2017 - The Fate of the Furious

The Fate of the Furious is a 2017 action film from the Fast & Furious franchise, known for its high-speed chases and global filming locations. In the film, scenes set in a remote separatist military base in a frozen fictional Russian region were actually shot in North Iceland’s Lake Myvatn.

As you can see from the photo below, the lake is quite lovely during the summer and is well known for its green pseudocraters, which can be found both in and around the lake. We recommend visiting this beautiful gem on one of the many available Myvatn tours to explore the area.

This area is one of the best movie locations in Iceland for its vast volcanic landscapes and snow-covered winter scenery. Lake Myvatn was chosen to shoot this particular scene in the eighth film of the prestigious Fast & the Furious franchise because it reliably freezes over during the winter, with ice thick enough to safely hold dozens of cars and trucks.

This chase scene not only features Lamborghinis, tanks, monster trucks with rockets, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson but also a giant Russian submarine that breaks through the ice.

Prior to the chase scene across the frozen lake, there are some scenes showing the Russian military base that was shot by the harbor of Akranes, in an abandoned cement factory. 

If you'd like to visit this region during the winter, as it appears in the movie (minus a submarine), there is a body of water by the lake that never freezes over and stays nice and warm all year round.

The Earth Lagoon Myvatn offers a serene experience of bathing in comforting geothermal waters. If you need a place to stay, make sure to book accommodations in the Myvatn area. It's a beautiful and peaceful region that's worth visiting.

2016 - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a late prequel to the first Star Wars movie, about how the Rebel forces acquired the blueprints of the Death Star. Even before Rogue One was released, it was obvious from the trailer that scenes were shot on the South Coast of Iceland. We recognize those black sands and mossy green mountains anywhere!

The movie starts with a beautiful shot of a black sand beach in Iceland, with only a small Star Warsian spacecraft (the ST 149, to be exact) being seen in the distance. This particular sand plain is Myrdalssandur, and the green mountains rising from it are Hjorleifshofdi and Hafursey, located just east of Vik. You can zoom across the same area on this thrilling 2-hour ATV buggy ride tour.

Iceland portrays the planet Lah'mu in the film, where our main character Jyn Erso and her parents are in hiding at the very beginning of the film. Jyn Erso's father, played by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, is a scientist who worked on creating the Death Star, and the bad guys want to bring him back.

At the end of the scene, little Jyn Erso flees as her mother is killed and her father is taken by the Empire's death troopers. She hides in a nearby cave called Gygjagja, and manages to escape the watchful eye of the death troopers (yes, stormtroopers in black are called death troopers).

Now, this wouldn't be worth mentioning, aside from the fact that the cave she runs into has a strange connection to the Star Wars franchise. The cave opening just so happens to resemble the silhouette of the character Yoda and has sometimes been called the Yoda Cave because of its likeness. To see it yourself, book a hotel in Vik and make your way to Rogue One movie locations in Iceland.

2016 - War on Everyone

War on Everyone is a British black comedy buddy cop film starring Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña as crooked cops who plan a heist together with the help of criminals. 

A few scenes were shot in Reykjavik, as they go looking for one of their accomplices who fled to Iceland after the heist went sour. Despite not knowing where in Iceland he's staying, they spot him immediately walking up Skolavordustigur Street while eating hardfiskur in a crowd of Icelanders. 

A chase scene ensues across the city, down Skolavordustigur, past Laugavegur Street, and ends up at Nautholsvik Beach, where he is finally caught. Afterward, all three of them go for beers at Kaffibarinn in downtown Reykjavik to discuss why the heist went wrong.

Exploring these locations on a guided Reykjavik walking tours let you connect the film’s scenes with the real streets, cafes, and landmarks.

In a previous scene, the two crooked cops discuss the Blue Lagoon, with Michael Peña's character showing interest in it, while Skarsgård's character is less than enthused. If you'd like to take a dip in the warm geothermal waters of this famous spa, check out the many available Blue Lagoon tours or buy admission to the Blue Lagoon directly.

2015 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The first movie in the Disney trilogy of the Star Wars saga has a few exterior shots from Iceland, depicting parts of the powerful Starkiller Base, which is similar to the Death Star from the original trilogy. These movie shots were filmed in Northeast Iceland, in the volcanic landscapes around Lake Myvatn and the Krafla Volcano. 

The constructions in the shot were added in post-production by the legendary Industrial Light & Magic visual effects company. This area can be explored on one of the many available Myvatn tours.

The shots featuring close-ups of the iconic characters in the movie were shot with a greenscreen, so Harrison Ford did, in fact, not travel to Iceland to shoot his parts for the film.

2015 - Dilwale

The Indian action-comedy film Dilwale has a sequence filmed entirely in Iceland. It was a huge hit in its native country when it came out and was one of the highest-grossing Indian films of its year.

The song "Gerua," featured in the film, was shot in various places around the country, which you can see in the video above.

Some of the locations in the film include Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, Skogafoss Waterfall, and Mount Vestrahorn. If you want to visit these filming locations, a South Coast and glacier lagoon day tour is an easy way to do it without having to drive long distances.

In true Bollywood fashion, there are some fantastical special effects sprinkled in to make the beautiful Icelandic landscapes appear even more magical. For further examination of all locations in the music video, read our full article about Dilwale in Iceland.

2014 - Interstellar

Interstellar is an epic science fiction film directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Matt Damon. Parts of the movie were filmed in two different locations in Iceland, representing different planets. Both locations are in the South-East of Iceland, a stone's throw away from each other (or about an hour's drive).

Mafabot is a lowland between the open sea and a river, not far from the town of Kirkjubaejarklaustur, and it was there that an intense scene on an ocean planet takes place. It's not really a place you can "visit" as the film crew had to create a road and transport their equipment on massive trucks just to get there.

The other filming location was Svinafellsjokull Glacier, which represents the ice planet where Matt Damon's character was stranded. Multiple scenes were filmed of the space crew hiking over the glaciers in full gear as they look for the missing astronaut, and you can easily visit it on a beginner-friendly glacier hiking tour.

2014 - Noah

Noah is an epic biblical film about the story of Noah and the Flood. The producers of Noah felt that Iceland's relative newness played well to their setting: the beginning of the world.

Most of the pre-flood scenes of the movie were filmed on the Reykjanes Peninsula, making full use of the moss-covered lava fields that characterize the region.

Mount Hafursey also makes an appearance, located on Myrdalssandur Beach on the South Coast of Iceland. The stark contrast between the black sand and the green mountain looks great on film! 

Noah goes to see his grandfather to make sense of his visions of an upcoming flood. His grandfather is Methuselah, played by Anthony Hopkins, and lived to the ripe old age of 969, according to the Bible. This scene was shot inside the Raufarholshellir Cave.

You can go visit this magnificent cave on a fun 1-hour lava tunnel caving tour of the Raufarholshellir lava tubes. You can even stand in the exact same spot as Sir Anthony Hopkins did and pretend to be the oldest man who ever lived.

2014 - Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead

Not every movie comes to Iceland for majestic glaciers. The Norwegian horror-comedy Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead came here to unleash Nazi zombies, with Iceland standing in for northern Norway and Icelandic company Saga Film co-producing.

The film's small-town mayhem was shot in the seaside village of Eyrarbakki on the South Coast, with further scenes in Botnsdalur Valley and at the country churchyards of Ulfljotsvatn and Kotstrond. In one memorably absurd scene, a priest steps out of his church to find a crowd of undead soldiers waiting in the cemetery.

Eyrarbakki is a charming and decidedly zombie-free fishing village today, an easy stop between Reykjavik and the South Coast. You can visit on a South Iceland self-drive tour and see one of Iceland's oldest villages where the battle scenes took place.

2013 - Oblivion

Oblivion is a sci-fi blockbuster starring Tom Cruise that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in the year 2077. And whenever Hollywood needs a good location to shoot a desolate Earth, there's no better place than Iceland!

As Tom Cruise's character looks for another human life on the post-apocalyptic Earth, he comes across a desolate football stadium where "the last Superbowl" was played in 2017. This is actually Hrossaborg Crater in Northeast Iceland, with additional CGI to show the remnants of the stadium.

Another scene shows Tom Cruise riding on a motorcycle across black sand deserts near Lake Drekavatn in the highlands of Iceland. Large parts of Iceland's interior consist of black sand dunes like this, minus the post-apocalyptic scraps. 

A climactic scene in the movie takes place on a base high on top of a mountain that overlooks the Jarlhettur Mountain Ridge near Langjokull Glacier. The Hollywood crew had a hard time pronouncing the Icelandic name and simply called it "Earl's Peak."

At the time when Oblivion was filmed in Iceland, it was the biggest, most ambitious movie to have been filmed in Iceland, along with The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and with the biggest star power as well. The success of the movie and how smoothly the shoots in Iceland went, paved the way for many blockbusters to come.

2013 - Thor: The Dark World

Iceland makes sense as a filming location for a movie about a character based on Norse mythology, which is exactly the case for Thor: The Dark World, starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Natalie Portman.

The black sand plains of Skeidararsandur were the setting for Svartalfheim, the home planet of the dark elves. This realm is based on a place with the same name from Norse cosmology, which is primarily attested in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda.

Thor: The Dark World was also shot at Skogafoss Waterfall, Domadalur Valley, and Fjadrargljufur Canyon. Unfortunately, the visual effects specialists at Marvel Studios took the title of the film a little too seriously, as you can barely see what's going on during most of the movie, let alone where in Iceland it was shot!

2013 - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, directed by and starring Ben Stiller, is a movie about a man who works at a stale job, has an uneventful life, and goes on a globe-trotting journey of a lifetime. The majority of the movie was shot in Iceland, while representing three countries.

Mitty's first stop on his journey is Nuuk, Greenland. However, the scenes representing Greenland were, in fact, shot in Stykkisholmur, Iceland. The red house seen in the scene is actually Hotel Egilsen, an excellent hotel in a historic building.

While in Nuuk, Mitty meets a helicopter pilot played by veteran Icelandic actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. Mitty takes a leap of faith and goes with the helicopter pilot to Iceland (with a short stop swimming in shark-infested waters) and travels all around the country.

When Mitty comes to Iceland, he starts heading towards Eyjafjallajokull Volcano on a bike. What follows is a series of beauty shots of Iceland as Ben Stiller bicycles, hikes, and longboards across the country.

The Icelandic vibes of this section of the movie are elevated even further with the song "Dirty Paws" by the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men, which is played during the montage. It's the same song used in the trailer below.

Walter Mitty's longboard ride ends in a small Icelandic port town, and those scenes were shot in Seydisfjordur. Hotel Aldan, which appears in the scene, is an excellent country hotel that you can stay at if you're looking for accommodations in Seydisfjordur.

At one point in the movie, Mitty stops by a Papa John's Pizza restaurant in Iceland. This is a case of true movie magic as there is no, and never has been, a Papa John's in Iceland. It is, in fact, a bakery in the town of Borgarnes, which was dressed up as a Papa John's for the sake of the movie. Such is the wonder of product placement.

From there, Walter Mitty travels through Afghanistan with local companions as he heads toward the Himalayan mountains. What follows is another montage of beauty shots of Iceland, but this time representing the Afghan Himalayas.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty filming locations also include Kalfafellsdalur Valley and Fjallsjokull, an outlet glacier of Oraefajokull.

2013 - Naayak

Naayak is an Indian Telugu-language thriller starring Tollywood superstar Ram Charan. Most of the movie was shot in India, but there is an extended song sequence that was entirely shot in Iceland. Shooting locations are mostly on the South Coast of Iceland and include the black sand beach of Reynisfjara and the crater lake of Ljotipollur.

There's also an epic shot of the movie's hero with the Reynisdrangar Sea Stacks in the background. However, don't be disappointed if, when you go there, you only see a couple of cliffs in the ocean, as they appear to have been copy and pasted all over the place for this shot to create a truly fantastical vision of Iceland for this movie.

2012 - Prometheus

The sci-fi horror Prometheus marked the return of director Ridley Scott to the Alien franchise, which he started with the eponymous film in 1979. It serves as a prequel to Alien and, without going too much into the plot, is about the origin of the iconic aliens, and even mankind. The movie starts with beautiful wide shots of Icelandic landscapes during the title sequence.

The opening scene features the so-called "Engineer" on what is supposed to be an alien planet. The scene was shot at the massive Dettifoss Waterfall in North Iceland. This is the most powerful waterfall in the country, with a staggering 6,816 cubic feet (193 cubic meters) tumbling down every second! The waterfall can be explored on this immersive 9-hour guided tour of Iceland's northern region.

2011 - Tree of Life

Tree of Life is an experimental coming-of-age drama starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, directed by Terrence Malick. The movie is about the relationship between father and son and takes place simultaneously in the 1950's and the 2010's, with Sean Penn playing the son of Brad Pitt's character.

To make things even more confusing, the film also features depictions of the beginnings of life on Earth, dinosaurs, and all! As Iceland is one of the youngest landmasses on Earth, it makes sense to utilize it to display the planet coming to life. 

A location featured in the movie is the Namafjall Geothermal Area. You can easily visit by joining Myvatn tours, as it is just east of the lake and right beside the Ring Road.

2000s Movies Filmed in Iceland

During the first decade of the 21st century, Hollywood would dip their toe into moviemaking in Iceland. Not many foreign films were shot in Iceland during this time, but the few that did were big-budget blockbusters with big-name actors. It helped get the word out to production studios that Iceland looked great on film!

2008 - Journey to the Center of the Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth is an adventure film starring Oscar-award-winning actor Brendan Fraser and is based on the classic sci-fi novel of the same name by Jules Verne. In the novel, the journey through the hollow Earth starts on Snaefellsjokull Glacier in Iceland.

In the movie, which takes place in modern times, Brendan Fraser's character wants to investigate whether the events of Verne's novel are indeed factual accounts, so he travels with his 13-year-old nephew to Iceland.

As they fly to Iceland, you can see a beautiful establishing shot of an Icelandair airplane, which looks like it's taken straight out of a TV commercial (which it probably was). When they arrive, they start heading toward the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, where they meet the daughter of a famed volcanologist, played by Icelandic actress Aníta Briem, who claims that the events of the novel were true.

They climb up Snaefellsjokull Glacier, looking for the entrance, as they get trapped inside a cave during a lightning storm. From there, an epic adventure begins inside the Earth, but Iceland's exterior does not make another appearance in the movie.

If you want to step in the footsteps of Brendan Fraser, you can go on a glacier hike up Snaefellsjokull on this thrilling tour or explore a cave in West Iceland.

2006 - Letters from Iwo Jima

Letters from Iwo Jima is Clint Eastwood's companion piece to his 2005 film Flags of Our Fathers. While the first film was from the American viewpoint during the invasion of Iwo Jima in World War II, this film focuses on the Japanese side, with Ken Watanabe portraying General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, who oversaw the defense of the island.

Much like Flags of Our Fathers, the battle scenes of this film were shot at Sandvik Beach on the Reykjanes Peninsula as the two movies were shot back-to-back.

2005 - Flags of Our Fathers

Flags of Our Fathers is a World War II movie directed by Clint Eastwood about the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. While most of the movie was shot in California, there were some simple scenes filmed at the real Iwo Jima island in Japan.

However, as over 10,000 Japanese soldiers were laid to rest on the island in the war, it was not possible, or appropriate, to reenact the invasion on a large scale at Iwo Jima. Therefore, the black sand beach of Sandvik on the Reykjanes Peninsula was the perfect filming location for the battle scenes of both Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima.

This was an incredibly complex shoot, with over 1,000 people taking part in it, including helicopters, tanks, boats, and a lot of explosions. Even though the beach of Iwo Jima is 10 times larger than the beach at Sandvik, they managed to recreate the battle very convincingly, and it's truly harrowing to watch.

For Einar, this production was more than a logistical feat. It marked the moment the international industry started taking Iceland seriously.

2005 - Batman Begins

Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins is the first movie in the highly popular and acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy about the black-clad masked superhero played by Christian Bale. Iceland is featured in a few scenes revealing Batman's origin story as he trains with the martial artists of the League of Shadows, led by the mysterious Ra's al Ghul, played by Liam Neeson.

While these scenes are supposed to take place in Tibet, they were actually shot at Svinafellsjokull Glacier on Iceland's south coast. In the first scene of this origin story, Bruce Wayne is tossed out of a truck and left on the side of the road. Anyone familiar with Icelandic foliage will recognize the typical mossy lava field in the scene.

The high point of these Tibetan scenes that were shot in Iceland is the long sword duel between Christian Bale and Liam Neeson, who dusts off his lightsaber skills from playing Qui-Gon Jinn a few years prior.

During the filming of this scene, both actors voiced concerns about the crackling noise of ice as they fought on it, afraid it would break underneath their feet. Fortunately, both actors survived, and the film was a great success.

2005 - Beowulf & Grendel

Before The Northman, there was Beowulf & Grendel, an adaptation of the Old English epic directed by Icelandic-Canadian filmmaker Sturla Gunnarsson and shot in South Iceland around Vik and the Hofdabrekka area. Gerard Butler plays Beowulf, one year before his 300 fame, alongside Stellan Skarsgard, whose son Alexander would later lead The Northman, and Sarah Polley.

The troll Grendel is played by Icelandic acting royalty Ingvar E. Sigurdsson, who also appears in The Northman, making him something of a Viking-movie veteran. The production famously battled South Coast weather so fierce it nearly sank the film, which any local could have warned them about.

The mossy cliffs and black beaches around Vik remain some of the most cinematic terrain in the country. Book a hotel in Vik and see why filmmakers keep coming back.

2002 - Die Another Day

Die Another Day is the 20th film in the James Bond franchise and the second one to feature Iceland. Without going too much into the (convoluted) plot, James Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan, goes to Iceland to meet with a billionaire bad guy who has an ice palace by Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon.

Every bad guy needs cool-looking headquarters to plan all his villainous schemes, right?

In the film, the palace doubles as an ice hotel, achieved through a mix of special effects and set design. You cannot book a stay there, though there are hotels close to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon that will do nicely, such as the excellent Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon.

What follows is a thrilling chase scene across the frozen lagoon on all kinds of vehicles. For the shooting of this scene, the crew built a temporary dam to prevent seawater from flowing into the lagoon. Otherwise, it would have been too warm for it to freeze over.

The crew waited days for the ice to set, something Jokulsarlon rarely does. They were close to packing up for Canada when it finally froze.

Bond escapes an orbital mirror satellite's sun-ray by paraglide-surfing a wave off the glacier, then lands on a conveniently placed snowmobile. A normal day at the office, really. Even if you're not escaping from baddies, going on a snowmobile tour in Iceland is a lot of fun!

The sequence ends with Bond's rocket-equipped Aston Martin Vanquish against the villain's Jaguar XKR, driven for real by stunt drivers on the ice, with no CGI.

2001 - Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Angelina Jolie portrays the iconic video game character Lara Croft in this action-adventure film from 2001. It is a true tomb-raiding, world-hopping adventure flick that takes place in various exotic places and contains a short scene shot at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon in Iceland.

Iceland stood in for Siberia, Russia. The famous glacier lagoon is unmistakable in the background, while a set of huts and cabins in the foreground represents a small Siberian settlement. With plenty of huskies, of course!

Then, Lara Croft and her crew travel across the glacier lagoon on an amphibian boat. This is something that's possible to do during the summer, so book an amphibian tour on the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon if you want to see the floating icebergs up close.

As Lara Croft gets closer to the artifact she's after, she rides across the snow on a dog sled. If you want to try this out, check out the selection of dog-sledding tours in Iceland.

20th Century Movies Filmed in Iceland

The 20th century did not see many international films being shot in Iceland. However, during the last two decades of the century, Icelandic cinema made great progress. Many movies considered Icelandic classics today were made during that time, such as Með allt á hreinu (On Top), Hrafninn flýgur (The Raven Flies), Sódóma Reykjavík (The Remote Control), and the Oscar-nominated Börn náttúrunnar (Children of Nature).

The experience gained by Icelandic filmmakers during this time would prove invaluable when Hollywood came-a-knockin' in the 21st century.

1985 - A View to a Kill

The movie that gave Hollywood its first taste of Iceland as a shooting location for big-budget films was A View to a Kill, the fourteenth James Bond film and the last to have Roger Moore playing the iconic Agent 007.

The movie opens with the classic James Bond 'gun barrel' iris, which expands into a shot of a helicopter flying over Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, kicking off the pre-title sequence. 

In this opening scene, Iceland is supposed to represent Siberia, where James Bond has been sent to recover a Soviet microchip from the buried body of a British spy. Once he finds the chip, he needs to escape from an attack helicopter and a regiment of Soviet guards who are patrolling the area on skis.

The highlight of this sequence is when James Bond defeats two armed guards with nothing but a snowboard! Who knew 57-year-old Roger Moore was such a rad snowboarder?

Then James Bond makes his way into an iceberg-shaped submarine that was lurking in the lagoon, Union Jack and all! Thus concludes the first big-budget sequence ever filmed in Iceland.

I hate to break the illusion of cinema magic, but Roger Moore did not travel to Iceland to shoot this sequence. His face can only be seen a couple of times during close-up shots, which were filmed in a studio, and a stunt actor did all the action in this scene.

1919 - Borgslægtens Historie (Sons of the Soil)

Now we go way into the past, back to the silent film era, with this full-length film by Danish director Gunnar Sommerfeldt. It was based on a novel by Icelandic author Gunnar Gunnarsson, making it the first Icelandic novel to be adapted into a film.

The entire film was shot in Iceland, using a mix of Danish and Icelandic actors. It is a dramatic film about the relationship between two brothers around the turn of the 20th century.

Sons of the Soil is not available for viewing online, but it was last shown in Iceland in 2021 with a new original composition performed by the Nordic Symphony Orchestra. The collage above is a collection of frames from this remarkable piece of history, which gives a glimpse into life in Iceland over 100 years ago.

Movies Briefly Filmed in Iceland

Not every production stays for weeks. These films captured Iceland in a single scene or through second-unit footage, but locals recognize home instantly.

• Captain America: Civil War (2016): The opening shot of the Winter Soldier's snowy Siberia was filmed near the village of Vik on the South Coast. Beyond that, it's hard to tell what's Iceland and what's greenscreen.

• Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014): A second unit filmed the film's prehistoric prologue in Iceland, in which alien "Creators" wipe out the dinosaurs across smoking volcanic terrain. The exact locations were never disclosed, but the black sands are unmistakable.

• Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013): Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach stood in for a desolate planetoid near the Klingon homeworld, where Dr. McCoy and Dr. Marcus defuse a torpedo among the black sands.

• The Fifth Estate (2013): The WikiLeaks biopic shot a protest scene at Austurvollur Square in front of Iceland's parliament, with Carice van Houten playing real-life Icelandic MP Birgitta Jonsdottir, plus a suspiciously empty Blue Lagoon meeting.

• Faust (2011): Alexander Sokurov's Golden Lion winner shot its feverish final scenes in Iceland, with the characters scrambling past an erupting hot spring beneath a glacier.

• Stardust (2007): A soothsayer meets a bad end for Prince Septimus with Brunnhorn, the "Batman mountain" near Vestrahorn, in the background. The snow and ice in the scene are real, not CGI.

• Hostel Part II (2007): Eli Roth dressed the Blue Lagoon up as an Italian spa. Fittingly, his directing career began with a skin infection he picked up in Iceland, which inspired Cabin Fever.

• Judge Dredd (1995): The "Cursed Earth" wastelands where criminals are sent to die were filmed on the Reykjanes Peninsula, its lava fields shot through a doom-red filter.

How to Visit Iceland’s Movie Locations

If you’re planning a film-inspired road trip, many Iceland movie locations are easy to reach along the Ring Road. Renting a car and self-drive tours are the most flexible way to explore these areas at your own pace, with popular stops like waterfalls, black sand beaches, and glacier viewpoints.

However, not all filming locations in Iceland are accessible by standard vehicles. Glaciers, ice caves, and the Highlands require proper planning, and in many cases, guided tours. F-roads are only open in summer, usually from late June to early September, and always require a 4×4 vehicle.

After two decades of bringing crews to these places, Einar says he has no favorite location; there are simply too many great ones. His advice for movie fans visiting them is to slow down.

When a 4×4 is required:

• Landmannalaugar in the Highlands (Thor: The Dark World, Arctic)

• Hrossaborg Crater in North Iceland (Oblivion)

• Myrdalssandur black sand plains and surrounding areas (Rogue One and Noah)

When a guided tour is recommended:

• Glacier hikes on Svinafellsjokull (Interstellar, Batman Begins, The Northman, Luther: The Fallen Sun, Game of Thrones)

• Glacier hikes on Vatnajokull (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Tomorrow War)

• Ice caves in Vatnajokull (Game of Thrones, The Midnight Sky, The Tomorrow War)

• Snowmobiling areas on Vatnajokull (The Midnight Sky)

Best Iceland Tours for Visiting Famous Movie Locations

These tours make it easy to visit some of Iceland’s most recognizable filming locations, from blockbuster movies and TV series.

• South Coast Day Tour from Reykjavik: Visit many of Iceland’s movie locations in a day, like Reynisfjara Beach (Rogue One), Skogafoss (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), and Vik (Civil War).

• Golden Circle Minibus Tour from Reykjavik: Includes Thingvellir National Park, a major filming location for Game of Thrones, along with some of Iceland’s most famous natural attractions.

• Ice Caving & Glacier Hiking in Vatnajokull: See the icy landscapes seen in films like Interstellar, Batman Begins, and The Northman around Svinafellsjokull and Vatnajokull National Park.

• Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour: Lets you admire the floating iceberg up close, famous for its appearances in Die Another Day and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. 

• Snaefellsnes Peninsula Tour from Reykjavik: Explore the landscapes around Snaefellsjokull, the glacier-volcano that inspired Journey to the Center of the Earth.

• Lake Myvatn Sightseeing & Hot Springs Tour: A great way to explore the volcanic landscapes around Lake Myvatn, featured in The Fate of the Furious and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Best Time to Visit Iceland’s Movie Locations

Iceland’s filming locations can be visited year-round, but the experience changes dramatically with the seasons. Summer in Iceland is generally the easiest season for road trips covering major filming locations across the South Coast, North Iceland, and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.

Meanwhile, winter in Iceland offers the cinematic atmosphere seen in many sci-fi and fantasy productions filmed in Iceland. It’s also the best season to combine movie locations with northern lights tours and ice cave experiences.

Summer (May–August)

• Pros: Long daylight hours, open roads across the country, easiest access to remote areas

• Best for: South Coast drives, Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Highlands, and multi-day tours in Iceland

• Visual character: Bright and detailed landscapes with green moss, and soft golden light of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Oblivion, and Rogue One

Winter (October–March)

• Pros: Snow-covered scenery, frozen waterfalls, northern lights, natural ice caves

• Best for: Ice caving, dramatic photography, aurora tours

• Visual character: The icy, desolate look of Interstellar, The Midnight Sky, and Against the Ice

Plan Your Trip to See the Best Movies Filmed in Iceland

From blockbuster films to hidden cinematic gems, Iceland offers one of the most visually stunning filming landscapes in the world. Whether you’re a movie fan or a traveler seeking dramatic scenery, these locations are well worth exploring.

A great way to begin is by exploring the classic routes and experiences that connect many of these filming locations. Consider booking Iceland vacation packages that cover the South Coast, Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and North Iceland, making it easier to visit these iconic spots in one well-planned trip.

If there's one thing Einar wants travelers to understand about Iceland as a filming country, it's that the magic isn't only in the landscapes. It's in the people.

Iceland's story on screen doesn't end with the movies, either. The country's most famous production of all was a TV series, and you can explore every stop in our guide to all Game of Thrones filming locations in Iceland. Musicians love these landscapes just as much, as you'll see in the top music videos shot in Iceland.