Discover the real-world magic behind Wonder Woman’s epic journey – from Themyscira’s Italian beaches to 1980s Virginia malls and secret UK battlefields.
Ever wonder where Diana Prince perfected her lasso skills before saving humanity? Spoiler alert: It wasn’t a Hollywood soundstage.
Patty Jenkins dragged her cast across three countries, transformed ancient Italian caves into a mythical paradise, turned a peaceful English forest into a war zone, and resurrected a dead Virginia mall that hadn’t seen shoppers since the Reagan administration.
Gal Gadot ran through real trenches while five months pregnant, Pedro Pascal channeled his inner infomercial tycoon, and security guards had to stop hungry extras from eating 40-year-old candy bars.
Here’s exactly where Wonder Woman‘s epic journey was filmed – and why it’s weirder than you think.
Table of Contents
⚔️ Wonder Woman Filming Locations
Grab your lasso and your passport. Here’s where the magic and chaos actually happened.
🏝️ Where Was Wonder Woman Filmed (2017)?
In Wonder Woman (2017), Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) is a sheltered Amazon princess who’s been practicing sword-fighting since before she could tie her sandals.
When dashing spy Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crash-lands near her island and babbles about a world war, she grabs her lasso, leaves paradise, and heads straight into humanity’s worst cocktail party – World War I.
Alongside her ragtag team of misfits, she discovers that gods are real, men are complicated, and killing Ares isn’t as easy as she thought. The cast also features Robin Wright as the fiercely loyal Antiope and Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, who probably regrets ever letting Diana near that cliff edge.
Director Patty Jenkins dragged her Amazon army to Italy‘s jaw-dropping Cilento Coast, where the beaches of Palinuro and Camerota became the shores of Themyscira.
The Amazonian city itself was filmed in Matera, an ancient city of cave dwellings so old and dramatic that it made the Amazons look like they’d just moved in.
The famous “Terrace of Infinity” cliffside balcony was captured at Villa Cimbrone in Ravello, where Diana has heart-to-hearts with her mom while overlooking a view that would make even Ares pause for a selfie.
Book a tour:
- Stay at Villa Cimbrone, Ravello
- Marina di Camerota boat tour
- Palinuro tours & activities
- Matera tours & activities
- British Museum tours & tickets
- Castel del Monte tours & tickets
- Warner Bros. Studio London tours
The film’s grim, muddy World War I scenes couldn’t be more different from Themyscira‘s paradise. Bourne Wood in Surrey, England, was transformed into the Belgian front lines for the legendary “No Man’s Land” sequence.
The crew dug miles of actual trenches, blasted the landscape, and then watched Gal Gadot march through it all looking flawless – because even mud can’t dim Wonder Woman‘s glow.
The British Museum stood in for the Louvre, while Leavesden Studios in England housed interior sets. Arundel Castle in West Sussex doubled as the German High Command – probably the first time a castle wasn’t German but played one on TV.
Meanwhile, the swanky German gala where Diana struts in a stunning blue gown was filmed at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire. This historic Jacobean estate hosted galas, military conferences, and one very awkward moment when Steve Trevor tried to explain why he was still alive.
Wonder Woman (2017) filming locations:
- Palinuro & Camerota beaches, Italy: Amazonian shorelines for beach battles.
- Matera, Sassi district, Italy: Themyscira‘s ancient Amazonian city streets.
- Villa Cimbrone, Ravello, Italy: Queen Hippolyta‘s iconic cliffside balcony chats.
- Castel del Monte, Andria, Italy: The tower room housing the “God Killer” sword.
- Arundel Castle, West Sussex, UK: German High Command exterior fortress shots.
- Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, UK: German gala’s elegant dinner party scenes.
- Bourne Wood, Surrey, UK: Intense No Man’s Land trench warfare sequences.
- King’s Cross Station, London: Steve and Diana’s train station farewell.
- British Museum, London: Louvre Museum interior sequences.
- Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, UK: Interior Amazon and war bunker sets.
Trivia:
- Patty Jenkins cast real athletes as Amazons – a Swedish fighter, a CrossFit champ, and an Olympic heptathlete. They didn’t need stunt doubles, just reminders not to actually kill anyone.
- The “God Killer” sword was purely ornamental – just an excuse for Diana to leave the island. She traveled 2,000 miles to learn the power was inside her all along.
- During 2016 reshoots, Gal Gadot was five months pregnant. The wardrobe team cut a green fabric triangle into her armor so VFX artists could digitally flatten her stomach.
💎 Where Was Wonder Woman (1984) Filmed?
In Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) is now a senior anthropologist at the Smithsonian, still pining for Steve Trevor, who’s been dead for decades.
When a mysterious Dreamstone grants wishes, Steve (Chris Pine) returns in the body of another man, making everything incredibly awkward. Meanwhile, ambitious oil tycoon Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) wishes for the stone’s power and gets more than he bargained for – a world descending into chaos.
Diana must choose between love and heroism while fighting Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), a nerdy colleague whose wish to be “apex predator” turns her into the terrifying Cheetah. The cast also features Connie Nielsen and Robin Wright in flashback glory.
The film’s spectacular Amazon Games opening scene – where a young Diana competes in a brutal obstacle course – was filmed in the Canary Islands, specifically Tenerife and Fuerteventura. The volcanic landscapes provided a perfect alien-but-beautiful backdrop for the athletic showcase.
The Imperial War Museum in Duxford provided a dramatic aircraft hangar location, where some of the Smithsonian’s larger artifacts were “stored.” The Royal College of Art in London stood in for a museum gala.
The Legal & General House in Surrey played the backdrop to Maxwell Lord‘s corporate scheming, and familiar UK stomping grounds like Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden housed elaborate interior sets, including the Oval Office – built from scratch.
Book a tour:
- DC: White House, National Mall & Lincoln Memorial Tour
- Smithsonian Air & Space Museum Tours & Tickets
- Duxford IWM Air Museum Private Day Trip from London
- Almería: Alcazaba Guided Tour
- Warner Bros. Studio London tours
Filming locations in the USA included the National Mall & Lincoln Memorial, and the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, where Diana works.
The crew filmed around tourists, who kept asking Gal Gadot for selfies while she was mid-monologue about ancient history. But the real star was the Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Virginia – a shopping center abandoned since 2017.
Production designers resurrected the dead space, transforming it into a glowing 1980s wonderland with over 65 period-accurate storefronts, neon signs, and retro products.
The massive 10th-century Moorish Alcazaba Fortress in Almería, Spain, was transformed into the fortified palace of Egyptian oil tycoon Emir Said Bin Abydos, as the backdrop for the desert highway chase.
What was filmed here:
- Tenerife, Canary Islands: Epic Amazon Games obstacle course prologue.
- Fuerteventura, Canary Islands: Additional Amazon island training sequences.
- Alcazaba Fortress, Almería, Spain: Egyptian oil tycoon’s desert palace exteriors.
- National Mall & Lincoln Memorial, D.C.: Diana‘s iconic hero walk and aerial stunts.
- Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, D.C.: Diana‘s workplace rotunda and gallery scenes.
- Imperial War Museum, Duxford, UK: Smithsonian aircraft hangar storage scenes.
- Landmark Mall, Alexandria, USA: Spectacular 1980s mall opening heist sequence.
- Royal College of Art, London, UK: Elegant museum gala party sequences.
- Legal & General House, Surrey, UK: Maxwell Lord‘s corporate office interiors.
- Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, UK: Oval Office interiors and soundstage sets.
Trivia:
- Production designers filled the Landmark Mall set with authentic 40-year-old candy bars from the 1980s. Security had to guard them 24/7 because hungry extras kept trying to eat them.
- When Diana turns a fighter jet invisible, the cockpit display matches the classic 1980s invisible jet design from DC comics. Someone on the art team definitely deserved a raise.
- Pedro Pascal modeled Maxwell Lord on desperate 1980s infomercial tycoons, studying real estate seminars and self-help tapes. He improvised half his speeches because he “couldn’t stop channeling my uncle.”
- The mid-credits scene features Lynda Carter as Asteria, revealing she’s been secretly helping humanity for centuries. A beautiful tribute that sets up exactly nothing because the sequel was cancelled. Classic DC.
❓ Wonder Woman FAQs
The questions keeping Wonder Woman fans up at night.
Where was Wonder Woman born and raised?
On the Amazonian island of Themyscira. In the comics, she was sculpted from clay by Queen Hippolyta and given life by the gods.
Who played Wonder Woman?
Gal Gadot. Lynda Carter (who played Wonder Woman in the hit 1970s TV series) also cameoed in WW84 as Asteria.
Can Wonder Woman fly?
In the comics and WW84, yes. In the first film, she mostly leaps really high. Patty Jenkins saved full flying for the sequel.
Is there a post-credits scene?
Yes – Lynda Carter as Asteria, revealing she’s been helping humanity for centuries. A beautiful tribute that sets up nothing because the sequel was cancelled.
Who was the villain in Wonder Woman 1984?
In WW84, Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal) and Barbara Minerva/Cheetah (Kristen Wiig) play the villians.
Where was Wonder Woman’s island filmed?
Themyscira‘s beaches were filmed along Italy’s Cilento Coast in Palinuro and Camerota . The city streets were shot in Matera‘s ancient cave dwellings. The cliffside balcony was Villa Cimbrone in Ravello.
Why did Steve Trevor come back?
In WW84, the Dreamstone granted Diana‘s deepest wish. He returned in another man’s body, making everything incredibly awkward.
Is the invisible jet actually invisible?
Yes, the invisible jet design in Wonder Woman 1984 nods to the classic comics, starting with 1942’s Sensation Comics #1, when Wonder Woman couldn’t fly solo.
Where was the Wonder Woman 1984 mall scene filmed?
The abandoned Landmark Mall in Alexandria, Virginia, was resurrected with 65 period-accurate storefronts, neon lights, and vintage products.
Where was the Wonder Woman 1984 opening scene filmed?
The Amazon Games opening scene was filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in England, on the Canary Islands (Tenerife and Fuerteventura), and in Snowdonia, North Wales.
Where was the No Man’s Land scene filmed?
Bourne Wood in Surrey, England, where the crew dug actual trenches and transformed a peaceful forest into a Belgian battlefield.
Was Gal Gadot really pregnant during filming?
Yes, she was five months pregnant during 2016 reshoots. The crew used a green patch on her armor to digitally flatten her stomach in post-production.
What happened to Wonder Woman 3?
Cancelled after DC Studios restructured. Gal Gadot might still appear in future projects.
Is Adria arjuna Wonder Woman?
No, Adria Arjona is not Wonder Woman. She was rumored for the role, but has since been cast as Maxima in the Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
What is Wonder Woman: Bloodlines?
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines is a 2019 animated film where Diana faces Villainy Inc., a team of villains, while trying to save a troubled young woman who becomes the Silver Swan. Rosario Dawson voices Wonder Woman.
What DCEU movies has Wonder Woman appeared in?
Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) has appeared in these DCEU films:
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016): Her DCEU debut.
- Wonder Woman (2017): First solo film, set during WWI.
- Justice League (2017): Theatrical version.
- Wonder Woman 1984 (2020): Neon-soaked sequel.
- Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021): Director’s cut with more screen time.
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023): Uncredited cameo.
- The Flash (2023): Uncredited cameo in the opening sequence.
Wonder Woman cast and characters?
- Gal Gadot: Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (both movies)
- Chris Pine: Steve Trevor (both movies)
- Connie Nielsen: Queen Hippolyta (both movies)
- Robin Wright: General Antiope (both movies)
- Lilly Aspell: Young Diana (both movies)
- David Thewlis: Sir Patrick/Ares (2017)
- Danny Huston: General Erich Ludendorff (2017)
- Elena Anaya: Dr. Isabel Maru/Doctor Poison (2017)
- Kristen Wiig: Barbara Minerva/Cheetah (WW84)
- Pedro Pascal: Maxwell Lord (WW84)
- Lucy Davis: Etta Candy (2017)
- Saïd Taghmaoui: Sameer (2017)
- Ewen Bremner: Charlie (2017)
- Eugene Brave Rock: The Chief (2017)
- Lynda Carter: Asteria (WW84 cameo)
📺 Where to Watch Wonder Woman
Grab your lasso and your remote – it’s movie night.
- Amazon Prime Video: Stream both movies with a Prime subscription.
- DVD/Blu-ray: Behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentary tracks.
- Other platforms: HBO Max, Netflix, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu.
Whether you’re marveling at Matera‘s ancient caves, laughing at Pedro Pascal‘s used-car-salesman energy, or squinting to spot that CGI baby bump, Wonder Woman‘s world is as real as it is ridiculous – and twice as fun to explore.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is provided for entertainment purposes only. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of any of these facts and don’t recommend making important life decisions based on them. All referenced titles, names, and related intellectual property are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.
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