The film "Vanilla Sky" was filmed in New York, USA.

Filming Locations:

The Mall (Central Park)

In the Movie

In Reality

The scene was filmed The Mall, running from the flowerbed on Center Drive in the south to Bethesda Terrace in the north, is the only straight path in the entire park. The path passes a row of statues of famous writers, known as Literary Walk, and past the Naumburg Bandshell. The path and its surrounding American elms were built in 1857 and designed as part of the great park by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux.

Times Square — Empty Street Scene

In the Movie

The scene where David Aames drives a car and then runs through a completely empty Times Square in the iconic opening scene of the film. During filming, the ticker showed news about the Bush-Gore election, so the NASDAQ sign was adjusted in post-production to avoid dating the film. Also, a subliminal shot of Katie Holmes on a rubber tire flashes by.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at the famous commercial and entertainment hub at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Known as the "Crossroads of the World," it is usually packed with thousands of pedestrians and cars at any time. The film crew received unprecedented permission to completely shut down Times Square on a Sunday morning, allowing Tom Cruise to run through empty streets without digital crowd removal.

Sofia Serrano's Loft — Jay Street, Brooklyn

In the Movie

The scene where Sofia Serrano's loft, which David enters. The location in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn creates a bohemian artistic contrast to David's Upper West Side luxury, visually showing Sofia as a person from a completely different world than the heir to a wealthy publishing house, which heightens his interest in her.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in a building at the corner of Jay Street and Water Street in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn. This area, an acronym for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass," has transformed from an industrial warehouse district into one of Brooklyn's most desirable areas, full of converted lofts, galleries, and tech companies. Cobblestone streets and old warehouse architecture give the area a special artistic flavor.