Although the central setting of the film is New York, it was actually shot in London and its surroundings. The city of Watford, located northwest of the UK capital in Hertfordshire, became the most important filming location. Leavesden Studios played a key role in creating the film. Sets depicting Chinatown and Manhattan, where a massive destructive alien invasion occurs, were built there. The controlled environment allowed the creators to perform complex stunts and explosions safely and on a grand scale. Filming also took place in New York. The city's harbor and bustling streets were captured there.

Filming Locations:

Destroyed Street

In the Movie

Scene where Eric leaves the shelter where he and Samira ended up after the subway. He walks through the destroyed streets of New York with a list of medicines in his hands. The hero is looking for a pharmacy to find the necessary medical supplies for Samira.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at Leavesden Studios, located in Watford, England. At the studio, owned by Warner Bros., large-scale sets were created replicating areas of New York: Chinatown and Manhattan. The sets were two stories high and showed the destruction caused by the alien invasion.

Subway

In the Movie

Scene where Samira and Eric are "cornered" by alien monsters. To hide from them, they rush into the subway. The heroes go down the escalator and find themselves at the flooded Lexington Avenue-59 St station. Since the aliens are afraid of water, Sam and Eric decide to go into the water and thus escape pursuit.

In Reality

The scene was filmed at London's Charing Cross underground station. The interior of the station was transformed into a destroyed New York subway platform. Charing Cross in London is most similar to the Big Apple's subway, which is why it was chosen by the creators for this scene.

Patsy's Pizzeria

In the Movie

Scene where Sam and Eric reach Patsy's Pizzeria, where Samira had long wished to have a slice of pizza. But upon arriving, they see that the restaurant is completely burned down. Samira cries and walks away in despair. Eric catches up and gives her a comforting hug.

In Reality

The scene was filmed in New York, in Harlem, where Patsy's Pizzeria actually is. According to the plot, Samira agrees to go to the city only on the condition that the group stops at her favorite pizzeria. For most of the film, she overcomes enormous difficulties to get to the restaurant. To show how important this place is to the heroine, the creators decided to shoot footage of the real pizzeria.