One of the primary filming locations for the movie was New York City. Numerous scenes were filmed in the city, including a famous bridge scene Cruise’s character, Ray Ferrier, and his family attempt to escape the invasion. The bridge scene was actually filmed on the Brooklyn Bridge, which was closed to the public for several days during filming.
Another key location for the film was Bayonne, New Jersey. The town was used to film scenes depicting the destruction and chaos caused by the alien attack. Parts of Bayonne were transformed into a war zone, with destroyed buildings and abandoned cars. The town’s main thoroughfare, Broadway, was used in a scene where a military convoy is ambushed by the alien tripods.
Other locations used for filming included Virginia, California, and Connecticut. In Virginia, scenes were filmed at the NASA Langley Research Center and the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, which was transformed into a battle zone. In California, scenes were shot at the Universal Studios Lot and in the Mojave Desert. The Mojave Desert was used to film scenes depicting the aftermath of the alien attack, with abandoned cars and debris scattered around the desert landscape. In Connecticut, scenes were filmed at a ferry terminal and a mansion overlooking the Long Island Sound.
One of the most significant locations used in the film was the Universal Studios Lot in California. The studio lot was transformed into a full-scale recreation of the town of Bayonne, New Jersey, complete with destroyed buildings and an abandoned train station. The lot was also used to film scenes involving Tripods, the giant alien machines that attacked Earth. The Tripods in the film were created using a combination of practical effects and CGI, with the majority of the machines being created using computer-generated imagery.
Despite the film being set in America, some scenes were filmed in other countries. One such location was the Hudson River in New York, which was used to film a scene where Cruise’s character is ferrying his family across the river to safety. The scene was actually filmed on the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland. This was because the Hudson River was deemed too polluted and dangerous to film in.
In conclusion, the film adaptation of “War of the Worlds” was filmed in various locations around the world, with many scenes shot in New York City and Bayonne, New Jersey. Other locations used for filming included Virginia, California, Connecticut, and even Dublin, Ireland. The film’s use of real locations helped to create an immersive experience for viewers, making the fictional alien invasion feel more real and tangible.