“Where you been, Loca?!”—or, rather, where you been, loca…tions of the Twilight movies? No? That’s actually a terrible pun that should be deleted and forgotten immediately? Whatever, it was worth a try.

The settings of the Twilight books were arguably just as vivid as the epic characters and narratives within them. There was Forks, Washington, the tiny town under constant cloud cover that harbored a small community of vampires. Nearby, on the beaches of La Push, the local werewolves showed off by jumping from cliffsides into a choppy sea. And then there was Volterra, Italy, home to the ancient and dangerous Volturi. Movie magic brought these locations to life across the five films of The Twilight Saga. Instead of using the actual Forks, Washington, production for the first Twilight movie set its sights on various spots around Oregon and Washington. For the subsequent films, the fictionalized version of Forks moved up to Vancouver and its surrounding areas. By the end, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn parts one and two would also touch ground in places like Louisiana and Brazil. A thorough pilgrimage to all the shooting locations for the Twilight films would take you all around the world.Welco

Welcome to Forks, a real town in Washington state.

Getty

Where is the Cullen house located?

The stunningly modern abode of the Cullen vampires is tucked away beside Forest Park in the hills of northwest Portland, Oregon, at 3333 NW Quimby Street. Known as Hoke House, the nearly 5,000 square foot modern treehouse was completed by Skylab Architecture in 2007, less than a year before filming for the first Twilight movie began. Please keep in mind that this is a private residence; the owners welcome visitors and photos, but ask that passersby get no closer than the edge of their driveway.

On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more.

After five seasons of antics, laughs, and tears, Hacks has arrived at its bittersweet end. The comedy-drama series depicted the life of legendary Las Vegas comic Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) as she formed an unlikely friendship with the much younger comedy writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). When Ava arrived from Los Angeles to Vegas in season one, she was a reluctant resident, appalled by the conspicuous opulence. By the end of the show, which had its protagonists traveling around the country and beyond, Ava has come around to the place and to Deborah’s antics.

This final season opens with Deborah and Ava back in the United States after a disastrous slew of shows in Singapore, where Deborah was drinking heavily and falling asleep on stage. TMZ has reported Deborah’s death but to everyone’s relief she is—surprise—alive and well! In an attempt to redirect her energy after last season’s smear campaign against her career, she begins season five with the ambitious aim of achieving EGOT status. One Tejano studio recording later and she has started to change her tune.

But the entertainment holy grail—playing at Madison Square Garden—is a task she has set her sights on, which means that she and her extended talent team—Jimmy (Paul W. Downs), Kayla (Meg Stalter), and Randi (Robby Hoffman)—are all due for a trip to the Big Apple. As we say goodbye to our favorite toxic duo, the nostalgia tour takes the cast around to their usual Las Vegas and Los Angeles haunts but also across the country and beyond. Here are some of the places Hacks went for its fifth and final season:

Courtesy Warner Bros. Discovery

Where in Las Vegas was Hacks season 5 filmed?

Though Hacks is a quintessentially Vegas show, not much of this season’s filming actually took place there; the vast majority of filming happened in and around Los Angeles. A few select scenes, however, are Vegas through and through. In the third episode, Marty (Christopher McDonald) is getting married (in a kilt!) to a shockingly age-appropriate woman at the iconic Caesars Palace. Roman pillars, palm trees, and floral arrangements abound. “So they closed the pool the night before,” Tokarz said, “And there’s a bunch of cabanas and loungers they cleared out for us. And then we spent the night installing the chairs and florals.” Over the seasons, Hacks has worked closely with the Caesars team, utilizing several of their properties, so they were excited to help execute the wedding vision.

On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more.

There are places that lean into their movie lore—and then there is Martha’s Vineyard. On this sleepy New England island filled with cedar shingle houses, working harbors and coastal charm, the legacy of Jaws feels less like a Hollywood film set and more like something you can still step into. When Steven Spielberg arrived over fifty years ago to shoot the now-classic film, he barely had to do anything by way of set dressing—he merely had to capture Martha’s Vineyard as it was in order to portray the fictional Amity Island.

Today, the film still looms large in our collective imagination, shaping how the world views this island. Jaws obsessives still show up every summer, shark-obsessed and camera-ready, and they’re treated to one of the most authentic corners of New England, where the line between film and real life feels delightfully blurred. Kids still jump off the same bridge. Fishermen still set sail from Menemsha Harbor before dawn. And beachgoers still keep a wary eye on the surf, just in case a fin should emerge.

What’s striking is that the locals still celebrate Jaws, too. As opposed to other destinations around the world that have more of an arm’s length, complicated relationship with how Hollywood has portrayed them, Vineyarders tend to have a loving relationship with Jaws. The film has endured for over half a century because of its authentic, loving depiction of this island.

The magic is that you can opt in or out of experiencing Martha’s Vineyard through the lens of Jaws. You can visit the most iconic Jaws filming locations (which we’ve gathered here, below) or you can simply experience the island for what it’s always been: a place of quiet rhythms, salt air and rustic beauty that long predates Hollywood’s camera.

Martha’s Vineyard, and the village of Edgartown in particular, stood in for the Jaws setting of Amity Island.

Courtesy Everett Collection

Edgartown—or, “Amity”

Start in Edgartown, the polished harbor village that doubled as Amity’s town center. Here you’ll find whitewashed captain’s homes where summer renters enjoy cocktails on their patios, and ice cream shops that mainlanders fantasize about visiting all year round. It’s also home to Faraway Martha’s Vineyard, one of the best hotels on the island. Wander down Main Street, go by Edgartown Town Hall and you’re basically exploring a movie set—almost nothing has changed since Jaws filmed here.

On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more. This time, we take a look at The Lord of the Flies.

A group of young boys find themselves stranded on a deserted island following a plane crash, left to fend for themselves in the absence of adult supervision after discovering the bodies of perished pilots. Initially a beachy utopia where the children run free among nature, things become increasingly savage as help appears to be ever further away.

An ensemble of around 30 young actors stars in the BBC’s new adaptation of Lord of the Flies

BBC

This is the premise of William Golding’s debut novel, Lord of the Flies—a tale familiar to many who worked their way through the British educational system. After an initial draft that referenced nuclear war and God-like beings was edited by Charles Monteith, the copy gradually became a critical success, selling more than 10 million copies to date.

Several silver screen adaptations followed, including Peter Brook’s 1963 take and Harry Hook’s 1990 movie. However, it seemed the tale wasn’t destined for the small screen until the BBC announced that British production company Eleven Film would produce the first-ever television adaptation of the novel, written by screenwriter Jack Thorne, in April 2023.

Viewers are taken on a journey through a wild, untamed island

BBC

Almost three years later, a 30-strong ensemble of young boys, many making their professional acting debuts thanks to open casting calls, is transporting us to their unruly island in a four-part BBC series, with episodes airing on Sundays and the entire series available on BBC iPlayer.

But where was Lord of the Flies filmed? Are the destinations behind the filming locations real-life paradises or a land as wild as we see on-screen?

On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more. This time, we take a look at The Devil Wears Prada 2.

A sequel? Of a 2000s hit movie? Groundbreaking, a certain cut throat magazine editor might retort. The highly anticipated release of Devil Wears Prada 2 has had skeptics, fans, and super fans speculating as to whether it could possibly live up to the deliciously sardonic dialogue and spectacular fashion of the original. After all, how do you capture the spirit of a film that feels so firmly rooted in the city and time it was filmed in? A lot of that, of course, comes down to the locations, which this time serve as a backdrop to the high pressure act of being Runway magazine’s Miranda Priestley in a changed, and somewhat struggling, media landscape. (Case in point: In 2026, Miranda flies coach.)

Miranda Priestley (Meryl Streep) and Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) on the scene in Italy

Macall Polay/20th Century Studios

“We wanted to do what we did with the first one, but crank it up a little bit more with the locations,” says production designer Jess Gonchor, who worked on both movies. “Just like we have with the dialogue and the cast.”

Set firmly in the present day, the sequel charts the return of Andy Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway, to Runway, no longer as Miranda’s naive and flustered assistant but as an established journalist signing on as features editor. With her joins much of the original cast—Meryl Streep as the indomitable Miranda, Stanley Tucci as the loyal Nigel, and Emily Blunt as the pugnacious Emily, who has left the publishing world in favor of luxury retail. There’s also the addition of the preposterous billionaire Benji Barnes, played by Justin Theroux, and cameos from Donatella Versace and Lady Gaga. Familiar New York City locations also return, while spots reflecting a contemporary version of the city also make an appearance. This time, though, the arc of the story reaches its crescendo in Milan, not Paris.

Below, Gonchor shares some of the real life places chosen for the movie, what it was like to navigate the hoards of fans trying to catch a glimpse of filming, and how the crew recreated one of the most famous (and hard-to-see) tourist attractions in Italy.

Miranda with Nigel (Stanley Tucci) and trailed by Andy outside the Elias Grace office in Manhattan

Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/20th Century Studios

On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more. This time, we take a look at Apex.

Charlize Theron’s new movie Apex is a story of survival. So it’s fitting that the film’s director, Baltasar Kormákur, brought the production to the depths of the Australian wilderness, primarily using real locations to incite the action. It’s something the Icelandic filmmaker has done on several past movies, including Everest.

“I love that part of filming in nature is that you can only control so much,” Kormákur says. “The fight with nature also starts to make it more interesting, rather than fully controlling everything. I tend to use nature first before we go on to any set. Because then the actor comes informed about what the real challenges are and they can replicate that.”

In Apex, Theron plays Sasha, a rock climber dealing with the horrifying loss of her partner (Eric Bana). She travels to Australia to explore via kayak, but soon finds herself in a deadly game and cat and mouse with a local (Taron Egerton) who wants to hunt and kill her. She is forced to draw on all of her strength and skills, including the rock climbing prowess she buried when her partner died. Many of the scenes were shot in real places around Australia’s Blue Mountains, as well as in Canberra and Engadine. Some of climbing and kayaking was recreated on sets, but Kormákur also insisted on pairing those with actual locations. Theron did a lot of it herself, including the tense final climb, shot at Glenbrook Gorge and on a stage.

Condé Nast Traveler spoke with Theron and Kormákur about the experience of making Apex, how real world locations helped to inform Theron’s acting, and why being physically pushed to the brink can result in a stronger performance onscreen.

Why was the Australian wilderness the right fit for this film?

Baltasar Kormákur: First of all, how remote and rugged it feels. And there were logistics from a financial point of view that it would be a good place to shoot. When we talked about it for the first time, we realized we had to shoot it in the southern hemisphere because there was a lot of water work and Charlize is not a big fan of cold water. That was one of the first things she told me: “I’m not a big fan of cold water.”

Charlize Theron: It was written for a colder place. I was like, “You have the wrong actress. I don’t think I can do this, but if you find a hot place, call me up. I’ll be ready to go.”

What’s the appeal of shooting a film in such a remote place?

CT: It’s incredible. It’s such a gift. Because this movie relied on really immersing yourself into this environment. You can only [get to know the] character in those circumstances. You have to really go out there and you have to feel it. And you’re constantly being informed. Australia is just absolutely an incredible place to spend any time in. I loved the people and where we shot. We shot in such beautiful places. So as an actor it was really helpful.

Director Baltasar Kormákur (center) on set with Taron Egerton and Charlize Theron

KANE SKENNAR/NETFLIX

On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more. This time, we ask where Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough was shot.

When Life on Earth first aired on the BBC in 1979, it was groundbreaking. Not just for the revolutionary content, but for showcasing the true power of nature documentaries. In the 13-part series, David Attenborough took his audience to more than 100 locations around the world, introducing the world to new species, concepts, and horizons.

One of the most powerful moments was in episode 12, titled Life in the Trees. David and his team set up camp in Rwanda’s Virunga volcanoes, spending time with a family of mountain gorillas. The jaw-dropping scene involves a young gorilla named Pablo, who climbed and began grooming David as he presented to the camera. It instantly became one of the most memorable moments in documentary filmmaking—unscripted, fascinating, never-before-seen content. “There is more meaning and mutual understanding in exchanging a glance with a gorilla than any other animal I know,” David said as the cameras rolled. “It seems very unfair that man should have chosen the gorilla as a symbol of all that is violent and fearsome, when in fact, it is a peaceable and gentle creature.”

And now, just shy of 50 years later, the inimitable nature presenter is taking audiences right back to where it all began. For Netflix’s new documentary film, Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough, we head back to Rwanda to spend time with the new gorilla families and troops living there today. This time, the film is led by director James Reed, best known for My Octopus Teacher (2020), along with assistant producer Amy Thompson (Life on Our Planet, 2023) and executive producer Alastair Fothergill, a long-time collaborator and friend of David—with the series narrated by the legend himself.

We caught up with the team to find out more about the process of working with the gorillas, shooting in the ground, and, of course, working with Sir David Attenborough to make it all come to life.

Attenborough playing with a juvenile gorilla while shooting ‘Life on Earth.’

Entertainment Pictures / Alamy Stock Photo

Tell us how the film first came about. What made you want to revisit the original story?

Alastair Fothergill: The sequence of David with the gorilla in Life on Earth is arguably the most famous sequence in wildlife filmmaking. David believes it’s the most important sequence he has ever done. Pablo grew up to be the most successful gorilla ever in Rwanda. He died about 10 years ago, but the group that we went to film for this documentary were all his direct descendants. Once we were there, we knew we’d filmed some pretty amazing behavior—we’ve essentially found the parallel story of the original Pablo, told by David Attenborough, nearly 50 years later.

On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more. This time, we take a look at You, Me & Tuscany.

You, Me & Tuscany is the type of movie that’s best enjoyed with a glass of red wine. The new romantic comedy, which stars Bridgerton‘s Regé-Jean Page and The Little Mermaid‘s Halle Bailey, seizes upon what’s become a universal lust for the countryside of its titular Italian region and serves us up a dolce vita dream of vineyard vistas, fresh focaccia, and the endless possibility that comes with the first signs of true love.

Bailey stars as Anna, a Manhattanite culinary school defector. She meets a cute Italian named Matteo at a bar, learns his family villa in Tuscany is empty, and decides to go there on an impromptu adventure. Does that sound a little crazy? Her best friend thinks so too: “Let me get this straight—you meet some random rich spicy white boy and you think that’s a sign to fly to Italy tonight?” She does indeed think it as a sign to fly to Italy tonight, and off she goes.

At first, it looks like Anna might be in an Italian Get Out after she’s caught by two of Matteo’s relatives in the villa without a plausible explanation. Anna does the inadvisable: She claims to be Matteo’s fiancé. Hijinks ensue. In the end it’s Michael (Page), Matteo’s cousin, who lands Anna’s heart. The inherent romance of the Tuscan countryside was crucial to the making of this movie. Fresh produce, crusty bread, and wheels of cheese abound as do open skies and endless stretches of vineyards.

Production designer Elena Albanese was born and raised in Milan and wanted to be sure that the movie stayed true to authentic Italian sensibilities despite being geared toward American viewers. “I tried to stay as close as possible to Italian aesthetics but at the same time, enhance it for an international audience.” Below, she walks us through the locations around Italy—and briefly New York—where the crew filmed.

Marco Calvini and Halle Bailey in You, Me & Tuscany

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

New York City

We first encounter Anna, a bit of a hot mess who hops from one house-sitting gig to the next in New York City. Anna strolls down Fifth Avenue, passing the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and makes her way to a hotel, where her friend Claire works. It’s in the hotel bar where she first meets Matteo. “In New York City,” Albanese explains, “we only shot the plates of Anna walking.” This involves capturing clean background footage and then the actual shots of Bailey walking were done at the Cinecitta Studios in Rome. As for the hotel, the exterior was shot in Pienza, while the hotel lobby and suite were shot in the Six Senses Rome and the hotel bar in the InterContinental Rome.

On Location peels back the curtain on some of your favorite films, television shows, and more. This time, we take a look at The Drama.

The Boston-Cambridge area—with its many universities, quaint brownstone blocks, New England charm, and the Charles River running through it—has been the setting for many acclaimed films including classics like The Departed and Good Will Hunting. The latest drama set in Beantown that is bound to become an instant classic is The Drama, a romantic comedy-turned-thriller from Kristoffer Borgli. The film tells the story of a couple Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) in a fragile moment: their wedding is a week away. Outwardly, they are the perfect young erudite couple. She’s a literary editor and he’s a museum curator. We see them writing and rehearsing their vows, learning their first dance, tasting food and wines for their wedding. Then it all goes suddenly sideways.

Emma and Charlie (Zendaya and Robert Pattinson) moments before a drinking game leads to a revelation that will disrupt their impending nuptials.

A24

Over one too many drinks with their friends Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie), Rachel proposes they all go around the table and confess the worst thing they’ve ever done. When Emma shares hers’, the group—her fiancé included—is incredulous. She has shared something she can never take back and the titular drama unfolds.

From the beloved chain Tatte Bakery to the fictional Cambridge Art Museum where Charlie curates, The Drama takes us on a scenic tour of the Boston area’s first-rate haunts. Production designer Zosia Mackenzie, who also worked on Borgli’s last film Dream Scenario, shared with Condé Nast Traveler that her father spent some of his youth in Boston but she hadn’t ever visited before working on this film: “It was a great way for me to retroactively retrace some family roots while also exploring other facets of the city.” Below, Mackenzie takes us through the locations you’ll see in The Drama.

The meet-cute

“Like any great city, Boston has a ton of awesome cafes—and not just Tatte Bakery. But during pre-production and prep we found ourselves always coming back to this one location as our ideal. This specific Tatte happened to be at the base of the John Hancock Tower, which required a ton of legwork on behalf of our locations team to secure. Fortunately, it all came together in time, and I think it sets up the film (and Boston) perfectly.”