Built and destroyed, destroyed and built again—The 10 Most Beloved Cities of Film Directors to Wreck

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Global warming and extreme weather have been hot topics around the world in recent years, and with them has come a surge in disaster movies. In many of these films, well-known cities across the globe are frequently obliterated, rebuilt, destroyed, and reconstructed... Let’s take a look at which global metropolises are most “favored” by directors, who just can’t resist giving them a good smash-up.

The Statue of Liberty is an iconic New York landmark and one of the favorite targets for directors to destroy. (Photo / from Wikimedia Commons, the same below)

1. New York City, USA

Whether it's aliens, floods, giant gorillas, monsters from other dimensions, or villains hell-bent on taking down superheroes, New York City always tops the list. Statistics show that NYC has been destroyed in movies over 40 times—and the number keeps climbing. So, the citizens of movie-New York are constantly living in fear: one day it’s Spider-Man battling Electro, causing a citywide blackout; the next, it’s climate chaos and a flood that swamps NYC first. Hollywood directors seem to agree—when making disaster movies, NYC is always the first place to take a hit.

Representative Films: *The Avengers*, *The Day After Tomorrow*, *The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro*, *Deep Impact*, *Armageddon*, *King Kong*, *Superman*, *Iron Man*, and more.

▲ Still remember the scene in *The Day After Tomorrow* where a tornado wrecks Hollywood?

2. Los Angeles, USA

If the East Coast’s go-to target is New York, then Los Angeles on the West Coast is pretty much in the same boat—especially its iconic landmark, “Hollywood.” Whether taken out by a tornado or a direct explosion, once big directors set their sights on it, total annihilation is guaranteed.

Representative Films: *The Day After Tomorrow*, *Transformers*, *Escape from L.A.*, *Terminator 2: Judgment Day*, and others.

▲ The White House, even with the U.S. President inside, isn’t spared either.

3. Washington D.C., USA

Perhaps due to the global influence of Hollywood, it’s always the U.S. that takes the first hits—and that includes Washington D.C., the home of the American president and the nation’s political center. These top-tier directors don’t hold back when destroying it. The U.S. President is often attacked—or even killed—for various reasons in movies, and when he’s involved, terrorists usually make an appearance too. The White House being occupied or blown full of holes? All in a day’s work in film.

Representative Films: *The Day After Tomorrow*, *2012*, *G.I. Joe: Retaliation*, *White House Down*, *Independence Day*, and more.

▲ Destroying the Eiffel Tower is like crushing the spirit of France—why wouldn’t directors jump at the chance?

4. Paris, France

If filmmakers want to destroy Europe, the City of Light, Paris, is likely their top choice. Especially wiping out the Eiffel Tower—the pride of the French—is symbolic of either civilization’s collapse or… the enemy being overwhelmingly powerful.

Representative Films: *G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra*, *The Day After Tomorrow*, *Transformers*, *28 Weeks Later*, *Armageddon*, and more.

▲ No matter how beautiful the London Eye is, in movies it’s constantly destroyed and rebuilt, again and again.

5. London, UK

Another city known for its jaw-dropping destruction scenes is none other than London. Just think of the shocking moment in *G.I. Joe: Retaliation* when landmarks like Big Ben and the London Eye are instantly wiped out—it’s enough to make audiences gasp. That’s exactly the kind of effect they’re going for.

Representative Films: *G.I. Joe: Retaliation*, *Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer*, *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, *28 Weeks Later*, *James Bond: Skyfall*, and more.

▲ Even dubbed the city of sin, directors don’t hold back—hey, it’s just a movie.

6. Las Vegas, USA

Known as the “City of Sin,” the desert oasis of Las Vegas is occasionally singled out by directors for some serious cinematic destruction.

Representative Films: *Godzilla*, *Resident Evil: Extinction*, *2012*, and others.

▲ The Golden Gate Bridge, a staple of disaster films, may be rebuilt quickly—but not before it’s obliterated just as fast.

7. San Francisco, USA

San Francisco is also a major city on the West Coast, and the Golden Gate Bridge was even casually used as a weapon by Magneto in *X-Men*. Moreover, during natural disasters or man-made catastrophes, this iconic landmark often bears the brunt of the damage first.

Representative movies: *X-Men: The Last Stand*, *Star Trek*, *Pacific Rim*, *Planet of the Apes*, etc.

▲ Vatican City is the spiritual center of Christianity, and the decision to destroy it in the movie *2012* once sparked public backlash.

8. Italy – Rome

Rome symbolizes human civilization and is one of the key locations of European history. Meanwhile, Vatican City within its borders is also the world center of Christianity. Destroying Rome would be as severe as destroying the faith of Christians.

Representative movies: *2012*, *The Core*

▲ For the Transformers, this place is like a playground—Chicago is the perfect spot for both battles and plugging in energy cores.

9. United States – Chicago

If both the East and West Coasts of the U.S. are destroyed, where’s next? Big directors have turned their sights to the Midwest’s major city—Chicago. With other major cities already destroyed, how could they leave Chicago out? Thus, Chicago has also sadly made it onto directors’ demolition lists.

Representative movies: *Transformers: Dark of the Moon*, *Chain Reaction*, *The Towering Inferno*, etc.

▲ Even those living in Asia aren’t safe—beware of Godzilla waking up and stomping skyscrapers into rubble again.

10. Japan – Tokyo

Once the West is destroyed, it’s only natural to take aim at major Asian cities. As one of the most important global metropolises in Asia, Tokyo has no choice but to be destroyed in film after film, though the most memorable destruction is probably in the movie *Godzilla*, right?

Representative movies: *Godzilla*, *2012*, *Japan Sinks*, etc.