London has increasingly been used as a backdrop to various blockbuster action films in recent years, from Mission: Impossible to Thor, London has played host to a wide range of action heroes. Hellboy is another soon-to-be released blockbuster largely set in and around London, which features monsters, demons and an ancient sorceress as the iconic character battles to save mankind. The Hellboy trailers feature some serious action set-pieces including a shootout in a chippy, a giant monster destroying Tower Bridge and St. Paul’s Cathedral surrounded by flying demons.
To celebrate London’s prominent role in Hellboy, we’re going to take a look at our favourite appearances of our beloved city in Hollywood blockbusters from recent years. Hellboy is in cinemas from April 11th.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Mission Impossible is widely known for the huge range of locations featured throughout the franchise, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout is no exception. Fallout features a multitude of amazing backdrops, from the peaceful mountains of Kashmir to the bustling cities of Berlin, Paris and of course, London. Tom Cruise shines as his character Ethan Hunt engages in a thrilling rooftop chase across central London; climbing to the roof of St. Paul’s Cathedral to jumping from an office window, this intense chase sequence is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat.
https://youtu.be/H9_QfsSBzcE
Thor: The Dark World
Superhero flicks have been massively successful over the past decade, with the MCU franchise grossing 18.5 billion dollars across 21 films. Featuring in 10 MCU films so far, New York City has often been the backdrop to the various superhero adventures, so it was exciting to see London star in Thor: The Dark World. Facing off against the big bad Malekith, Thor finds himself in Greenwich and the Gherkin as their battle ravages the city.
https://youtu.be/wegEa0XwFMQ
The Mummy
A reboot of the Stephen Sommers trilogy (1999-2008), The Mummy (2017) features some thrilling and visually impressive scenes in London as Princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella) utilises her cursed magic to devastate the city. After coming back to life as a mummy, Ahmanet attacks London in an attempt to acquire an ancient Egyptian ruby buried deep underground. In a visually spectacular scene, Ahmanet uses her powers to shatter thousands of glass windows across London to revert them back to sand and devastate the city with a vicious sandstorm.
London Has Fallen
As the name suggests, London is the chief setting of this Gerard Butler action flick. A sequel to Olympus Has Fallen, this film sees Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) and President Asher (Aaron Eckhart) travel to London with other world leaders to attend the Prime Minister’s funeral after his unexpected death. London proves to be a fantastic setting for an all-out action film, as the destruction of famous landmarks, such as Westminster Abbey, and shootouts on narrow streets hugely raise the stakes and tension. London once again succeeds in being the backdrop for an action-heavy blockbuster film, which demonstrates why Hollywood studios are electing to utilise the city more and more.
Stranger Things star, David Harbour stars as Big Red in Hellboy when it lands in cinemas on Thursday 11th April.
