“Blnd Tger, a hole-in-the-wall dumpling spot, conceals a very special secret! Ask for ‘dumpling number seven’—the menu only has six—and this in-the-know code will gain you access to an intimate retro Shanghai-style speakeasy concealed behind the walk-in freezer door. To meet the brief for the hidden Tokyo whiskey bar where Kentaro takes May in episode 4, Blnd Tger’s secret speakeasy was an inspired choice from our location manager Trevor Metz.”

“Over 2000 meters above sea level, Mount Breakenridge sits above Harrison Lake in southwest BC. Accessible only by helicopter, the mountain proved to be one of the most challenging locations on the show. With its top-of-the-world vantage point and wide-screen panoramas, the location was a no-brainer to serve our Alaska story across episodes 3 and 4. The breathtaking snowbound vista was ultimately captured brilliantly by director Julian Holmes and cinematographer Jean-Philippe Gossart.”

“From the frozen tundra of Alaska to the arid scrubland of Algeria, our midseason episodes see our heroes strike out across the globe. Located in Gold Country and home to black bears and rattlesnakes, Cache Creek Canyon Regional Park provided the backdrop to our North African narrative. Shooting in a location like this had its challenges, but the depth and scale of Cache Creek was perfect for our story. Kudos to cast and crew for long days in a tough location shooting complex material.”

“Seibu Station provides the pivotal backdrop to Cate’s first direct contact with Monarch. Approached by Tim, she’s confronted with a choice that will propel the action across our Tokyo story. Because Seibu is the second-busiest railway station in the world, filming was strictly after hours, straight through the night until the early-morning cleaning crews arrived. Production designer Caroline Hanania and her team had to cover advertising and replace them with our Godzilla evacuation graphics.”

“A perfect location that was almost ready-made for our Tokyo narrative. The [noodle shop] is in a lively street market parallel to the rail tracks between JR Ueno and Okachimachi Stations. With over 300 shops competing at knockdown prices, Ameyoko is also home to a large number of street food stalls. From chijimi pancakes to yakitori chicken, every taste is catered for in this energetic location that bloomed into full color at night when the cameras rolled.”

“Shooting in real airports always presents a challenge, but fortunately Tokyo’s Haneda Airport had a whole new terminal not yet opened to the public which chimed with our schedule. This meant we could have background planes taxiing outside the windows—great production value!—plus we could add graphics to the interior for Godzilla evacuation routes and design a customs hall that worked for director Matt Shakman’s scene blocking.”

“This location was a real find. Tonally, one of the key elements the creative team wanted to maintain from the script was an air of mystery around this apartment building. This street in Shinjuku is on the quieter side, so it was an open goal for production to lean into this theme. From the exterior it could potentially be a space for small offices, yet within it soon becomes apparent it’s a residential building. This kind of visual disconnect played into the mystery of Cate’s journey.”

“Lānaʻi Lookout is a stunning coastal viewpoint of volcanic-rock plateau and the main stage for our Skull Island intro featuring the Titan clash between Mother Longlegs and Mantleclaw. Found on the eastern side of Oʻahu Island, Honolulu, this dramatic and wave-battered overlook is the first major location we see on the show. The location was perfect as it didn’t require significant VFX augmentation. Advance prep included storyboarding and a previs realization driven by director Matt Shakman.”

“The bamboo forest was an amazing place to shoot because the stalks were very dense and gave a sense that the action really was deep in an enclosed thicket that could camouflage Mother Longlegs. A stunt double for Bill Randa was shot running through the location to double for John Goodman. Then captured elements of the bamboo location were used for the closer coverage of John running.”