24 Popular Movies & TV Shows Filmed in Iceland

Iceland’s dramatic landscapes have made it one of the most sought-after filming locations in the world. Many iconic movies and TV shows were filmed against its glaciers, waterfalls, volcanic deserts, black sand beaches, and rugged terrain. Filmmakers leverage the country’s otherworldly scenery to stand in for alien worlds, snowy frontiers, and cinematic fantasy realms. Take a look at the 24 best movies and TV shows that were filmed in Iceland!

The finale of Stranger Things features the fan-favorite character Eleven finding herself in a remote, serene location after defeating the series’ antagonist, Henry Creel. The scene was shot near the Háifoss Twin Waterfalls in the Þjórsárdalur valley. This ending symbolizes Eleven finally finding peace after years of danger and adventure, and the roaring waterfalls provide a fitting backdrop. 

Creators: The Duffer Brothers. Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, Linda Hamilton, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Nell Fisher.

The fourth season of HBO’s critically acclaimed series True Detective is set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska. However, the creators chose to film primarily in Iceland due to the striking similarities between the Arctic environments of both regions. Despite being filmed on a different continent, Ennis convincingly feels like a remote Alaskan town. 

Creator: Issa López. Starring: Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, Fiona Shaw, Finn Bennett, Isabella Star LaBlanc, John Hawkes, and Christopher Eccleston.

The gorgeous capital city of Iceland and its surrounding areas served as the show’s primary filming hub. This is because, unlike Alaska, Iceland has an established film infrastructure. Pair it with similar environments, and Reykjavík stands as an excellent choice for filming the HBO series. The production team also used existing American-style architecture from a former U.S. military base in Keflavík to help dress the scenes authentically. 

The capital of North Iceland is a hub of lively atmosphere, surrounded by steep mountains and vivid wilderness. Situated along the Ring Road, Akureyri is well-positioned as a gateway to the major landmarks in the north. This is also where a portion of “True Detective: Night Country” was shot.

An hour‘s drive away from Akureyri sits a town with scenery that is phenomenal, even for Iceland! Dalvík is known for its ski slopes, whale watching tours, mountain ranges, and a spectacular coastline. American-style storefronts, traffic signs, and set dressing helped bring this remote Arctic town to life.

Katla takes place in Vík, a small village on Iceland’s South Coast with a population of only a few hundred residents. Despite its scenic beauty, the area becomes far from peaceful as a volcanic eruption engulfs the landscape in ash and darkness. 

Directed: Sigurjón Kjartansson and Baltasar Kormákur. Starring: Guðrún Ýr Eyfjörð, Íris Tanja Flygenring, Ingvar Sigurdsson.

Directed by and starring George Clooney, The Midnight Sky is set in the frozen Arctic Circle. It follows a scientist attempting to prevent a spacecraft from returning to Earth after a global catastrophe. The film was primarily shot on Skálafellsjökull, an outlet glacier of the massive Vatnajökull ice cap. 

Directed: George Clooney. Starring: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone, Demián Bichir, Kyle Chandler, and Caoilinn Springall.

The hilarious comedy starring Will Ferrell about the Eurovision Song Contest was in part shot on location in Húsavík. This is because the story revolves around an Icelandic duo with a dream of winning the contest. Alongside the cozy Icelandic town, the film also references many Icelandic cultural quirks and traditions. 

Directed: David Dobkin. Starring: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Melissanthi Mahut, Mikael Persbrandt, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Graham Norton, Demi Lovato, Pierce Brosnan, and Elín Petersdóttir.

Justice League is a grandiose team-up of many beloved superheroes, such as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. The latter’s encounter with Batman was filmed in Djúpavík, a small village in the Westfjords known for its spectacular fjords, the Djúpavíkurfoss waterfall, and untouched landscapes. 

Directed: Zack Snyder. Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Ciarán Hinds, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons.

Black Mirror is a Netflix anthology series set in near-future dystopias, each episode telling a different story. The third episode of the fourth season, titled “Crocodiles,” is set entirely in Iceland and was shot on location throughout the country. This includes Reykjavík’s urban backdrops, the Harpa Concert Hall, Kleifarvatn Lake & Grænavatn Crater Lake, as well as the Hellisheiði Power Plant.

Creator: Charlie Brooker. Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Andrew Gower, Anthony Welsh, and Claire Rushbrook.

This installment of the Fast & Furious franchise was partly filmed in Iceland. A major action sequence took place on Lake Mývatn, where a high-speed chase unfolds across the frozen surface—complete with a Russian submarine bursting through the ice. Additional scenes were filmed in Skútustaðir and Akranes.  

Directed: F. Gary Gray. Starring: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Scott Eastwood, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky, Kurt Russell, and Charlize Theron.

Several scenes from Captain America: Civil War were filmed near the village of Vík on Iceland’s South Coast, a location increasingly favored by international film productions. The area’s stark volcanic landscapes provide a powerful, large sense of scale. Vík’s remote yet accessible setting makes it an ideal stand-in for isolated locations around the world, contributing to the film’s intense and grounded atmosphere. 

Directed: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Emily VanCamp, Tom Holland, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, and Daniel Brühl.

George Lucas’s iconic space opera made extensive use of Icelandic landscapes in The Force Awakens and Rogue One. Film crews returned to Iceland multiple times to capture its vast, desolate, and wintry environments, which were used to portray several distant planets. Iceland’s scenery proved ideal for creating worlds that feel remote, harsh, and almost ethereal.  

Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Max von Sydow.

Several Star Wars scenes were filmed on Eyjafjallajökull Glacier, the glacier-covered volcano. It gained worldwide attention following its massive 2010 eruption, which famously disrupted air travel across Europe. Eyjafjallajökull’s stark, icy terrain made it a natural fit for the franchise’s frozen planetary landscapes.

The majestic ice formations of Svínafellsjökull—often referred to as the “Hollywood Glacier”—were used to film scenes set on the icy planet Hoth. Its vast scale and raw textures provided the perfect foundation for the planet’s hostile environment.

The area surrounding Hjörleifshöfði and Hafursey on Mýrdalssandur was used to film scenes set on the planets Lah’mu and Eadu. Mýrdalssandur is a vast glacial outwash plain resembling a desert, while the nearby mountains rise from a black-sand landscape that feels almost extraterrestrial.

Located in North Iceland, Lake Mývatn and the nearby volcanic crater lake Víti are surrounded by extraordinary lava fields, geothermal areas, and volcanic formations. It is easy to see why the filmmakers chose these locations, as the landscapes appear strikingly alien even without visual effects.

Interstellar is another film that was partially shot at Svínafellsjökull Glacier. The film's other filming location in Iceland was Máfabót, a lowland area situated between the open sea and a river on the South Coast. The two locations each represented a different planet in Interstellar. Icelandic scenery also featured heavily in promotional material for the film. 

Directed: Christopher Nolan. Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, and Michael Caine.

Iceland served as the primary filming location for Darren Aronofsky’s epic biblical drama Noah. The country’s monumental landscapes represented the world before the great flood. Reynisfjara black-sand beach was one of the key filming locations, along with the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland and the Lake Mývatn area in the North. 

Directed: Darren Aronofsky. Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth, and Anthony Hopkins.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a beautiful adventure comedy-drama that was mainly filmed in Iceland. The landscapes play a major role in the movie. What’s more, Icelandic actors play some of the supporting roles. 

The story takes place in the USA, Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas - but really, it was filmed on location only in the USA and Iceland. The scenes set in Greenland and the Himalayas were, allegedly, shot in Iceland! 

Directed: Ben Stiller. Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn and Sean Penn.

The largest town on the beautiful Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Stykkishólmur, is known for its charming harbor and colorful historic houses. In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the town served as a backdrop for scenes set in Greenland. The bar interiors and the helicopter takeoff scene were all filmed here.

This picturesque village in East Iceland was the filming location for the iconic longboard scene. It is here that Walter Mitty trades his bicycle for a longboard and glides down the empty road, one of the film’s most memorable and visually striking moments.

Scenes meant to represent the Himalayas and Afghanistan were filmed in Vatnajökull National Park, beneath Europe’s largest glacier. The area is known for its diverse landscapes, featuring blue ice glaciers, rocky desert plains, towering mountains, and powerful waterfalls.

One of the most scenic villages in West Iceland. Grundarfjörður was used as the filming location for the scene featuring the fishing vessel Erkigsnek docked in the harbor, framed by the surrounding mountains.

The airport scenes depicting Walter Mitty’s arrival in Greenland were filmed in Höfn, a small town on Iceland’s southeastern coast. The town sits beneath the imposing Vatnajökull glacier, providing a striking and authentic Arctic backdrop.

The Marvel Studios superhero film Thor: The Dark World is among the most extensive film projects to have ever taken place in Iceland. In Norse mythology, Thor (Þór) is the hammer-wielding god of thunder and lightning, associated with storms, oak trees, strength, hallowing, fertility, the protection of mankind and of the fortress guarding the Realm of Asgard (Ásgarður).

Directed: Alan Taylor. Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander, and Rene Russo.

Scenes set in Svartalfheim, the Realm of the Dark Elves, were filmed in and around Landmannalaugar near the Hekla volcano. This colorful geothermal area in the Highlands is renowned for its rhyolite mountains and steaming hot springs.

Iceland also provides the mountains and lakes which you see in scenes which are set in the Realm of Asgard. An aerial unit captured spectacular shots of Dettifoss, Europe's most powerful waterfall and the stunning canyon of Ásbyrgi.

Another picturesque waterfall, the stunning Skógafoss, was also among the film’s filming locations. Skógafoss is located just next to the Ring Road on the South Coast, not far from Fjaðrárgljúfur, one of the most stunning canyons in the world.

What’s the best location on Earth to portray an alien planet? Why, Iceland, of course! In particular, the Star Trek film crew chose the mysteriously gorgeous Reynisfjara black sand beach. And it was a spectacular choice. Its jet-black volcanic sands, towering basalt columns, and crashing North Atlantic waves create a stark, almost unreal atmosphere. In the movie, it represents a desolate planet where the characters discover and examine a prototype torpedo. 

Directed: J. J. Abrams. Starring: John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña, Karl Urban, Peter Weller, and Anton Yelchin.

Oblivion features Tom Cruise against the backdrop of some of Iceland’s most striking landscapes. Filming took place at Hrossaborg Crater in Northeast Iceland, around the Jarlhettur mountain range in the Highlands, and near Dettifoss waterfall. The mystic terrain plays a central role in the film’s post-apocalyptic atmosphere. 

Directed: Joseph Kosinski. Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Melissa Leo.

Ridley Scott's epic science fiction masterpiece, Prometheus, is set in the late 21st century and centers on the crew of the spaceship Prometheus. The exterior shots of the alien world appearing in the film were shot in Iceland.

Hekla is an active volcano in South Iceland, with views which the film’s director described as "rough and Jurassic-like".

The opening scene, the Engineer Sacrifice, was shot at Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. 

Directed: Ridley Scott. Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron.

The epic drama The Tree of Life is about the origins and meaning of life. Director Terrence Malick chose Iceland as the perfect location to represent the “young Earth”. The central filming location for these scenes was the stunning and highly picturesque area around the Krafla volcano in Northern Iceland. This place is one of Iceland's most geothermally active, with clusters of steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pots. 

Directed: Terrence Malick. Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain.

Game of Thrones is an epic American fantasy drama television series. The show has achieved one of the highest global popularity ratings to date. Set on fictional continents, the Icelandic landscapes play an important role in the storyline, representing the far north, where legendary creatures live, known to fans as the “Land Beyond The Wall”. 

Creators:  David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. Starring: Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Iain Glen, Aidan Gillen, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Richard Madden, Alfie Allen, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Jack Gleeson, Rory McCann, Peter Dinklage, Charles Dance, Liam Cunningham, John Bradley, Natalie Dormer, and Jerome Flynn.

Scenes with the Wildlings north of The Wall in seasons two and three were filmed at Svínafellsjökull Glacier, an outlet glacier of the Vatnajökull icecap, and other locations nearby in the Skaftafell Nature Reserve on the South Coast of Iceland.

The famous scene where Jon Snow breaks his vow with Ygritte was shot in Grjótagjá, a hot spring cave near Lake Mývatn in North Iceland. The hot spring does exist - but bathing in it is forbidden because the water is far too hot. The waterfall that shows up in this scene is, alas, not real!

The lava fields of Dimmuborgir served as the Wildling camp and settings for encounters with White Walkers.

Thingvellir National Park was the location for Arya's and Sandor Clegane's journey, and the fight between Brienne and the Hound in the fourth season. The pass to the impregnable Eyrie was filmed at the rift between the tectonic plates.  

Oh, and did you know that the Mountain is played by an Icelandic actor, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson? Or that the band playing at Joffrey’s wedding was actually Sigur Rós, a famous Icelandic band?

Kirkjufell is one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland. It appears for a second in episode five of the sixth season, when the Children of the Forest created the first White Walker. The mountain can be seen again in season seven, when the Hound describes it as a mountain that looks like an arrowhead.

Journey to the Center of the Earth, a cinematic adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel, was filmed in Iceland’s Snæfellsjökull National Park. The story follows a professor, his nephew, and their guide as they descend into volcanic tubes that lead to the center of the Earth, surfacing later at Stromboli in Italy. The park’s glaciers, volcanic peaks, and rugged terrain provided the perfect backdrop for this adventurous journey.

Directed: Eric Brevig. Starring: Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, and Anita Briem.

Scenes from Batman Begins were filmed at Svínafellsjökull Glacier in South Iceland, which doubled for the remote landscapes of Bhutan. The glacier’s towering ice formations and stark, isolated terrain helped establish the sense of exile and spiritual transformation central to Bruce Wayne’s journey in the film’s early chapters. 

If you want to hike on the glacier where the Hollywood movie was filmed, consider the Svinafellsjökull Glacier tour. 

Directed: Christopher Nolan. Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, and Morgan Freeman. 

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon has appeared in two James Bond films, A View to a Kill (1985) and Die Another Day (2002). The surreal setting of floating icebergs and icy waters was used for action sequences, including a high-speed chase across the frozen lagoon. Its otherworldly beauty made it a natural choice to represent remote and dangerous locations in the Bond universe.

Directed: Lee Tamahori. Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, John Cleese, and Judi Dench.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is an action-adventure film, based on the popular Tomb Raider video game series, featuring the character Lara Croft who is portrayed by Angelina Jolie. 

There is a three-minute sequence in the first Tomb Raider film, which was filmed at the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon in southeast Iceland. The location depicted in the film is a remote village in Siberia. If you feel like pretending to be Angelina for a day, and even taking a boat ride on the ice lagoon just like Lara Croft does in Tomb Raider, join a tour to the South Coast! 

Directed: Simon West. Starring: Angelina Jolie, Jon Voight, Daniel Craig, Iain Glen, Noah Taylor, and Chris Barrie.

This cult classic starring Sylvester Stallone used Iceland to portray the desolate “Cursed Earth” outside Mega-City One. Filming locations included the Öræfi region and the Reykjanes Peninsula, whose barren landscapes perfectly matched the film’s dystopian tone.  

Directed: Danny Cannon. Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Diane Lane, Rob Schneider, Joan Chen, Jürgen Prochnow, and Max von Sydow.