Filming Locations Guide: Where was Prometheus filmed?

Posted by Ra Moon

The 2012 film from Ridley Scott, a prequel to the brilliant Alien series, has great outdoor settings, and -what a coincidence- this website has been in most of these locations.

Prometheus was filmed in the stunning vast landscapes of Iceland, Scotland, and Jordan.

Where was Prometheus filmed

These jaw-dropping spots were transformed into the dark, atmospheric locations where the movie takes place.

For once, instead of suffering for Lieutenant Ripley, running through suffocating and claustrophobic corridors full of alien slime, this time some of the new candidates getting facehugged onboard the lucky spacecraft will also get the chance to burst in the open air.

Here is our (first-ever) filming locations report of Prometheus. Also, following this link you can also find here the places where the sequel Alien Covenant was filmed.

The Prometheus locations

Waterfall Prometheus Iceland
The opening scene was filmed at the Dettifoss Waterfall in Iceland. Add a flying saucer, and it does the job.

Located in the remote Vatnajökull National Park in the northeast of the island, this spectacular waterfall was also featured in an episode of the hit series Vikings.
(You can open all the locations on Google Maps by clicking on the links below in the captions ↴)
Image by Twentieth Century Fox - Map


Dettifoss Waterfall
According to Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan who stole fire to give it to humankind, an act that enabled progress and civilization. He also created man from clay.

Most of the studio work took place at Shepperton Studios and Pinewood Studios in England, but also in the City of Light in Alacant, Spain.
Image by Peter Nijenhuis


Prometheus Locations
Just before getting to the waterfall, the camera flies over a huge riverbed that looks like the Krossá River, in Landmannalaugar, also in Iceland.

This is a territory of young and active volcanos where rare rhyolite rocks produce colorful landscapes.
Image by M'sieur rico - Map


Introductory establishing shoot
Find out more about Landmannalaugar, the fabulous valley of colored Icelandic mountains, following this link.
Image by Bram


Prometheus Old Man of Storr
The Old Man of Storr in Scotland is the perfect setting for some archaeological discoveries at the beginning of the film.
Image by Asands - Map


Isle of Skye
Located on the Isle of Skye, this place has everything you can expect to find in the Highlands: stunning landscapes splashed with lakes, waterfalls, and the seaside in the background.

Find out more about the amazing Isle of Skye here in our dedicated article.


Wadi Rum Nature Preserve
The sight of the steep mountains of the Wadi Rum Nature Preserve in Jordan provides the background for a large part of the movie.

Considered one of the world’s most outstanding desert scenery, Wadi Rum is a very popular location for filmmakers.
Image by Sillie R - Map


Wadi Rum Prometheus
You've probably seen this dramatic landscape in many other productions including Dune, Rogue One, Aladdin, and the Disney series Moon Knight.

Find out more about the valley where The Martian was filmed following this link.
Image by Twentieth Century Fox and Deltron


Prometheus Planet
There's a scene where David is watching the 1962 movie, also filmed here, Lawrence of Arabia.

It's not a coincidence: Wadi Rum is where the legendary Lawrence of Arabia led the Bedouin people through this hostile and labyrinthine valley to launch a surprise attack on the Turkish army.


Prometheus filming location
However, it looks like the real location of these outdoor scenes is the Rannoch Moor also in Scotland, a moorland near the Glencoe valley where one of the last Harry Potter movies was filmed.

As you can see in this image comparing a screenshot of the film with footage from the VFX video breakdown, the Wadi Rum's mountains were CGI'd into the scene.
Image by courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox and MPC - Map


The spacecraft landed on the surface
In the end, the butler did it.
Image courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Can you help to improve this article about the filming locations of Prometheus? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!

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