The INDIANA JONES series has long been linked to high-stakes adventures around the world, ancient artifacts, and big-budget movies. The beloved series ended with INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (2023), which was directed by James Mangold and stars Harrison Ford as the famous archaeologist. Alongside him, familiar faces like John Rhys-Davies (Sallah) and Karen Allen (Marion Ravenwood) return, while new characters are played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Helena Shaw), Mads Mikkelsen (Dr. Jürgen Voller), Antonio Banderas (Renaldo), and Toby Jones (Basil Shaw).
This final journey is set in 1969 and revolves around a mysterious object — the Dial of Archimedes — that supposedly allows time travel. Indy and his goddaughter Helena must stop Voller, a Nazi-turned-NASA scientist, from using the Dial to alter history and rewrite World War II. While the story takes audiences across Europe, Africa, and America, the film’s real-world filming locations are equally as expansive and exciting.
THE DIAL OF DESTINY (2023) STORY SUMMARY
The movie begins with a flashback to 1944 in the French Alps, where Indiana Jones and Basil Shaw attempt to recover the Lance of Longinus but instead discover half of Archimedes’ Dial. In 1969, Jones is a tired college professor who is getting close to retirement. Helena Shaw comes back into his life to find the object that her father used to be crazy about. Jones is pulled back into the fight, and Voller and the CIA are after him. This starts a chase that takes place all over the world and includes underwater dives, ancient tombs, and even time travel.
Voller tries to go back to 1939 but ends up in 212 BC, during the Siege of Syracuse. This is the most shocking part of the story. The people from the future meet Archimedes himself. In the end, Jones goes back to 1969 and makes peace with Marion, ending his story in a heartfelt way.
This article goes into great detail about the places where this world-trotting production was filmed. It also takes a look back at the places that have helped shape Indiana Jones’s legacy over the years.
A LEGACY OF GLOBAL LOCATIONS
Before diving into Dial of Destiny, it’s helpful to remember that on-location filming was a major part of the earlier Indiana Jones movies as well. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) was shot in Tunisia, Hawaii, and France. Temple of Doom (1984) featured locations in Sri Lanka and Macau. The Last Crusade (1989) included Venice, Petra (Jordan), and various U.S. spots. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) was filmed mostly in the U.S., with some scenes in New Mexico, Connecticut, and Hawaii.
Dial of Destiny makes a return to this globe-spanning approach.
WHERE WAS INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY FILMED?
Filming for the movie began on June 4, 2021, and continued into early 2022, with production taking place across England, Scotland, Italy, Morocco, and various studio sets at Pinewood Studios in the UK.
UNITED KINGDOM LOCATIONS
The production kicked off in England, with Pinewood Studios hosting key soundstage shoots, including the elaborate train interior scenes and Archimedes’ tomb. Director James Mangold opted for practical effects over CGI, which meant filming at numerous outdoor locations.
Bamburgh Castle, located in Northumberland, served as a dramatic backdrop for the opening Nazi train sequence. The nearby North Yorkshire Moors Railway near Grosmont hosted thrilling train chases and stunt scenes. Actor Harrison Ford was spotted on location here, with younger face masks used for his stunt double.
SCOTLAND: CHASING THROUGH HISTORIC VILLAGES
Scotland hosted several thrilling sequences. A motorcycle chase was filmed in Glencoe, while Biggar in South Lanarkshire served as another backdrop for action. The iconic Leaderfoot Viaduct in the Scottish Borders doubled for a dramatic railway bridge used in the escape sequence. These areas, known for their rugged beauty and classic architecture, were chosen to match the 1940s European wartime aesthetic.
GLASGOW TRANSFORMED INTO 1969 NEW YORK
One of the most impressive location transformations happened in Glasgow, Scotland, where the city’s central streets were dressed to look like New York City in 1969. For two weeks in July 2021, locations like St. Vincent Street were covered in vintage storefronts, period-specific cars, and parade decorations to recreate the Apollo 11 ticker-tape parade. Over 1,000 extras participated as parade attendees and protestors.
This sequence involved Jones fleeing through a chaotic celebration, masterfully blending digital effects with practical sets. Stunt actor Mike Massa performed most of Ford’s scenes, enhanced with motion-capture and digital de-aging.
“I’m from Glasgow, so it was quite special to film there,” Broadfoot says. “I’d never filmed anything in my hometown before, and we shot in the city center for two weeks. It was dressed to be 1960s New York, including the moon landing parade. There was a real buzz in the city. In the evening, the public would come down to see the set dressing. It was a spectacle and a great experience.”
LONDON & PINEWOOD
Additional scenes took place at a historic residence in Hackney, London, and at Hatton Garden, standing in for New York. A fully built New York Subway station replica was constructed on the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios, used for intense chase sequences.
Ford’s on-set injury delayed parts of the shoot, but production adjusted accordingly. Meanwhile, over 50 crew members from Pinewood tested positive for norovirus during filming in September 2021.
ITALY (SICILY) LOCATIONS
In October 2021, the crew moved to Sicily, where over 600 local crew members contributed. The Italian island doubled for both itself and Greece, with numerous ancient sites and picturesque towns used.
Filming started in Syracuse, known for its Greek heritage. Scenes were shot at the Neapolis Archaeological Park, including the Ear of Dionysius and Grotta Dei Cordari caves. These caves formed the setting for the tomb of Archimedes and surrounding sequences. Nearby, the Temple of Segesta in Trapani also featured prominently.
The towns of Marsala and Castellammare del Golfo represented harbor locations, including the scene where Renaldo meets Jones. The Church of Saint Joseph in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily, is where Indiana Jones steals a married couple’s car. The coastal town of Cefalù also appears, serving as a stand-in for ancient Syracuse.
UNDERWATER SCENES AND FINAL SHOOTING AT PINEWOOD
For the underwater dive scene to retrieve the “graphikos” tablet, cinematographer Ian Seabrook filmed using both Mediterranean Sea locations and Pinewood tanks. These were the first-ever underwater sequences in the Indiana Jones franchise, adding a fresh visual element.
MOROCCO
Filming in Morocco began on October 17, 2021, in the cities of Fez and Oujda. The country was chosen after plans to shoot in India and Nepal fell through due to COVID-19 outbreaks. The Morocco scenes stood in for Tangier, where Helena attempts to sell the Dial at a black-market auction.
The high-speed tuk-tuk chase was filmed by a second-unit crew in Fez, using over a dozen customized vehicles. Actors shot their scenes later at Pinewood Studios using blue screens. Hotel exteriors, such as the Hotel L’Atlantique, were added through CGI by Soho VFX.
PRODUCTION NOTES
The final stages of filming took place back at Pinewood Studios and officially wrapped on February 26, 2022. James Mangold collaborated closely with legendary director Steven Spielberg, who provided script notes and visited the editing room.
Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael worked to preserve the franchise’s classic visual style, while Industrial Light & Magic contributed over 2,300 VFX shots, especially during the time fissure and Syracuse siege sequences.
INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY TRAILER
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