Shanghai's been blowing up movie screens for decades, usually playing herself, occasionally pretending to be futuristic L.A. or wartime Hong Kong. From Bond to Dongyu Zhou, these are some of the most iconic scenes shot in the city—and what those spots look like IRL today. Cue the dramatic score and dissolve to...
Her (2013)
Joaquin Phoenix's lonely futureboy lives in a pastel-hued techno-utopia version of Los Angeles. Surprise! That was actually Pudong. Many of the aerial skyline shots were filmed in Lujiazui—specifically around the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai Tower — which was digitally dressed up to look like a softer, more romantic version of Blade Runner.
Location: Lujiazui (Pudong Skyline)
Then: Romantic-futuristic cityscapes with soft light
Now: Same skyscrapers, less wistful ennui
The Eight Hundred (八百) (2020)
A gritty, stylized retelling of the Battle of Shanghai during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The film centers around the real-life siege at the Sihang Warehouse, where 400 Chinese soldiers held out for four days against Japanese forces. It's one of the few Chinese war films shot entirely in IMAX.
Location: Sihang Warehouse, Suzhou Creek
Then: Sandbags, searchlights, and wartime heroics
Now: A museum and memorial, across from the Rockbund
Skyfall (2012)
Daniel Craig's Bond tails an assassin through a glowing, futuristic Shanghai. Except... most of it was CGI.There area few real glimpses: aerial shots of Lujiazui, a skyline view of the Oriental Pearl, and one brief driving scene near Century Avenue. The rooftop pool fight? Studio magic.
Location: Lujiazui / Century Avenue
Then: Neon-drenched cyber-noir chase scenes
Now: Still photogenic, just with more traffic
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
Tom Cruise running through Shanghai? Classic. The famous building jump scene was often misidentified as Jinmao Tower, but it was actually filmed at the Bank of China building in Pudong. There's a night chase through the backstreets too—brief, chaotic, and a bit disorienting.
Location: Bank of China Building (Lujiazui)
Then: Ethan Hunt defies gravity
Now: Great view. No bungee cords in sight.
This Is Not What I Expected (喜欢你) (2017)
Ever wondered why there are these huge crowds outside the Wukang Mansion? The food-centric romcom starring Zhou Dongyu turned the heritage building into a bona fide Wanghong icon. The Art Deco building in Xuhui—formerly the Normandie Apartments—plays the backdrop to quirky romance, chef drama, and lots of pasta.
Location: Wukang Mansion, Wukang Lu
Then: Romcom gold with historic architecture
Now: Selfie central, influencer bait, daily chaos
Empire of the Sun (1987)
Christian Bale, age 13, running through pre-WWII Shanghai. Spielberg shot wide on the Bund, Waibaidu Bridge, and even snuck into Xujiahui Cathedral. It remains one of the earliest major international films to actually shoot in the city.
Location: The Bund, Waibaidu Bridge, Xujiahui Cathedral
Then: Epic historical drama
Now: Same skyline, slightly less imperialism
The Wandering Earth (2019)
China's breakout sci-fi blockbuster imagined Shanghai in the deep freeze, with Lujiazui buried in ice and heroes scaling the frozen-over Shanghai Tower. All CGI, but still fun to see the skyline reimagined for the apocalypse.
Location: Shanghai Tower (kind of)
Then: Ice Age Doomsday
Now: Still standing, not yet frozen
Looper (2012)
Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt do time travel in gritty near-future America... and then suddenly, Shanghai. The Chinese cut got bonus city footage: skyline shots, techy neon signs, and a futuristic Lujiazui. It sort of works?
Location: Pudong, Nanpu Bridge
Then: Shadowy, moody, vaguely cyberpunk
Now: Familiar. With more DiDi drivers
