These days, a Chinese film titled “The Wandering Earth” has been a hit on the big screen. Described as China’s first homegrown sci-fi blockbuster, it presents a scenario where the Earth comes to its doomsday: In 2100 AD, as the sun ages rapidly, the temperature on Earth drops to minus 80 degrees Celsius. The planet is blanketed with snow and many city landmarks are destroyed in the horrible snowstorm. Among them are Shanghai’s iconic Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai Tower.

(The Shanghai Tower in real life and in “The Wandering Earth”)

Besides “The Wandering Earth”, Shanghai’s iconic locations have actually appeared in many sci-fi blockbusters.

At the beginning of 2017, in the “soft” sci-fi film “Arrival”, the aliens land 12 spaceships above 12 cities, and Shanghai is one of them. On the movie poster, a giant egg-shaped spacecraft floats in the sky above Shanghai’s Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone.

In another sci-fi drama film “Her”, which is written, directed, and produced by Spike Jonze, the future scenes are shot in Shanghai. The Oscar winning picture takes the city as its backdrop. For instance, Lujiazui’s skywalks make a significant appearance in “Her”, allowing “Jonze to film his actors without worrying whether the cars in the background looked futuristic enough,” according to the L.A. Times.

(A scene in “Her” shot in Shanghai’s Lujiazui)

The Shanghai Himalayas Museum (formerly known as the Zendai Himalayas Centre) in Pudong also makes up part of Spike Jonze’s futuristic “Los Angeles” in the film. The building is designed byJapanese architect Arata Isozaki.

Another city landmark used in “Her” is Wujiaochang, one of the four major sub-centers in Shanghai. The sprawling roads that extend in all directions and distinctive towering buildings can enhance the futuristic feeling of the film. Set among the forest of reinforced cement concrete, the loneliness of the protagonist can be better reflected, thus enhancing his special attachment to the heroine Samantha, which is an AI with a female voice.

Besides the above-mentioned locations, Hongqiao Railway Station and the Gezhouba Tower are also used in the film, though some theatergoers might find them tricky to recognize.

With many more blockbusters and sci-fi movies in the pipeline, we can all excitedly ponder which Shanghai locations will show up in future films, while hoping they don’t jolt us out of our sense of immersion!