The films referred to are “Apollo 18” (2011), a horror-mystery directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego, and “Apollo 13” (1995), a thrilling account of the ill-fated 1970 moonflight managed by director Ron Howard and star-studded cast including Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton and others. This is about where these movies were shot, who played what, and other interesting behind-the-scenes facts about these two flicks.
Where it Filmed?
“Apollo 18” was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. No specifics about the filming dates are available. Moving on to “Apollo 13”, its major shooting locations were the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida, as well as Los Angeles, California, and Texas. Most of the rocket sequences and Mission Control scenes were created in Hollywood studios using advanced special effects and computer-generated imagery. Some authentic, weightless scenes were filmed inside a KC-135 cargo plane, used for NASA training flights, known as the ‘Vomit Comet’. These planes flew from Ellington Airport, which is about 15 miles south of Houston, Texas.
Cast Details
| Cast Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Warren Christie | Ben Anderson |
| Lloyd Owen | Nate |
| Ryan Robbins | John Grey |
| Andrew Airlie | Mission Control (voice) |
| Jan Bos | Lab Tech #2 (voice) |
| Kim Wylie | Laura Anderson |
| Noah Wylie | Ryan Anderson |
| Ali Liebert | Nate’s Girlfriend |
| Erica Carroll | John’s Fiancée |
| Thomas Greenwood | Ryan Anderson (uncredited) (voice) |
| John F. Kennedy | Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage) |
Trivia and Facts
- Most of the gigantic Saturn V rockets scenes in “Apollo 13” were created using a one-twentieth scale model and computer technology, not actual location filming.
- The director of “Apollo 13”, Ron Howard, managed to capture the authentic feeling of weightlessness by filming inside a plane called the ‘Vomit Comet’ following a specific parabolic trajectory combined with a roller-coaster dive.
- The launch site depicted in “Apollo 13” is the real Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. But the Saturn rockets seen were not the actual rockets; they were added later using computer graphics.
- The Vehicle Assembly Building seen in “Apollo 13” was the actual location, but there was no real Saturn inside; the open door and the rocket were added using computer graphics.
- You can actually see old Saturn rockets when you take a tour of the Space Center.
- The ‘Florida’ motel shown in “Apollo 13” is actually located in Burbank, San Fernando Valley.
Geo Location Details
- Location Name: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Latitude: 49.2827291
- Longitude: -123.1207375
- Place ID: ChIJs0-pQ_FzhlQRi_OBm-qWkbs
- Map Link: Google Map
- Place Address: Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Timezone: America/Vancouver
