A galaxy far, far away is a whole lot closer than you think. These « Star Wars » filming locations are just a plane ride away — from Iceland and Italy to Tunisia and Arizona.
You don’t have to wait for May 4 — or « Star Wars » Day — to celebrate the many worlds of the legendary sci-fi franchise. From a desert trek on Jedha to dinner at Luke Skywalker’s childhood home, here are some of the real-world destinations where « Star Wars » comes to life all year round. Another « Star Wars » film, another desert country pressed into service. Welcome to Wadi Rum, Jordan, the russet sandy locale that serves as a backdrop in the final « Star Wars » movie, « The Rise of Skywalker. » This dramatic landscape in the country’s south, also called The Valley of the Moon, stood in for the moon of Jedha in « Rogue One. » Wadi Rum is a frequent location for otherworldly film shoots. It doubled for Mars and hosted a profane Matt Damon in « The Martian. » Meandering paths. Mossy rocks. Twisted trees and gulleys. No wonder Puzzlewood, which sits in the Forest of Dean not too far from Wales, is such a draw. And not just for « Star Wars. » You’ve also seen it in « Merlin, » « Doctor Who » and other TV and film productions. But it’s « Star Wars: The Force Awakens » that’s really put Puzzlewood on the travel map. It’s here, as battle rages in the surrounding forests of Takodana, that Rey first encounters her nemesis Kylo Ren. Perhaps the most famous « Star Wars » landmark in the world, this is where the interiors of Luke Skywalker’s childhood home on planet Tatooine were filmed. Centuries ago, Berbers built the underground structure as a real home. Eventually it became a hotel, which George Lucas used to film the first « Star Wars » film. The set decorations came down when the crew left, but were rebuilt in 2000 for « Attack of the Clones. » Since then, they’ve remained, so guests can eat at the table where young master Luke did. The surrounding craters are man-made, to create the illusion that the underground house is next to it. The igloo from the 1977 movie was dismantled, but again rebuilt for « Attack of the Clones, » and later restored by a fan. Nearby is La Grande Dune, site of the Dune Sea. About 30 minutes from the igloo is the set of Mos Espa, the spaceport town where Anakin was discovered as a young slave. This spectacular salt flat in Bolivia is rendered even more spectacular for a battle scene between the Resistance and the First Order in « The Last Jedi. » The desert doubles as the remote mining planet of Crait, a rebel outpost. In the movie, the barren terrain’s blindingly white salt surface covers blood-red minerals, producing violent bursts of color with every explosion and footprint. The black sand beach of Reynisfjara, a wild stretch of North Atlantic coastline close to the small town of Vik and Iceland’s southernmost tip, stands in for the stormy planet of Eadu. It’s here the movie’s lead, Jyn Erso, played by Felicity Jones, unsuccessfully tries to save her grievously wounded father. Since the cast and crew worked on « Return of the Jedi » in 1982, heavy logging has left most of the landscape unrecognizable.
