Famous Films & Series Shot in Norway
I love watching movies, and I especially love when I’m watching a movie and come across a shot where I stop and go – hey, that’s Norway! It’s always so exciting to see places I’ve been up on the big screen. I’ve put together a list of some of the biggest movies and television series that have been partially filmed in Norway. I hope you enjoy this list, and if I’m missing anything be sure to let me know!
Films & Series Shot in Norway
The Snowman (2017)
Okay, the Snowman is included in this list despite being based off a Norwegian novel because the movie used foreign actors and was filmed in English. This thriller follows a detective in Oslo investigating a string of mysterious murders. They filmed in Oslo, Bergen, and the mountains around Rjukan.
In the trailer you’ll recognise the Atlantic Road as well as various mountain shots.
For me, the most exciting part was when they filmed an aerial shot of Bergen, and I could see my apartment!
Ex Machina (2014)
This is probably the first movie I remember hearing about being filmed in Norway. Ex Machina is a sci-fi movie that explores artificial intelligence as a young programmer visits a reclusive genius’s remote mountain estate for a Turing test experiment. This movie was filmed at the gorgeous Juvet Landscape Hotel in Valldal, close to Trollstigen. The hotel was designed by Norwegian architects Jensen & Skodvin, who also designed the hotel’s spa area, where most of the scenes were shot.
You can actually stay at the hotel! Click here to visit their website.
Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018)
Tom Cruise loves Norway and has filmed multiple Mission Impossible movies here – he recently filmed up in Svalbard. In Mission Impossible: Fallout, Tom Cruise’s character, Ethan Hunt, finds himself in a helicopter chase that takes place in Norway’s fjords. They filmed at Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) as well as Lysefjord.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m sure when he’s on Pulpit Rock in the movie they are claiming he is in India – right?
Dune: Part One (2021)
Dune is a hugely successful movie that I honestly didn’t know was partly filmed in Norway! While the movie is set on desert plants, they used some shots of the dark, mountainous landscape of Norway, in particular the region around Stadlandet. In one of the first photos published of the film, you see Timothee Chalamet as protagonist Paul Atreides walking on a beach on his home planet of Caladan before embarking for Arrakis – that beach is at Stadlandet.
If you watch the YouTube video above, you’ll see bits of Stadlandet at the beginning.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
Some scenes of this popular spy-action film were shot in Norway, including at the Trollstigen Tourist Road.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
This classic Star Wars movie used Norway’s Hardangerjøkulen glacier to represent the snowy planet of Hoth. You can see this glacier when taking the train between Bergen and Oslo – it’s located at the stop Finse.
You can see the landscape in the YouTube video above.
No Time to Die (2021)
Spy-action movies sure love Norway! In No Time to Die, there are several scenes set against Norway’s beautiful nature, especially car chases. A car chase scene takes place along the Atlantic Road (see the YouTube video above). You also see a girl fleeing from a masked man on a frozen lake. This quiet lake is called Langvann and is located near Hakadal, a village north of Oslo.
The Golden Compass (2007)
This adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s novel captures the icy, northern aesthetic of Norway as part of a fantasy Arctic setting. Svalbard was used for the shots of frozen landscapes.
Black Widow (2021)
Some scenes of this Marvel film are set in Norway, where the protagonist hides out early in the movie. Black Widow was filmed around Sæbø in Western Norway, a picturesque village surrounded by fjords and mountains.
Here’s a detailed overview of where the film was shot (click here).
You can even book a tour to see all the filming locations (click here).
Tenet (2020)
This mind-bending thriller by Christopher Nolan features sequences filmed in Norway’s dramatic settings, including a spectacular boat scene. They filmed around Oslo’s Opera House as well as the Romsdalsfjord and the town of Åndalsnes.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
It makes sense that they filmed a Thor movie in Norway! This Marvel movie uses the natural landscapes of Norway to enhance Asgardian and otherworldly scenes.
Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince (2009)
Though set in the UK, some sweeping aerial shots in the film were filmed in Norway. They used the mountains and fjords around Trolltunga. The Rauma Railway near the village of Bjorli was used as a backdrop for the train ride on board the Hogwarts Express. The scene where Harry and Ron are talking about the unbreakable curse of Snape was shot inside a museum train owned by the Norwegian Railway Club.
My Norwegian Holiday (2023)
This Netflix Christmas movie was filmed in Bergen. I remember the week they filmed was torrential rain, but you don’t see any of that in the final movie!
Downsizing (2017)
The Matt Damon movie Downsizing was filmed in Norway, mostly around the Lofoten Islands. You can see bits of this at the end of the trailer shown above.
Succession TV Series
Succession is one of my favourite television series, and I love that they used Norway as a location for the last season. They filmed around Åndalsnes and include the Romsdal Gondola, the Juvet Landscape Hotel (also seen in Ex Machina) and the Atlantic Road
The Witches
This classic film based on the book by Roald Dahl has its opening shots in Bryggen and Gamle Bergen.
Further Reading
Below are some links to websites with more detailed information about movie locations:
