Las Vegas Strip, Vegas, Vegas Strip

Wish you were here!  Much as we would all like to be on vacation in Las Vegas, life just makes that wish impossible sometimes. Over the years, Las Vegas has been the set for many major movies. So while you wait to get that Vegas trip on the calendar, live vicariously through these movies that all have scenes filmed in Las Vegas!

Viva Las Vegas (1964)

Viva Las Vegas, starring Elvis and Ann-Margaret, is an iconic film that highlights many locations in Las Vegas. The story centers around Lucky Jackson, a race car driver played by Elvis, who travels to Las Vegas to race in the city’s first grand prix. This film became Elvis’ highest grossing film ever.

Among some of the Las Vegas destinations used were the Sahara Las Vegas parking lot, Frontier Hotel (now closed), the skeet shooting range at the Tropicana Las Vegas, University of Nevada, Las Vegas gymnasium, McCarran International Airport, Flamingo Las Vegas swimming pool, Little Church of the West, Fremont Street (opening aerial shots), Sands Hotel and Casino (now The Venetian Las Vegas), and the Lake Mead Marina.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

This film is a James Bond classic starring Sean Connery. He is led to Las Vegas on a diamond smuggling investigation. A memorable scene from the movie was a car chase which drove through downtown Las Vegas. Many Las Vegas hotels were used in various scenes from the film including Tropicana Las Vegas, The Riviera (now closed), International Hotel (now Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino) and the Hilton Las Vegas. The Palm Downtown Cemetery and McCarran International Airport were also used.

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Wish You Were Here

The Godfather (1972)

Who hasn’t seen this classic American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring top-notch actors Marlon Brando and Al Pacino? There were many scenes in this movie that were filmed primarily at The Tropicana Las Vegas. The Godfather was released in 1972 and was the highest grossing film that year.

Rain Man (1988)

When I think of the film Rain Man, I always think of Dustin Hoffman (Raymond Babbitt) saying “Wheel of Fortune” in a scene where he is watching his favorite show. The film also starred Tom Cruise (Charlie Babbitt) who played Hoffman’s brother. The brothers end up going on a road trip that included Las Vegas. Highlights from the film were shot in Caesars Palace where Hoffman showed off his ability to card-count at the tables. This became the highest grossing film of 1998 and won four Oscars for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Leading role for Dustin Hoffman.

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

Nicholas Cage  gave an Oscar-winning performance in this film where he played a suicidal alcoholic determined to drink himself to death in Las Vegas. Due to a lack of budget, the film was shot in the less than glamorous spots around Las Vegas which actually helped to achieve authenticity in the film. Because the budget was tight, the production team shot many of the scenes right on the Las Vegas Strip where many hotels were featured in the background: Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Circus Circus Hotel & Casino, Flamingo Las Vegas, Excalibur Hotel & Casino, and The Mirage.

Casino (1995)

This crime drama was directed by Martin Scorsese and based on a non-fiction book that looked at the association between the mafia and the gambling world. Robert De Niro portrayed Sam Rothstein who headed the Tangiers Casino and his wife was played by Sharon Stone. Tangiers Casino, where many of the scenes were filmed, was actually the Stardust Hotel & Casino (soon to be Resorts World Las Vegas). It is a classic Las Vegas movie!

Con Air (1997)

The story of Con Air centers around a planeload of criminals who ultimately crash land on the Las Vegas Strip. I love this movie! It stars Nicholas Cage, John Cusack, and John Malkovich. One of the more exciting scenes in the movie was a plane crash that took place on the Las Vegas Strip. The Sands Hotel & Casino was scheduled to be demolished so the producers took the opportunity to film a plane crashing and sliding down the Las Vegas Strip, and finally landing in the Sands lobby. The crashing plane is also seen flying by the recently closed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas and The STRAT Hotel, Casino and Skypod (formerly called The Stratosphere).

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

This is a film adaptation of the novel by Hunter S. Thompson. The story centers around Raoul (played by Johnny Depp) and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo.  They begin a drug induced road trip to Las Vegas with a suitcase of drugs and alcohol. Although the film was a financial fail, the film has since become a cult classic. This film features the Stardust Hotel & Casino (soon to be Resorts World Las Vegas).

Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas, In and Out of Vegas, Bellagio
Las Vegas at Night

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Ocean’s Eleven is a remake of a film of the same name which starred Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr., and released in 1960. The 2001 version starred George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts. In the film, Danny Ocean (Clooney) orchestrates an elaborate casino heist after recently being paroled from prison. The Bellagio fountains were featured along with their Botanical Gardens and Picasso restaurant. Barbary Coast (now The Cromwell), Flamingo Las Vegas, and Caesers Palace were also included in the film.

Rocky Balboa (2006)

This film was the sixth from the series of films that featured Rocky Balboa.  The original Rocky film is one of my favorites! In 2006’s Rocky Balboa, the fight scenes against Rocky and Mason Dixon were filmed at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.  It was filmed right after an actual fight that took place. Although there were many extras used in the audience, the production team also used inflatable dummies in the seats to give the appearance of a full audience.

Knocked Up (2007)

This comedy features actress Katherine Heigl portraying Alison who discovers she is pregnant after a one-night stand with Seth Rogen’s character, Ben. Scenes shot in Las Vegas include Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, while the circus scenes were filmed at the Cirque du Soleil show, Mystere, at Treasure Island Las Vegas.

21 (2008)

The film 21 is a true story about Ben Campbell (played by Jim Sturgess) who desperately needs some quick cash to pay his tuition bills at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He finds himself joining a group of MIT students, who under the direction of their professor Mickey (Kevin Spacey), begin card-counting and win big playing Blackjack in the Las Vegas casinos. The film is an adaptation of the book “Bringing Down the House” by Ben Mezrich. 21 became the number one film in the U.S. and Canada during the first two weekends of its release in 2008.

Most of the scenes were shot at casinos such as the newly closed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, Red Rock Casino, and Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. It was reported that other casinos did not want to glamorize cheating, so they did not allow filming inside their properties.

What Happens in Vegas (2008)

After a drunken night in Las Vegas, Joy McNally (Cameron Diaz) and Jack Fuller (Ashton Kutcher) realize that they have married each other. To add color to that already colorful situation, there is a huge jackpot at stake. A judge freezes the prize money and refuses to grant an annulment, so Joy and Jack must try desperately to make the marriage work. Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino was featured in this film.

The Hangover (2009)

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Madam Tussauds Las Vegas; Scene from The Hangover

Groom-to-be Doug (Justin Bartha) and his three friends (Zach Galifianakis, Brad Cooper, Ed Helms) drive to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. After a wild night in Vegas, they wake up with no memory of the evening and Doug is nowhere to be found.  The film revolves around the three friends trying to recall their night to figure out what happened to Doug and ultimately bring him home for his wedding.  The film was a huge success grossing over $476 million worldwide.  Several scenes from the film were shot on Las Vegas Boulevard, while Caesars Palace was used extensively in the film. If you have not seen this comedy, you are missing out!

Now You See Me (2013)

This thriller is about the Four Horsemen who are a group of magicians that pull off bank heists during their performances. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Mélanie Laurent, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman.  The film grossed $351.7 million worldwide and has several awards / nominations under its belt such as the 2014 People’s Choice Awards and a Best Thriller Film nomination at the Saturn Awards.

Scenes were shot in Downtown Las Vegas at the Fremont Street Experience and at ARIA Resort & Casino.

Jason Bourne (2016)

The production for Matt Damon’s fourth film, with the Jason Bourne character, was nothing less than spectacular.  It was the first time that a portion of the Las Vegas Strip was shut down for a movie so the producers wanted to ensure that the scene would be amazing.

In the film, Bourne comes to Las Vegas for EXOCON, a convention for the hacker, surveillance, and cyber security industries. Scenes from the convention were filmed at ARIA Resort & Casino. While in pursuit of the “villain,” a car chase ensued on the Las Vegas Strip which involved close to 200 cars.  One of the vehicles rolled straight through the Riviera Hotel & Casino which happened to be scheduled for implosion; the timing could not have been any better!

21 Replies to “16 Movies That Were Filmed in Las Vegas!”

  1. How neat. I can’t believe that for the Jason Bourne move that closed down part of the strip. Holy cow. Some great movies were filmed in Las Vegas. I was there as a little girl, but I keep telling my husband that we should fly out there one weekend, cause why not? 🙂

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