Twelve Monkeys (1995) – Filming Locations
Science Fiction / Thriller / Mystery · Directed by Terry Gilliam · Starring Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe
In the year 2035, convict James Cole reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to discover the origin of a deadly virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth's population and forced the survivors into underground communities. But when Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990 instead of 1996, he's arrested and locked up in a mental hospital. There he meets psychiatrist Dr. Kathryn Railly and the son of a famous virus expert who may hold the key to the Army of the 12 Monkeys; thought to be responsible for unleashing the killer disease.
Where was Twelve Monkeys filmed?
- Philadelphia, United States, Philadelphia – Prison scenes where Cole is held and interrogated; the dystopian underground facility. The historic abandoned penitentiary's fortress-like architecture and decaying interior provided the perfect dystopian setting for the future prison scenes and underground facility
- Baltimore, United States, Baltimore – Post-apocalyptic city streets and various urban exterior scenes throughout the film. Baltimore's decaying downtown and industrial areas were used as the primary real-world location for the bleak, run-down dystopian cityscape Cole encounters
- Philadelphia, United States, Philadelphia – Exterior shots of urban architecture; backdrop for scenes in the present-day city. The ornate Victorian-era City Hall serves as a striking contrast between the past and dystopian future, emphasizing the urban decay and temporal dislocation themes
- Pittsburgh, United States, Pittsburgh – Additional dystopian urban and industrial sequences. Pittsburgh's post-industrial landscape and abandoned steel mills reinforced the film's themes of urban decay and environmental catastrophe