Behind-the-scene of Inception: Movie Locations

Christopher Nolan's Inception is an Original Sci-fi Actioner that Travels Around the Globe and into the Intimate and Infinite World of Dreams

Inception hinges on the premise that it is possible to share dreams and that they have been designed to look and feel completely real while you're in them. In such a subconscious state, a person's deepest and most valuable secrets are there for the taking.

Director Christopher Nolan (Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Memento, The Prestige) said: "At the heart of the movie is the notion that an idea is indeed the most resilient and powerful parasite. A trace of it will always be there in your mind...somewhere. The thought that someone could master the ability to invade your dream space, in a very physical sense, and steal an idea—no matter how private—is compelling."

Inception Photo Slideshow courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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Inception Movie Locations

Tokyo

The earliest filming for Inception was done in Tokyo, Japan. This location showcased the scene where Saito (Ken Watanabe) made his unusual business proposition to Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Opening on a skyscraper heliport, the scene transitioned to aerial shots from Saito's helicopter. It was considerably a complicated scene to shoot due to Tokyo's very strict rules on where and how high helicopters can go.

England

After Tokyo, the production moved to one of Nolan's favorite bases of operation: Cardington, a converted airship hangar, north of London. Its mammoth stage could accommodate the sizeable yet intricate sets that were intended to test people's perception of up, down, and sideways.

One complicated set built in this location was a long hotel corridor able to rotate a full 360 degrees to create the effect of zero gravity. The designing and building of the set was a collaboration among director Christopher Nolan, production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas, special effects supervisor Chris Corbould, and cinematographer Wally Pfister.