When Hollywood wants epic, it doesn’t point the camera at L.A. palm trees. It heads north. Our fjords become helicopter battlegrounds, glaciers stand in for alien planets and gloomy winters set the stage for moody thrillers. The Nordics are basically Hollywood’s favorite co-star.

Here’s some of the best examples of the Nordics being a perfect co-star:
.

1. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The legendary battle of Hoth was filmed in Finse, Norway. Blizzard conditions were so brutal that the crew filmed Mark Hamill stumbling through snowdrifts right outside their hotel. What looks like a galaxy far, far away is actually Norway’s high-altitude backyard in winter. Movie link.
.

2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

At Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) in Norway, Tom Cruise turned one of the world’s most scenic picnic spots into a death-defying action sequence. Normally, hikers enjoy sandwiches at the cliff’s edge. Cruise? He chose to crash helicopters there instead. Movie link.
.

3. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Cruise wasn’t done with Norway. This time he launched a motorbike off a cliff in Møre og Romsdal. No CGI, no stunt double — just Cruise, a parachute and a production crew hoping he remembered to pull the cord. Movie link.
.

4. No Time to Die (2021)

Daniel Craig’s Bond bowed out in style, with chilling Norway forest and coastline scenes adding layers of mystery. Cold landscapes, cold villains, cold martinis — Norway makes 007 brood harder than ever. Movie link.
.

5. Batman Begins (2005)

Before becoming the Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne trained in Iceland’s glaciers. Christopher Nolan wanted stark beauty and harsh conditions and Iceland delivered. Because nothing says “future Gotham vigilante” like freezing your toes off in an ice cave. Movie link.
.

6. Interstellar (2014)

Matthew McConaughey trudging across Svínafellsjökull glacier in Iceland gave us one of cinema’s most convincing “alien planet” moments. Hollywood’s secret: when you want somewhere that doesn’t look like Earth, you book a flight to Reykjavík. Movie link.
.

7. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

The volcanic black beaches of Iceland became the rebel hideout planet Eadu. Add fog, rain, and wind, and you’ve got perfect galactic misery. Iceland: where umbrellas go to die, and Star Wars finds atmosphere. Movie link.
.

8. Prometheus (2012)

Ridley Scott used Dettifoss waterfall in Iceland for the epic opening where an alien seeds life on Earth. Why here? Because it looks like the kind of place the universe would pick to kick things off. Movie link.
.

9. The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter’s horror classic may be set in Antarctica, but the icy exteriors were shot in Jotunheimen, Norway. Moviegoers saw paranoia, alien monsters and frostbite. Norwegians saw early spring. Movie link.
.

10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Sweden finally gets its moment. The bleak landscapes, snowbound villages and stark modern architecture weren’t sets — they were real. The result? A thriller where Sweden itself feels like a suspect. Movie link.
.

11. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

Angelina Jolie leapt into Norway’s fjords in search of Viking relics. Sure, the plot was slightly dramatic, but the scenery was pure postcard. Archaeology never looked so cinematic. Movie link.
.

12. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Ben Stiller skateboarding down endless Icelandic roads is cinematic daydreaming at its finest. Iceland doubled as Greenland, Afghanistan and the Himalayas — proving it’s Hollywood’s ultimate stand-in actor. Movie link.
.

13. Dune: Part One (2021)

Some dream sequences used Icelandic landscapes to add “not of this Earth” vibes. Honestly, Iceland doesn’t need CGI. Just point the camera, add Hans Zimmer’s score and you’ve got Arrakis energy. Movie link.
.

14. A View to a Kill (1985)

Roger Moore’s Bond skied across Vatnajökull glacier, pretending it was Siberia. But only in Iceland can 007 outrun KGB agents and still look like he’s shooting a tourism commercial. Movie link.
.

15. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams filmed in Húsavík, Iceland, turning the small fishing town into an Oscar-nominated ballad. The locals went from drying cod to hosting Netflix crews, and now half the world sings about them. Movie link.

Wait a Minute…

Spot the pattern? Norway and Iceland clearly dominate the casting list. Sweden gets a stylish thriller. Finland is still waiting for Hollywood to discover wife-carrying championships and competitive sauna endurance. And Denmark?

Denmark: Forget the Blockbusters, Bring the Oscars 🏆

While Norway and Iceland lend landscapes to Hollywood, Denmark quietly collects Academy Awards.

Four Oscar wins — more than any other Nordic country.

So while Hollywood keeps filming in Iceland and Norway, Denmark keeps winning in Hollywood.

Step Into the Scene

If you’re ready to follow in the footsteps of Luke Skywalker on Norway’s snowy plains, stand on the cliff where Tom Cruise risked his life, or sip wine where Denmark’s Oscar-winning storytellers dreamed up their masterpieces, Best of Nordic can take you there.

Dive deeper into Nordic film, culture, and travel inspiration at
👉 https://bestof.dk/stories

Whether you want action-movie adrenaline or slow-cinema hygge, the Nordics deliver — and we’ll make sure you get the blockbuster version of your trip.