Known as the “Las Vegas of Asia”, thanks to its enormous casinos and wonderful malls on the Cotai Strip, which joins the islands of Taipa and Coloane, Macau is aregion on the south coast of China.
The capital city of Macau itself is located in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. As a special administrative region of China, Macau maintains separate governing and economic systems from those of mainland China and reflects a host of cultural influences which makes it a popular filming location for many blockbuster movies. The scenic backgrounds of Macau along with striking landmarks such as the Macau Tower and the Casino Grand Lisboa make it a firm favourite for filmmakers.
Here are our favourite 5 films featuring this iconic region.
1. Now You See Me 2: The Second Act (2016)
The popular sequel to 2013’s ‘Now You See Me’ chose Macau as one of its filming locations and it’s easy to see why. The star-studded film featured alleyway shots, heritage buildings, and “old” Macau, the filming locations included the Macao Science Centre, The Venetian, Sands Macao Hotel and Rua da Felicidade in the Historic Centre.
Now You See Me 2: The Second Act is one of the most recent films to feature Macau and follows the four horsemen as they pull off their most impossible heist yet. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Daniel Radcliffe and Hollywood legends Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.
2. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
The oldest film to feature on our list and the first one to put Macau under the spotlight and make it a favourite filming location among Hollywood directors. Roger Moore takes the lead in this Bond classic and the floating casino by the name of ‘Macau Palace’ took centre stage. Interestingly, the boat’s unique look and atmosphere have also made it an inspiration for many virtual casinos and sites with online slots.
In fact it was Macau’s many casinos that led to the location being chosen as the backdrop to this 1974 blockbuster. The floating casino that featured in The Man With The Golden Gun was closed in 2007 and is now home to a new development, but it will always live on in this spy classic.
3. Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984)
Who doesn’t remember the dramatic opening scene of Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom where Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones tries to escape the baddies by jumping out of the window of Club Obi Wan in Shanghai?
What you may not know is that The Club Obi Wan was actually a former hotel in Macau called Pensão Sun Sun Hotel and could be found near to the inner harbour along Praca De Ponte E Horte. Macau was often used to replicate locations across China at a time when access to mainland China was restricted.
4. Johnny English Reborn (2011)
Starring Rowan Atkinson, otherwise known for his popular character Mr Bean, Johnny English Reborn follows the spy as he goes up against international assassins hunting down Chinese Premier Xiang Ping. Much of the action takes place in Macau and features both exterior and interior shots of the Casino Lisboa and the neighbouring Casino Grand Lisboa.
Standing at 261 metres, the Iconic Casino Grand Lisboa is Macau’s tallest building and has earned the nickname of “The Giant Golden Pineapple” thanks to its resemblance to the fruit.
5. Skyfall (2012)
The second James Bond film to make it on our list, but this time around Daniel Craig takes centre stage as the much loved British Secret Service agent. Released 38 years after The Man With The Golden Gun, Skyfall featured scenes of the ‘Golden Dragon Casino’ in Macau and scenery around Macau.
Although filming didn’t actually take place in Macau but was actually recreated and filmed at Pinewood Studios in the UK. Nevertheless, the massive success of the film helped raise awareness of the little know region of China and as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
