Although the central location of the movie is New York, the film was actually shot in and around London. The town of Watford, located northwest of the British capital in the county of Hertforshire, was a major location for the movie. Studios Leavesden played an important role in the making of the movie. The sets were built there, depicting Chinatown and Manhattan, where a massive, devastating alien invasion took place. The controlled environment allowed the creators to perform elaborate stunts and explosions safely and with scope. New York City was also where the filming took place. The city's harbor and bustling streets were filmed there.
Ruined Street
In movie
Scene where Eric emerges from the shelter he and Samira found themselves in after the subway. He walks through the ruined streets of New York with a list of medicines in his hands. The hero is looking for a pharmacy to find the medical supplies Samira needs
Timing: 01:00:00
Real
Scene was shot in Leavesden Studios, located in Watford, England. The studio, owned by Warner Bros. created large-scale sets replicating the neighborhoods of New York City: Chinatown and Manhattan. The sets were two stories high and showed the destruction caused by the alien invasion.
Metro
In movie
Scene where Samira and Eric are "cornered" by alien monsters. To hide from them, they rush to the subway. The heroes go down the escalator and find themselves at the flooded station Lexington Avenue-59 St. Since the aliens are afraid of water, Sam and Eric decide to go down into the water and thus hide from the pursuit.
Timing: 00:53:00
Real
Scene was shot at London's Charing Cross tube station. The interior of the station was transformed into an invasion-ravaged New York City subway platform. Charing Cross in London is most similar to the Big Apple subway, which is why it was chosen by the creators for this scene
London
Patsy's Pizzeria
In movie
Scene where Sam and Eric make it to Patsy's Pizzeria, where Samira has been wanting a slice of pizza for so long. But once there, they see that the restaurant has completely burned down. Samira cries and walks away doomed. Eric catches up with her and gives her a reassuring hug.
Timing: 01:12:00
Real
Scene was shot in New York, in Harlem, where Patsy's Pizzeria is actually located. As the story goes, Samira agrees to go to the city only on the condition that the group stops by her favorite pizzeria. For most of the movie, she overcomes tremendous odds to get to the restaurant. To show how important this place is for the heroine, the creators decided to shoot footage of a real pizzeria
