Where Was Bumblebee Filmed? A Delightful Sci-Fi Flick!!

Do you enjoy watching films with plenty of action and comedy that excites you? Well, let me present you with one such movie, Bumblebee, that will become your favorite Sci-fi flick. In this article I will also share with you where was Bumblebee filmed, to make your viewing experience even richer.

Bumblebee released in 2018 is a Sci-fi action film from the Transformers franchise. The film focuses on the story of “B-127 Transformer” also known as Bumblebee, one of the first Autobots to land on Earth and come in contact with humans. Director Travis Knight casted the likes of Hailee Steinfeld, Jorge Lendeberg Jr, and John Cena playing the major roles in the film.

The movie was a box-office success and received positive reviews from the critics. A sequel to this film, Transformers – Rise of the Beasts is set to release in 2023! However, for the time being, allow me to discuss the plot of Bumblebee in brief just so you may have a better concept of the actual storyline.

Plot of Bumblee | What’s It About

Travis Knight sought to pitch his film Bumblebee, as a prequel to the Transformers film series. This feature film focuses upon the age-old battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons, to establish control over the universe. This clash, forced some of the Autobots to escape from the alien planet Cybertron to seek shelter on Earth, without coming in contact with humans.

As shown in the film Charlene Watson (Charlie) gets a worn out yellow Volkswagen Beetle, as her 18th birthday gift and unknowingly activates B-127 to transform and come to his true state. But in the process, the signal is sent to the Decipticons as well and they track it to finally reach Earth to hunt B-127 and finish him. 

Meanwhile, Sector-7 (Investigating Agency For Alien LIfe) quickly grows aware of the energy spikes and captures Bumblebee with the help of Decepticons masquerading as peacekeepers. Finally, Optimus Prime arrives as he successfully exits Cybertron and joins Bumblebee in the battle and wins it. Later, they both observe similar escape pods entering Earth’s atmosphere.

So, now that we’ve gone through the story of the film, now we’ll find out where was Bumblebee filmed, so that you may have a significantly improved experience the next time you watch this action-drama film!

Where Was Bumblebee Filmed | Various Locations In America

The production company-Allspark Pictures along with the director, began shooting of the film towards the end of April 2017. The crew decided to choose the state of California as the main location for shooting the film for a number of reasons. You can also read about other movies that were filmed in California.

Firstly, due to the huge availability of technical assistance and studios available for specific CGI and VFX effects. Secondly, the movie being set in California itself made it easier for the team to mobilize quickly. Let’s look into those exact locations and share with you where was Bumblebee filmed.

Los Angeles | Long Beach

The opening scene, where Charlie discovers Bumblebee for the first time, when she visits a boatyard, was actually shot in the little town of San Pedro, a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles. 

The boatyard was already there in the location of filming, the production team only had to make minor adjustments suited for the scenes, where Charlie discovers the worn out yellow Volkswagen Beetle, and later receives the car as her 18th birthday gift, only to find out that it’s a friendly alien robot!

A shutdown airplane manufacturing plant near Long Beach, which was transformed into the secret government agency Sector-7, as shown in the film. It had to be strategically placed at a location where no normal civilian would have sought to travel or tread. 

Thus this place was approved for filming all the headquarters scenes where the government is shown to be conducting different scientific experiments and keeping a watch over any other sort of extraterrestrial activity. You can also  check out other movies about aliens here.

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park | Mojave Desert

The scene where Charlie finally discovers who Bumblebee actually is, and they go for a stroll in the forest was recreated in the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. 

The park is naturally abundant with tall trees and greenery was enough to give mysterious vibes. The cryptic signal from Optimus Prime which was received by Bumblebee when he was strolling in the forest and found a signaling box, was also shot here. 

However to shoot the desert scene the team had to travel to the Mojave Desert, located at the south-eastern part of California. 

The dry and arid scenes were perfect for shooting the car chase sequence, where the Decepticons encounter the humans for the first time and eventually succeed in fleeing away.

Golden Gate Bridge | San Francisco

The final scene where Charlie bid farewell to Bumblebee and sees him ride to the sunset was shot on the Golden Gate Bridge. Also scenes involving the last transformation of Bumblebee from a Volkswagen Beetle to a Chevy Camaro, as shown in the film, were set here.

The production team had to work really hard while setting up the production unit at this location due to the scarce availability of studios of top notch level.

Final Words

So, now that you’ve read the narrative of the film and know where was Bumblebee filmed, I hope you’ll give it a watch if you haven’t already. This film will truly immerse you in the highflying action sequences, witty dialogues and screenplay. And not to mention the nostalgia it brings from childhood, to make the movie out and out delightful for you. 

If you enjoyed this post, please visit Viebly to read more informative and entertaining articles about filming locations of other movies and shows. Until then, peace out!