Where Was The Terminator Filmed? Checkout The Astounding Locations Here!!

If you were scouring the internet, searching where was The Terminator filmed, then you can stop looking further, as you’ve come to the right place. Follow this article to know all about the blockbuster action film, The Terminator, and also find out about its mesmerizing filming locations.

The American sci-fi movie, The Terminator was released in the summer of 1984. This intense action film was directed by James Cameron, who also contributed to the screenplay, along with other screenwriters. The Terminator was the first installment of the Terminator Franchise, which would go on to become super popular amongst audiences of all age groups.

The basic premise of The Terminator revolves around the character of Cyborg, who gets sent back in time to find and kill Sarah Connor. However, the plot thickens when Sarah somehow manages to survive the assassination attempt and retaliates back.

The makers of The Terminator were satisfied with the decent collection of the movie. This action thriller film, grossed over $85 million at the box office, against a nominal budget. The critics and audiences too reviewed the overall story of the movie positively.

Now, before I give you an overview of this film, let’s explore where was The Terminator filmed. So that you analyze the filming locations of this gripping film up close.

Where Was The Terminator Filmed? Let’s Know This Sci Fi Flick Closely!

As mentioned before, James Cameron made a considerable amount of contribution to the screenplay of The Terminator. Thus, after James finished editing the script, he began looking for potential filming locations in America.

The director wanted a dry and arid background for his film, so initially, James asked the production members to scout shooting locations in and around the state of Texas. But, the locations which were presented to the director didn’t motivate him to shoot there.

The scouting went on for several weeks, and eventually, the director thought of arranging a special team. Cameron then briefed the members to scout for locations around the West Coast. 

Finally, a number of locations in California were selected and Cameron agreed to film there. Important to mention that, the majority of the filming took place in the city of Los Angeles. While some minor sequences of the movie were also filmed in Pasadena and Burbank.

The principal photography commenced in the third week of March 1984 and was completed by the end of May, of the same year. The filming schedule remained unchanged for the most part, as the required logistics were pre-arranged by the production members.

So, without waiting any longer, let’s have a detailed discussion about where was The Terminator filmed and find out more about the specific shooting spots.

Los Angeles, California | USA

The opening sequence of the movie, where we see the exterior shots of Sarah Connor’s apartment, was actually filmed in Los Angeles. The production members arranged a medium-sized apartment located at 420 Lafayette Park Place and used it to shoot the interior sequences of the female lead’s home. 

No major changes were made to the overall setting of the apartment, as Cameron wanted to portray a minimalistic look. 

The production members then moved to a location near Observatory Rd. to capture a pivotal sequence of the film. The Griffith Observatory located at 2800 E Observatory Rd, was used to film the scenes of the terminator’s arrival from the future.

Other important sequences of the movie were filmed near Hope Street and Victory Boulevard. The production members had to take special shooting permission from the Department of Water and Power, before filming the interior scenes there. 

The sequence where Kyle and Sarah are shown to take refuge inside a basement was filmed inside a building located at 214 West 7th St, Los Angeles. The production members then wrapped the shooting process in L.A. and moved to the next filming location.

Other Filming Locations, California | USA

After the majority of the shooting was completed in and around the city of Los Angeles, Cameron wanted to capture a few other significant sequences in other parts of California. 

The scene featuring Big Jeff’s Restaurant in the movie was actually filmed inside Carrows Restaurant located at 815 Fremont Ave, South Pasadena. The sequences depicting West Highlands Police Station in the movie were filmed inside a vacant commercial building located at 6000 S Boyle Avenue, Vernon.

Filming continued till the end of November 1984, around various places in California. The team then wrapped the entire shooting process and began working on the promotion of the film.

Alright friends, now let’s discuss the plot of The Terminator in brief so that you can get a fair idea about the storyline of this film. Meanwhile, you can check out Dante’s Peak, Black Adam and DC League of Super-pets locations as well.

Plot Of The Terminator | What’s It About

The story of The Terminator revolves around the characters of Sarah Connor, a middle-aged American woman, and Cyborg who gets sent back in time from the future to kill her. At the beginning of the film, the female and her husband Kyle Reese are shown to live a normal life, just like any other family.

But, the story takes a sharp turn, when Sarah’s husband finds out about the arrival of a cyborg, whose primary mission is to kill his family. Kyle warns his wife about the dream, but Sarah quickly brushes it off, without paying any special attention. However, when the killer robot actually arrives from the future, Sarah realizes her husband was right all along.

Watch The Terminator to witness the story of Sarah’s survival against a Cybernet robot.

Final Words

Ok friends, so now that we’ve reached the end, I hope now you finally know where was The Terminator filmed. If you enjoyed the read, don’t forget to mention it in the comments section below. If you’d like us to cover any other title, you can mention that as well, we’d definitely get that sorted for you.