World Trade Center in film
This is a list of films that featured the World Trade Center (1973–2001) in New York City. Most are prior to its destruction as a result of the September 11 attacks, but some additionally feature the new World Trade Center (see One World Trade Center in popular culture for the new One World Trade Center in film).
Alphabetical and numerical
0–9
- The 10th Kingdom (2000)
- 15 Minutes (2001)
- 2:22 (2017)
- 200 Cigarettes (1999)
- 28 Days (2000)
- 29th Street (1991)
- 3 A.M. (2001)
- 30 Years to Life (2001)
- The 4th Floor (1999)
- 54 (1998)
- 9/11 (2002)
A
- Across the Sea of Time (1995)
- Adam & Steve (2005)
- Addicted to Love (1997)
- The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000)
- Aftershock: Earthquake in New York (1999)
- Alien Contamination (1980)
- All 4 the Money (2002)
- All I Want For Christmas (1991)
- All Over Me (1997)
- All the Vermeers in New York (1990)
- Alligator Eyes (1990)
- Alphabet City (1984)
- The Ambulance (1990)
- The American Friend (1977)
- American Pie 2 (2001)
- American Pop (1981)
- American Psycho (2000)
- Analyze This (1999)
- Anarchism in America (1983)
- Angie (1994)
- Antz (1998)
- Any Which Way You Can (1980)
- Arizona Dream (1993)
- Armageddon (1998)
- The Art of War (2000)
- A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
- As Good as It Gets (1997)
- The Associate (1996)
- The Astronaut's Wife (1999)
- At First Sight (1999)
- August (2008)
- Author! Author! (1982)
- Autumn in New York (2000)
- An Autumn's Tale (1987)
B
- Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
- Badge 373 (1973)
- Bait (2000)
- Barney's Version (2010)
- Basket Case (1982)
- Basketball Diaries (1995)
- Beat Street (1984)
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
- Bed of Roses (1996)
- Bedazzled (2000)
- Before Night Falls (2000)
- Being John Malkovich (1999)
- The Believers
- Best Seller (1987)
- Betsy's Wedding (1990)
- Beyond Justice (1992)
- Bicentennial Man (1999)
- The Big Blue (1988)
- Big Business (1988)
- Big Daddy (1999)
- Big Money Hustlas (2000)
- The Bitch (1979)
- Black and White (1999)
- Black Cobra (1987)
- Black Rain (1989)
- Blackout (1978)
- Bless the Child (2000)
- Bobby G. Can't Swim (1999)
- Body Rock (1984)
- Boiler Room (2000)
- The Bone Collector (1999)
- The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)
- The Book of Life (1998)
- Bookwars (2000)
- Boomerang (1992)
- Born in Flames (1983)
- Borough of Kings (2000)
- Boss of Bosses (2001)
- Bowling for Columbine (2002)
- The Box (2009)
- Boys on the Side (1995)
- Brain Damage (1988)
- Breeders (1986)
- Brewster's Millions (1985)
- Bright Lights, Big City (1988)
- Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
- The Bronx Executioner (1989)
- Bronx Warriors (1982)
- Bronx Warriors 2 (1983)
- Brooklyn Bridge (1981)
- A Brooklyn State of Mind (1997)
- Brooklyn's Finest (2009)
- The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
- The Brothers McMullen (1995)
- Brown Sugar (2002)
- Bullet (1996)
- Burning Blue (2013)
- Burnzy's Last Call (1995)
- The Butcher's Wife (1990)
- Buying the Cow (2002)
- Bye Bye Monkey (1978)
C
- Call Me (1988)
- Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
- Car 54, Where Are You? (1994)
- Casino Jack (2010)
- Cat's Eye (1985)
- Caught (1996)
- Center Stage (2000)
- Changing Lanes (2002)
- Chapter 27 (2007)
- Chasing Amy (1997)
- The Children of Times Square (1986)
- A Chorus Line (1985)
- C.H.U.D. (1984)
- Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2001)
- City Hall (1996)
- City by the Sea (2002)
- City Slickers (1991)
- Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986)
- Clockers (1995)
- Cocktail (1988)
- The Collectors (1999)
- Coming Soon (1999)
- Coming to America (1988)
- Commandments (1997)
- Communion (1989)
- Coneheads (1993)
- The Confession (1999)
- Conspiracy Theory (1997)
- Cookie (1989)
- Cop Land (1997)
- Corky Romano (2001)
- The Corruptor (1999)
- The Cowboy Way (1994)
- Coyote Ugly (2000)
- Crazy Joe (1974)
- Crazy Little Thing (2002)
- Crazy People (1990)
- Creating Rem Lezar (1989)
- Critical Condition (1987)
- Crocodile Dundee (1986)
- Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
- Crossroads (1986)
- Cruel Intentions (1999)
- Cruel Intentions 2 (2000)
- The Cruise (1998)
D
- David Searching (1997)
- A Day in Black and White (1999)
- Daybreak (1993)
- Daylight (1996)
- The Daytrippers (1996)
- DC 9/11:Time of Crisis (2003)
- Dear John (2010)
- Death by Design (1997)
- Death to Smoochy (2002)
- Death Wish (1974)
- Death Wish 3 (1985)
- Deceived (1991)
- Deep Impact (1998)
- Defiance (1980)
- Definitely, Maybe (2008)
- Delirious (1991)
- Delivering Milo (2001)
- The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)
- The Devil's Advocate (1997)
- The Devil's Own (1997)
- Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
- Diverted (2009)
- Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
- Donnie Brasco (1997)
- Don't Say a Word (2001)
- Double Platinum (1999)
- Double Take (2001)
- Down to You (2000)
- The Dream Team (1989)
- Dressed to Kill (1980)
E
- Eat and Run (1986)
- Eaten Alive (1980)
- Eddie (1996)
- Election (1999)
- Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977)
- Emanuelle Around the World (1977)
- Emanuelle in America (1976)
- Empire (2002)
- End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003)
- End of Days (1999)
- Enemy Territory (1987)
- Entrapment (1999)
- Entropy (1999)
- Eraser (1996)
- Escape From New York (1981)
- Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
- The Experts (1989)
- Exposed (1983)
- The Exterminator (1980)
- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
- Eye of the Beholder (1999)
- Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
F
- Fair Game (2010)
- Family Enforcer (1976)
- The Family Man (2000)
- Fast Food Fast Women (2000)
- Fear City (1984)
- Fever (1999)
- A Few Days in September (2006)
- Fight For Your Life (1977)
- Final Destination 3 (2006)
- Fingers (1978)
- Flight 93 (2006)
- A Fool and His Money (1989)
- Fools Rush In (1997)
- For Love of the Game (1999)
- For Love or Money (1993)
- For Pete's Sake (1974)
- For Richer or Poorer (1997)
- Forces of Nature (1999)
- Four Dogs Playing Poker (2000)
- Frankenhooker (1990)
- Frankie and Johnny (1991)
- Freejack (1992)
- The French Connection (1971)
- Fresh (1994)
- The Freshman (1990)
- Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
- Full Disclosure (2001)
- Funny About Love (1990)
- A Further Gesture (1997)
- F/X (1986)
- F/X2 (1991)
G
- The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971)
- Gangs of New York (2002)
- GasLand (2010)
- Get Well Soon (2001)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Ghostbusters II (1989)
- Girlfight (2000)
- Giving It Up (1999)
- Glitter (2001)
- The Godfather Part III (1990)
- The Godson (1998)
- Godspell (1973)
- Godzilla (1998)
- Going in Style (1979)
- Going Nomad (1998)
- Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)
- Good Advice (2001)
- Gotham (1988)
- Gotti (1996)
- Great Expectations (1998)
- Green Ice (1981)
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
- The Groove Tube (1974)
- The Gumball Rally (1976)
- Gun Shy (2000)
- The Guru (2002)
- Gypsy 83 (2001)
H
- Hackers (1995)
- Half Baked (1998)
- The Hamburg Cell (2004)
- Hangmen (1987)
- The Hard Way (1991)
- Harrison's Flowers (2000)
- Harry and Tonto (1974)
- He Got Game (1998)
- Heartbreakers (2001)
- Heavy Metal (1981)
- Hello Again (1987)
- Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
- High Wire (1984)
- Highlander (1986)
- Highlander: Endgame (2000)
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
- The Hot Rock (1972)
- The House by the Cemetery (1981)
- The House on the Edge of the Park (1980)
- Hudson Hawk (1991)
- The Hunger (1983)
I
- I, the Jury (1982)
- I Love N.Y. (1987)
- I Spit on Your Grave (1978)
- If Lucy Fell (1996)
- Igby Goes Down (2002)
- I'll Take You There (1999)
- I'm Not Rappaport (1996)
- Imagine: John Lennon (1988)
- In the Soup (1992)
- Independence Day (1996)
- The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)
- Inside Man (2006)
- Interiors (1978)
- The Intern (2000)
- Island of the Dead (2000)
- It (1990)
- It Could Happen to You (1994)
- It Might Get Loud (2008)
- It Takes Two (1995)
- It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
J
- Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001)
- Jacob's Ladder (1990)
- Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980)
- The January Man (1989)
- Jeans (1998)
- Jeffrey (1995)
- The Jerky Boys (1995)
- Jersey Girl (1992)
- Joe's Apartment (1996)
- Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
- Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)
- Jungle 2 Jungle (1997)
- Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. (1992)
- Just the Ticket (1999)
K
- Kate & Leopold (2001)
- Keeping the Faith (2000)
- The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)
- Kids (1995)
- Kill the Irishman (2011)
- Kill the Poor (2006)
- The Killing Fields (1984)
- The Killing of John Lennon (2006)
- King Kong (1976)
- The Kingdom (2007)
- Kiss Me Guido (1997)
- The Kissing Place (1990)
- Klute (1971)
- Knockaround Guys (2001)
- Knowing (2009)
- Kramer vs Kramer (1979)
- Krush Groove (1985)
- Kal Ho Nah Ho (2003)
L
- Labor Pains (2000)
- Lady Liberty (1972)
- The Last Days of Disco (1998)
- The Last Seduction (1994)
- Law and Disorder (1974)
- Laws of Gravity (1992)
- Left Behind (2000)
- Legal Eagles (1986)
- Léon: The Professional (1994)
- Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob (1973)
- Lesser Prophets (1997)
- Liberty Kid (2007)
- Lightning Over Water (1980)
- The Linguini Incident (1991)
- Lionheart (1990)
- Little Big League (1994)
- Live and Let Die (1973)
- Living Out Loud (1998)
- The Lonely Guy (1984)
- Lonely in America (1991)
- Longshot (2000)
- Longtime Companion (1990)
- Look Who's Talking (1989)
- Lookin' Italian (1998)
- Loser (2000)
- Lost in New York (1989)
- Lotto Land (1995)
- Love Affair (1994)
- Love the Hard Way (2001)
- Love Jones (1997)
- Love or Money (1990)
- Loving (1970)
- Lowball (1997)
M
- The Mad Adventures of 'Rabbi' Jacob (1973)
- Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
- Made (2001)
- Made for Each Other (1971)
- The Maid (1991)
- Man On Wire (2008)
- Manhattan (1979)
- Manhattan Baby (1982)
- The Manhattan Dating Project (2001)
- Manhattan Merengue (1995)
- Maniac (1980)
- Maniac Cop (1988)
- Maniac Cop 2 (1990)
- Maniac Cop 3 (1993)
- Mao's Last Dancer (2009)
- Marathon Man (1976)
- Married to the Mob (1988)
- Mars Attacks! (1996)
- Mary and Max (2009)
- Mary and Rhoda (2000)
- The Matrix (1999)
- Maximum Risk (1996)
- Maze (2000)
- Mazes and Monsters (1982)
- Mean Streets (1973)
- Meat Loaf: To Hell and Back (2000)
- Meet Joe Black (1998)
- Meet Prince Charming (1999)
- Memories of Me (1988)
- Men in Black (1997)
- Mercy (1995)
- Meteor (1979)
- Metropolitan (1990)
- Mickey Blue Eyes (1999)
- Mimic 2 (2001)
- The Minion (1998)
- Miracle (2004)
- Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
- The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)
- The Misadventures of Margaret (1998)
- Miss Congeniality (2000)
- Mixed Blood (1985)
- Mo' Better Blues (1990)
- Mob War (1989)
- Model Behavior (2000)
- A Modern Affair (1995)
- Modern Problems (1981)
- The Money Pit (1986)
- Money Train (1995)
- Moonstruck (1987)
- Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
- Mortal Thoughts (1991)
- Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
- A Most Deadly Family (2001)
- A Most Violent Year (2014)
- Mr. Billion (1977)
- Mr. Deeds (2002)
- Mr. Saturday Night (1992)
- Mr. Wonderful (1993)
- Munich (2005)
- My Demon Lover (1987)
- My Giant (1998)
N
- Naked in New York (1993)
- Naked States (2000)
- Naqoyqatsi (2002)
- Necropolis (1987)
- Network (1976)
- New Jack City (1991)
- A New Life (1988)
- New York (2009)
- New York Cop (1993)
- New York Nights (1984)
- The New York Ripper (1982)
- New York Stories (1989)
- Nick and Jane (1997)
- Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998)
- Night and the City (1992)
- Night Falls on Manhattan (1997)
- Night on Earth (1991)
- Night Owl (1993)
- Night Shift (1982)
- The Night We Never Met (1993)
- Nighthawks (1981)
- Nothing But Trouble (1991)
- Notorious (2009)
- Nuts (1987)
- A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell (1990)
O
- The Object of My Affection (1998)
- Old Enough (1984)
- Oldboy (2003)
- Oliver & Company (1988)
- The Omen (2006)
- On Line (2002)
- On the Run (1999)
- Once in the Life (2000)
- One Eight Seven (1997)
- One Fine Day (1996)
- One More Kiss (1999)
- One Night Stand (1997)
- One Tough Cop (1998)
- Open Season (1995)
- Operation Delta Force 3: Clear Target (1999)
- The Order (2001)
- The Other End of the Line (2008)
- Other People's Money (1991)
- Other Voices (2000)
- The Out-of-Towners (1999)
- Over the Brooklyn Bridge (1984)
- Overboard (1987)
- Oxygen (1999)
P
- Pact with the Devil (2001)
- The Paper (1994)
- Parallel Lines (2004)
- Passion of Mind (2000)
- Paternity (1981)
- Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing (1997)
- The Peacemaker (1997)
- People I Know (2002)
- A Perfect Murder (1998)
- Perfume (2001)
- Permanent Vacation (1980)
- The Phantom of the Opera (1989)
- The Photographer (2000)
- The Pickle (1993)
- Picture Perfect (1997)
- Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987)
- A Policewoman in New York (1981)
- The Pope of Greenwich Village (1987)
- Popeye Doyle (1986)
- Postal (2007)
- Power (1986)
- Pretty Woman (1990)
- Prince of Central Park (2000)
- Prizzi's Honor (1985)
- The Protector (1985)
- Protocols of Zion (2005)
- Punisher: War Zone (2008)
- Pushing Tin (1999)
Q
- Q (1982)
- Queens Logic (1991)
- Quiet Cool (1986)
R
- Rage of Angels (1983)
- Raise the Titanic (1980)
- Ready to Rumble (2000)
- The Real Blonde (1997)
- The Reflecting Pool (2008)
- Remember Me (2010)
- Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)
- Rent (2005)
- Restaurant (1998)
- Return to Paradise (1998)
- Return of Superfly (1990)
- Rhinestone (1984)
- Roadie (1980)
- Rob the Mob (2014)
- Robot Holocaust (1986)
- Rocketman (2019)
- Rollin (Air Raid Vehicle) (2000)
- Rollover (1981)
- Romeo is Bleeding (1993)
- Rooftops (1989)
- Rounders (1998)
- Rudy (1993)
- Rumble in the Bronx (1996)
- Run for Cover (1995)
- Runaway Bride (1999)
- Running (1979)
- The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978)
S
- The Saint of Fort Washington (1993)
- Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
- Sam the Man (2000)
- Saturday Night Fever (1977)
- Savage Attack (1988)
- Scent of a Woman (1992)
- Sea of Love (1989)
- Search and Destroy (1995)
- Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
- The Secret of My Success (1987)
- See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
- Senior Trip (1981)
- Sensational Cities: New York (2000)
- The Sentinel (1977)
- Serpico (1973)
- Sex and the Other Man (1995)
- Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1991)
- Shades of Gray (1992)
- Shaft (2000)
- The Shaft (2001)
- Shakedown (1988)
- Shamus (1973)
- She-Devil (1989)
- She's the One (1996)
- Sid and Nancy (1986)
- Sidewalks of New York (2001)
- The Siege (1998)
- Simply Irresistible (1999)
- Sisters (1973)
- Six Degrees of Separation (1993)
- Six Weeks (1982)
- Slaves of New York (1989)
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
- The Sleepy Time Gal (2001)
- A Slight Case of Murder (1999)
- Smoke (1995)
- Smokin' Aces 2 (2010)
- Snatch (2000)
- The Soldier (1982)
- Someone Else's America (1995)
- Someone Like You (2001)
- Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)
- Something Short of Paradise (1979)
- Something Wild (1986)
- The Song Remains the Same (1976)
- Sorority House Massacre (1986)
- Sorry, Haters (2005)
- Spike of Bensonhurst (1988)
- Spider-Man (2002)
- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- Spider-Man Strikes Back (1979)
- Splash (1984)
- Split Decisions (1988)
- The Squeeze (1987)
- Stag (1997)
- Startup.com (2001)
- State of Grace (1990)
- The Statue of Liberty (1985)
- Staying Alive (1983)
- Stella (1990)
- Stepmom (1998)
- Stir Crazy (1980)
- Stone Cold Dead (1979)
- Story of a Junkie (1987)
- Storytelling (2001)
- Straight Out of Brooklyn (1991)
- A Stranger Among Us (1992)
- The Strangers in 7A (1972)
- Strays (1997)
- Street Hunter (1990)
- Strictly Business (1991)
- Stroszek (1977)
- Stuart Little (1999)
- The Stuff (1985)
- The Substitute 2: School's Out (1998)
- The Suburbans (1999)
- Sugar Hill (1994)
- Sunday (1997)
- The Sunshine Boys (1995)
- Super Mario Bros. (1993)
- Supergirl (1984)
- Superman (1978)
- Superman II (1980)
- Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)
- Superman III (1983)
- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
- The Survivors (1983)
- Switch (1991)
T
- The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974)
- Taxi Driver (1976)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
- Tempest (1982)
- Terms of Endearment (1983)
- Terror Firmer (1999)
- That Old Feeling (1997)
- They All Laughed (1981)
- The Thing Called Love (1993)
- Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001)
- The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
- Three Days of the Condor (1975)
- Three The Hard Way (1974)
- Three of Hearts (1993)
- Tiger Cruise (2004)
- Too Scared to Scream (1985)
- Town & Country (2001)
- The Toxic Avenger (1985)
- The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989)
- The Toxic Avenger Part III (1989)
- The Walk (2015)
- Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000)
- Toys (1992)
- Trading Places (1983)
- Tribute (1980)
- Trick (1999)
- A Troll in Central Park (1994)
- Tromeo and Juliet (1996)
- True Believer (1989)
- True Blood (1989)
- Turbulence (1997)
- Turk 182 (1985)
- The Turning Point (1977)
- Two of a Kind (1983)
U
- The Ultimate Warrior (1975)
- An Unmarried Woman (1978)
- Up the Sandbox (1972)
- U.S. Marshals (1998)
- Us (2019)
- The Usual Suspects (1995)
- Unfaithful (2002)
- United 93 (2006)
V
- The Valachi Papers (1972)
- Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
- Vampire's Kiss (1989)
- Vanilla Sky (2001)
- The Velocity of Gary (1998)
- Vigilante (1983)
- Virgil Bliss (2001)
- The Visitor (2007)
W
- The Wackness (2008)
- The Waiting Game (1999)
- Waking the Dead (2000)
- The Walk (2015)
- Wall Street (1987)
- Watchmen (2009)
- We Married Margo (2000)
- We Own the Night (2007)
- Weapons of Mass Distraction (1997)
- The Wedding Banquet (1993)
- Weekend at Bernie's (1989)
- Weekend at Bernie's II (1993)
- We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993)
- West New York (1996)
- The West Side Waltz (1995)
- When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
- Whipped (2000)
- Whispers in the Dark (1992)
- White Hot (1988)
- White Water Summer (1987)
- Who's That Girl? (1987)
- Wigstock (1995)
- Willie Dynamite (1973)
- Winged Migration (2001)
- The Wiz (1978)
- Wolf (1994)
- Wolfen (1981)
- Woo (1998)
- Working Girl (1988)
- World Trade Center (2006)
- World Traveler (2001)
- Wrong is Right (1982)
X
- X-Men (2000)
- Xchange (2001)
- X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Y
- Year of the Dragon (1985)
- You Stupid Man (2002)
- Yeah Right! (2003)
Detailed appearances
Date | Title | Set in | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1970 | Loving | 1970 | The 1970 film Loving featured several scenes outside and inside of the "Lepridon Building" which was under construction. In real life, the construction site was part of the World Trade Center complex. |
1972 | The Hot Rock | 1972 | In the 1972 film The Hot Rock, a helicopter flies by the World Trade Center. The south tower is clearly seen as still being under construction in several shots.[1][2] |
1973 | Godspell | 1973 | The musical number "All for the Best" is performed by the film's cast at the top of a tower nearing completion. |
1973 | Live and Let Die | 1973 | In a shot of 'CIA Headquarters', the South Tower with its topmost floors still incomplete can be seen clearly in the background. |
1974 | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | 1974 | The World Trade Center is seen briefly through the rear window of a police car by Phil, Police Commissioner (Rudy Bond) before he goes to the mayor's house. |
1975 | Three Days of the Condor | 1975 | Three Days of the Condor has Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) offices based in the World Trade Center.[3] James Sanders characterizes the World Trade Center and its offices as depicted in the film as "a cold, anonymous, largely soulless environment...The Trade Center was not in its design a humane public place, a soulful place."[4] |
1976 | King Kong | 1976 | In this version, the final scene took place at the World Trade Center, instead of the Empire State Building where the scene took place in the original film. The change was due partially to poster campaign[5] and to acknowledge that the Twin Towers had taken the Empire State Building's place as the tallest building in the world, the reason that the Empire State Building was chosen in the first place. In addition to the exterior scenes, shots were also taken of the South Tower's lobby and inside one of the skylobby elevators. The death of King Kong was filmed using a styrofoam stand-in, which was equipped with electrical wiring, hydraulic hoses and jacks to control its movements.[6] An especially large number of residents from the nearby area arrived to take part as extras for the scene, so much so that the Port Authority feared the weight of the people would damage the plaza, and ordered the shooting of the scene to be halted. Nevertheless, the finished scene featuring a crowd numbering over 30,000 people was included in the final film. |
1977 | Bye Bye Monkey | 1977 | In Bye Bye Monkey the characters come across the carcass of King Kong from the 1976 film remake. |
1977 | Saturday Night Fever | 1977 | The film shows the towers several times: in the opening credits, when Travolta leaves, and when he comes back to Brooklyn. |
1978 | Superman | 1978 | The Twin Towers appear in a crucial scene as Superman performs one of his first rescues for the public, announcing his presence. The Twin Towers are seen in the background of the night sky as Superman turns around while flying. Later on, the Twin Towers are shown briefly as Superman takes Lois Lane on a flying tour of the city by night. |
1978 | The Wiz | 1978 | The 1978 film adaptation of the musical The Wiz uses the Twin Towers as a filming location. |
1979 | Meteor | 1979 | The Twin Towers are depicted as being destroyed when New York City is struck by a large fragment of the meteor. |
1980 | Dressed to Kill | 1980 | The characters played by Nancy Allen and Keith Gordon have a drink at Windows on the World, the restaurant on the top of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. |
1981 | Escape from New York | 1997 | In the 1981 film Escape from New York, the lead character lands a glider on the roof of the World Trade Center. The film also has a group of terrorists crash Air Force One into a different New York City building.[7] |
1982 | Mazes and Monsters | 1982 | The 1982 made-for-television movie Mazes and Monsters includes a climactic scene both inside and on the top of the South Tower, in which a character played by Tom Hanks tries to jump off when he thinks he can fly.[8][9] Extensive footage was shot in the lobby, inside the observatory elevator, and the observatory itself of the South Tower. |
1982 | Tempest | 1982 | The 1982 film Tempest, based on the Shakespeare play, features a scene with two of the main characters jogging on the seawall past the World Trade Center, and one featuring another main character exiting from a car and entering the lobby of the World Trade Center. |
1982 | Wrong Is Right | 1982 | The 1982 film Wrong Is Right features a plot by Islamic terrorists who threaten to detonate two stolen suitcase nuclear bombs in the United States while demanding that the President resign. The suitcase nukes are found at the top of the World Trade Center. |
1983 | Born in Flames | 1983 | A television transmission tower on top of the World Trade Center is destroyed by a bomb. |
1983 | Terms of Endearment | 1983 | Debra Winger gives a speech in front of the towers on a cloudy day. |
1983 | Trading Places | 1983 | The 1983 film Trading Places includes an external shot of the towers (at the plaza level) where Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy enter the COMEX commodities trading floor in 4 World Trade Center which is featured in the climax of the film.[10][11] The words "It's either kill or be killed in here" (referring to trading on the stock market) are often cut from post 9/11 showings of the film. |
1984 | Ghostbusters | 1984 | The 1984 film Ghostbusters featured several scenes where the iconic World Trade Center towers are clearly visible. |
1985 | Santa Claus: The Movie | 1985 | The 1985 film Santa Claus: The Movie; during the sequence where Santa is flying his sleigh around the skyscrapers of Manhattan on Christmas Eve, he attempts to perform a loop-the-loop up, and around the World Trade Center towers, only for one of his more timid reindeer to get vertigo and abort the stunt. |
1986 | Crocodile Dundee | 1986 | The 1986 film Crocodile Dundee; when the title character played by Paul Hogan is given a tour of New York by Linda Kozlowski, the pair visit the 'Top Of the Rock' observatory of the Rockefeller Center, and the Twin Towers are clearly visible in the background, for Mick to have his photograph taken posing towards the Manhattan skyline to send back home to his friends in Australia on a postcard. The Twin Towers appear again in an establishing shot of the night-time Manhattan sky in a scene when Mick commandeers a NYC taxicab and is heard (but not seen) shouting expletives at other motorists for "driving on the wrong side of the road". |
1986 | The Money Pit | 1986 | The Twin Towers feature prominently in the opening credits in various still shots of Manhattan (the opening shot looking uptown has clearly been shot from within one of the towers' upper floors). In a later scene shot on a rooftop running track, the towers can be seen in the immediate background – suggesting the area is either SoHo or Tribeca. |
1987 | An Autumn's Tale | 1987 | A Hong Kong romantic drama directed by Mabel Cheung, starring Chow Yun-fat, Cherie Chung, and Danny Danny Chan Bak-keung. The film features several backdrops and scenic views of the World Trade Center towers.[12] |
1987 | The Squeeze | 1987 | The poster for the 1987 Michael Keaton workplace comedy The Squeeze features Keaton sandwiched between the Twin Towers, as a hand squeezes them together. |
1987 | Wall Street | 1987 | Features the World Trade Center in numerous scenes; the opening credits have a number of sepia shots lingering on the towers. We also see the World Trade Center's PATH escalator bank. |
1988 | Bright Lights, Big City | 1988 | The towers are used at the end of the film as a symbol of hope and change. |
1988 | Crocodile Dundee II | 1988 | The towers (as well as the Statue of Liberty) are visible in the background during the opening credits scene when Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee is fishing with dynamite in New York Harbor. |
1988 | Oliver & Company | 1988 | The towers are shown for thirteen seconds (26:58-27:11) as part of the New York skyline as the scene shifts from night to morning before Oliver and the rest of Fagin's animals are shown riding through the streets of New York on the back of Fagin's scooter. |
1988 | Working Girl | 1988 | Working Girl features the Trade Center complex in its opening sequence moving from the Statue of Liberty to the Staten Island Ferry to Lower Manhattan. Advertising and promotional pieces for the film also used images of the World Trade Center heavily. The film itself is set in 7 World Trade Center.[3] |
1989 | The Dream Team | 1989 | Features Michael Keaton playing a pathological liar. He points out the Trade Center, saying, "You see those two towers? World Trade Center. I was an architect working on them. First they just wanted to build one but I said, 'Hey, fellas, we're here – What the!?, let's throw another one up'. Turned out pretty well, didn't it?" |
1989 | Ghostbusters II | 1989 | The towers are prominently featured during the citywide blackout scene, in the scene where the Statue of Liberty (animated by positive mood slime) walks across the city, and they are the buildings from which the ghost nanny Janosz Poha flies to kidnap Oscar. The towers are obscured by a ghost in the Washington Square Park arch, but their lights can be made out. The towers are also seen in a shot of the city at the end of the film. |
1989 | New York Stories | 1989 | Shows the towers in all three segments. The towers can be seen through the window of Nick Nolte's apartment. Later, Woody Allen's mother talks over the skyline. |
1990 | The Bonfire of the Vanities | 1989 | Features an opening sequence following Bruce Willis through the basement of the World Trade Center for nearly five minutes. |
1992 | Freejack | 2009 | Shows the Twin Towers standing in the year 2009. In the last scene of the movie, just before the credits start rolling, the towers are seen in the background, just to the left of the 200-story-tall "McCandless Building", which is in the future fortress of Battery Park City.[13][14] |
1992 | Home Alone 2: Lost in New York | Winter 1991 | Home Alone 2: Lost in New York features the World Trade Center complex after Kevin McCallister realizes he's all alone in New York, he catches a taxi and arrives at the plaza and goes up to the observation deck of the South Tower.
|
1993 | Super Mario Bros. | 1993 | The Twin Towers become the "Koopa Towers" in the film's parallel dimension, which is a dinosaur-laden Manhattan run by antagonist King Koopa (Dennis Hopper). The North Tower features a sharpened top while the South Tower is unfinished and much shorter with a jagged top. Both are adorned with Koopa's signature "K" symbol. The towers briefly replace the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan when the two worlds are merged for a short time. |
1993 | We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story | 1993 | When the dinosaurs first arrive to New York City via the old Staten Island Ferry terminal they are shocked by how tall the Twin Towers are. One of the dinosaurs falls back into the East River. The towers are later seen several times throughout the film, sometimes portrayed as being side by side, other times with one tower being rotated at an angle. |
1996 | Joe's Apartment | 1996 | The film shows several scenic views of the towers. |
1996 | Independence Day | 1996 | In the 1996 movie Independence Day, the Trade Center appears several times in the New York skyline, as a large alien ship arrives over the city. They are the tallest remnants of a ruined New York in a later shot with a toppled Statue of Liberty in the foreground.[10] |
1997 | The Devil's Own | 1997 | The scene when Rory Delaney and Tom cross the bridge and looks across the water and says, "That's it isn't it?", referring to the Twin Towers. |
1997 | Jungle 2 Jungle | 1997 | The World Trade Center can be seen near the beginning of the film Jungle 2 Jungle. Tim Allen's character is shown walking out revolving doors. The scene then changes to an upwards shot of both towers while Allen's character continues with his dialogue. The camera then pans down towards the front of the complex while the main speaking characters continue to walk off screen. |
1997 | Men in Black | 1997 | Shows the Twin Towers in the background of the scene on the turnpike where the agents intercept a fleeing extraterrestrial family (one of whom gives birth). The finale of its 2002 sequel, Men in Black II, was set to take place atop one of the WTC buildings. Due to the fate of the towers, this was modified prior to release. The original ending can be seen on the DVD release as the "alternate ending". |
1997 | Picture Perfect | 1997 | A scene where Kate (Jennifer Aniston) and Darcy (Illeana Douglas) are sunbathing on the rooftop, the Twin Towers are seen from afar. |
1997 | Path to Paradise | 1993 | The made-for-television film Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing chronicled the events leading up to and shortly after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. |
1998 | Aftershock: Earthquake in New York | 1998 | A TV reporter is reporting the damage from a news chopper; the Twin Towers had a few small fires, and the reporter said "They look good. They're both still standing." They also appear in the ending behind the Statue of Liberty, which was under reconstruction. |
1998 | Godzilla | 1998 | After Godzilla appears in New York for the first time, a news reporter states that the Kaiju's attack on the city was the 'worst thing to happen to the city since the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing'. When the military arrives, the WTC features prominently in a long shot showing hundreds of military planes and helicopters entering the city, with a few of the planes flying between WTC 1 and 2. Godzilla does not seem to damage the two buildings though. |
1998 | Armageddon | 1998 | Depicts the Twin Towers (along with many other famous landmarks) severely damaged after New York City was struck by a meteor shower. At first during a normal day in New York, the Twin Towers are shown in the background. Later, a meteor shower hits New York City in the beginning in the movie. The Twin Towers are shown three times during the meteor shower. The first appearance was a low point of view from between the towers looking up as large meteors pass over the towers. The second appearance is when the New York Financial District is shown as meteors passed by, one hitting the South Tower. The third appearance is New York City after the meteor shower. The North Tower had a hole on its north side of the tower while the top of the South Tower had been partially destroyed and was on fire. As a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the scene showing the towers getting hit and being on fire were cut when the movie aired on ABC in April 2002.[10] |
1998 | The Cruise | 1998 | Bus tour guide Speed Levitch suggests to a tourist that she stand in the plaza between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and spin around in circles, then look up and experience the illusion of the towers toppling down on her. In a scene later in the film, Speed appears in the plaza of the World Trade Center, performing this very act. |
1998 | Deep Impact | 1998-1999 | A comet hits the earth, causing a megatsunami that hits the east coast. As the tsunami strikes New York, the Twin Towers are shown as the wave engulfs them. At the end of the tsunami scene the water recedes, and the Twin Towers can be seen poking out of the water with the South Tower toppled onto the North Tower, and the North Tower's antenna has been washed off. |
1998 | Jeans | 1998 | The site appears in the Tamil film, Jeans, with the lead pair, Prashanth and Aishwarya Rai, dancing inside the tower and in areas surrounding the tower. |
1999 | Bicentennial Man | 2005 and later | The future New York shows the World Trade Center expanded to three times its actual height, with two skybridges added between the towers.[15] |
1999 | The Matrix | 2199 | Morpheus describes where Neo has gone by entering him into the Matrix system. He shows a scene from New York in a Matrix TV including the World Trade Center 200 years in the past, through to what the towers looked like 200 years later. The towers lost a heavy amount of concrete like most New York buildings, but they were still both standing. |
1999 | Trick | 1999 | Revolves around two gay men trying to find a place to have sex and who fall in love. Near the end of the movie, an establishing morning shot is shown centered on the Twin Towers in the early morning, and in the final scene a pan out moves from the main character to the Twin Towers and a portion of 7 World Trade Center from Greenwich Village. |
2001 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | 2142–4142 | In the 2001 Steven Spielberg film A.I. Artificial Intelligence, the towers were shown standing in the year 2142 where global warming has flooded many cities, including New York City. Then, they are seen again, in the year 4142, many years after humanity has ceased to exist, this time covered in glacial ice, but were one of the few buildings standing above the ice. Less than three months after the release, the towers were destroyed in the September 11 terrorist attacks. Although risking controversy and criticism, Steven Spielberg left the towers in the DVD release.[3] The towers are in the Blu-ray release as well. |
2002 | Spider-Man | 2001 | After the September 11 attacks, Sony recalled teaser posters which showed a close-up of Spider-Man's face with the New York skyline (including, prominently, the World Trade Center towers) reflected in his eyes. Not all of the posters were recovered, however, and the ones still at large are now highly prized collector's items. The towers are seen in the movie, even reflected in Spider-Man's eyes. Marvel and Sony decided not to remove them digitally. The movie's original trailer, released in 2001, featured a group of bank robbers on their getaway in a helicopter, which Spider-Man catches in a giant spider-web between the two towers of the World Trade Center. The trailer was pulled after 9/11, but it can be found on the Internet.[16] |
2002 | People I Know | 2001 | Premiered on October 11, 2002 and May 16, 2003. It was originally set for release in 2001, this movie was delayed until early 2003. It contained several shots of the World Trade Center that were removed. But they can be found on DVD. However, the towers can be seen in the bottom (also in the reflection of the taxi back window) where Eli Wurman comes out the taxi and it was never removed digitally. |
2001 | Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV | 2001 | In November 2001, this film premiered in New York City. During the months after September 11, nearly all movies made in New York had the towers removed either by editing the footage out or digitally removing them from the frame. Lloyd Kaufman relates in his book Make Your Own Damn Movie! that he felt audiences would be able to see the Twin Towers in film without being distressed. The opening narration features the Twin Towers prominently and it is reported that the audience cheered.[17] |
2001 | Vanilla Sky | 2151 | Premiered on December 14, 2001. The end segments feature the Twin Towers still standing in the panoramic city background. This is plausible as the ending scene to this is created from the lead character's memory. If he remembers the Twin Towers to still be standing, then they would still appear in the skyline. |
2002 | Gangs of New York | 2001 | Featured an ending sequence showing the city's skyline slowly progressing to its modern form. The final shot featured the World Trade Center restored to the skyline using computer-generated imagery. This scene also included a voice-over by one of the characters, who said, (to paraphrase) "those who lived in those times would never forget what it was like". Martin Scorsese chose to show the towers rather than remove them because the movie is supposed to be about the people who built New York, not those who tried to destroy it. |
2002 | Igby Goes Down | 2001 | Premiered September 13, 2002. One of the last films to show the Twin Towers. Establishing shots with the towers in prominent view were removed intentionally. Remaining in the final cut of the film are two brief, street-level shots from SoHo showing part of one tower in the background. |
2002 | You Stupid Man | 2001 | Premiered on October 18, 2002. In the opening credits there is a night time shot that pans the Lower Manhattan skyline which focuses on the two towers. There is also a scene with the towers as the backdrop around thirty minutes in and there is the 'standard' shot across the Brooklyn Bridge near the end of the film. |
2002 | 25th Hour | 2002 | Directly incorporates the ruins of the Twin Towers. The opening credits are shown over views of the Tribute in Light, and one scene takes place at the apartment of Frank Slaughtery, which overlooks the site. |
2002 | Stairwell: Trapped in the World Trade Center | September 11, 2001 | This first 9/11 dramatization showed a number of different shots of the towers. The footage was shot in 1999 and was originally going to be used in a movie about the 1993 bombing. That movie, titled Hellevator, was shelved after the September 11 attacks. |
2004 | Miracle | 1979–1980 | Set in 1979 and 1980, the film features a digitally re-inserted shot of the towers just prior to the United States national hockey team's exhibition game against the Soviet Union at Madison Square Garden. The buildings of the World Financial Center, which would not be built for several years, are also included in the shot. |
2005 | Munich | 1973 | A period film ending in 1973. Despite the movie ending in 1973, several post-1980s skyscrapers are seen in the skyline. |
2008 | Man on Wire | 1974 | Man on Wire is a documentary film that chronicles Philippe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Despite being made in 2008, it makes no reference to the towers' destruction. |
2006 | United 93 | September 11, 2001 | In the film's poster, the Twin Towers can be seen just under the Statue of Liberty's crown. The North Tower is on fire and a plane, United Airlines Flight 175, is heading towards the South Tower. In the film itself, the towers are the last glimpse of Manhattan caught by the passengers (most notably hijacker Ziad Jarrah, played by Khalid Abdalla), through a plane window as the flight departs Newark International Airport. While the intact complex was digitally re-inserted into the skyline, its destruction was shown through actual news footage. |
2006 | World Trade Center | September 11, 2001 | Oliver Stone directed World Trade Center (released on August 9, 2006), the first feature-length film about the attacks on the Twin Towers. It stars Nicolas Cage as Port Authority Police officer John McLoughlin, one of the first men called to the scene of the 9/11 attacks. Although it was the second film about the September 11th attacks to be released to theaters (following United 93), it is the first dramatic non-documentary film based on 9/11. |
2007 | The Kingdom | 2003 | The opening sequence revolves around the history of U.S. involvement in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A map shows America as the number one oil consumer in 2000. A bar graph rises and soon turns into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, with United Airlines Flight 175 heading towards it. A quick cut shows Manhattan with the World Trade Center site on fire. |
2008 | August | August 2001 | Tom Sterling fights to keep his start-up company afloat on Wall Street during summer 2001, a month before the 9/11 terrorist attacks which will decline the financial district. Around the end of the movie, Tom and his associates meet in a building of Manhattan a company which wants to invest. We can see the Twin Towers behind Tom when he is sitting in the waiting room. The towers are also briefly seen at the beginning of the film when Tom drives to work, and were featured on one of the film's posters. |
2008 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | 2005, Flashback: Before September 11, 2001 | In a flashback, when Alex first came to the zoo as a cub, the skyline of New York is seen, showing the Twin Towers, which means he came before or during 2001, just before September 11. |
2009 | New York | 2008 | In the movie, the story is based on a former situation after the destruction of World Trade Center as a result of the September 11 attacks.[18] |
2009 | Watchmen | 1985 | The World Trade Center is present in New York, as the story is set in an alternate 1985. Both towers are shown several times inserted back into the skyline and even shown surviving a nuclear blast in New York City. The antenna is consistently depicted mounted on Two World Trade Center (the south tower), whereas in reality it was present on One World Trade Center (the north tower). However, as the story is set in an alternate history, this may have been deliberate. |
2010 | Remember Me | September 11, 2001 | Takes place in New York City in 2001. The date the movie is set is not initially revealed. Viewers are told there has been a ten-year lapse since the murder of Ally Craig's mother in 1991. As Tyler Hawkins makes his way downtown to visit his father's office, a reflection of the World Trade Center's facade can be briefly seen on a neighboring building. Once in the office, a pan-out reveals that he is on the 101st floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. |
2014 | A Most Violent Year | 1981 | When Abel Morales is turning Julian over to the police, the towers can be seen (though blurred) through the back window of Abel's car. |
2015 | The Walk | 1974 | The Twin Towers are shown extensively throughout the film, as its subject matter is Philippe Petit's famous high-wire walk between the two towers. |
2017 | 2:22 | 1986 | The Twin Towers are briefly seen at the beginning of the movie in a scene set in 1986. |
2019 | A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | 1998 | The Twin Towers appear in the New York skyline set in 1998. |
Notable movie posters
- Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) - In the American theatrical poster it shows Godzilla and Megalon fighting on top of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The movie contained no scenes set in New York City, or in the United States in general, and only served to copy the 1976 King Kong remake's poster.
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) - The Twin Towers can be seen in the logo.
- King Kong (1976) - Kong is shown atop the Twin Towers with one foot on each tower, grasping a burning fighter plane as other planes attack.
- Manhattan (1979) - Both towers make up the two legs of the "H" of the title "MANHATTAN".
- New York Stories (1989) - The poster shows a small apartment building with various people in each window, behind is the title and only the Twin Towers. They were removed in the 2003 DVD release.
- Sidewalks of New York (2001) - The poster showed the World Trade Center in the background; the poster had to be changed, delaying the movie's release.
- Spider-Man (2002) - Seen in Spider-Man's eyes in the pre-9/11 teaser poster. The poster is still at large, and now is a highly prized collector's item.
- Splash (1984) - Seen in the background of the original poster. In the 2004 anniversary edition, it is changed to a view of the Empire State Building.
- The Manhattan Dating Project (2001) - Seen throughout the film in the background and on the original poster. Later it has been replaced by the Singer Sha Sabi posing in front of a Limousine and the Empire State Building.
- The Squeeze (1987) - The main character is actually being "squeezed" in between the two towers with a large hand.
- Superman II (1980) - Both versions of the poster include the World Trade Center with the New York City skyline on fire, or in this case Metropolis.
- Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992) - The Twin Towers can be seen in the background of the theatrical release poster.
- Antz (1998)- The Twin Towers are seen in the bottom right corner of the poster. They also are on the VHS poster.
References
- "The Hot Rock". DVD Verdict Review. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- https://www.mediaite.com/online/wonderful-montage-shows-nearly-every-film-appearance-of-the-twin-towers/
- Mandell, Jonathan. "New York and Films". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- Wartofsky, Alona (January 27, 2002). "On-Screen, a City of Towering Achievement; Architect Explores New York's Stirring Roles". The Washington Post.
- "King Kong movie news and rumors". Kong is King.net. Retrieved 2013-03-28.
- "The King Leaks". Time Magazine. August 30, 1976.
- Berardinelli, James. "Review: Escape from New York". Reelviews. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
- O'Connor, John J. (December 28, 1982). "TV: 'Mazes and Monsters'". The New York Times.
- Jaffe, Rona. "Mazes & Monsters". RPGnet.
- Gordon, William A. (1995). Shot on This Site: A Travelers Guide to the Places and Locations Used to Film Famous Movies. Citadel Press. p. 207.
- Roeper, Richard (September 23, 2001). "When trading movies' places falls". Chicago Sun Times.
- "An Autumn's Tale", @7:41
- Brenner, Paul. "Freejack". Allmovie.
- O'Ehley, James. "Freejack". The Sci-Fi Movie Page.
- http://wtcinmovies.tripod.com/future.html#
- KJB (2001-09-13). "Sony Pulls Spider-Man Teaser Trailer & Poster". IGN. Archived from the original on 2012-02-09. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
- ToxicAvenger.com
- Aditya Chopra. Bollywood Movie New York. Yash Raj Films.
External links
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