Top 10 Times Movies Recycled Props And Sets
#10: A Jet From “True Lies” (1994)
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“The Avengers” (2012) Who said a jet couldn’t be wrecked multiple times? A 1994 Harrier Jump Jet was originally constructed for use in the Arnold Schwarzenegger action classic “True Lies.” The aerial vehicle saw plenty of use during that film’s climax. It was dusted off and brought back to screen nearly twenty years later for “The Avengers”. In the iconic superhero film, both Hulk and Thor damage it during the “Battle of New York” sequence. Today, the pieces of that original jet live on in the Volo Auto Museum in Illinois. Thanks to the hard work of the museum staff, the jet has been restored and bears insignias from both films.
#9: The Submarine From “Das Boot” (1981)
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“Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) Exterior shots are important for establishing a setting, the scene’s mood and informing audiences where the characters are before interior shots further flesh out that information. Movies like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” wowed us again and again with great exterior shots. During this classic adventure film, we get an imposing look at the outside of a submarine. Surprisingly, the budget made it tricky for director Steven Spielberg to get access to a submarine at first. This prompted him to ask the crew behind the action/drama “Das Boot” to borrow their sub. They agreed, and the rest was a little bit of film history trivia!
#8: Swords From “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” (2004)
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“Sin City” (2005) It pays to have friends in high places, especially in Hollywood. Case in point? Robert Rodriguez, who looked to his colleague Quentin Tarantino for some assistance when shooting “Sin City.” Not only did the mind behind “Pulp Fiction” direct the memorable pits scene, but he also lent his friend a very important set of props. The swords that Devon Aoki’s Miho wields in “Sin City” came from “Kill Bill Volume 1”. They reportedly belonged to members of the latter film’s “The Crazy 88” gang. In an effort to further connect the films, Tarantino said that within the world of “Sin City”, Miho’s swords were made by “Kill Bill’s” legendary swordsmith Hattori Hanzō.
#7: Fox Plaza From “Die Hard” (1988)
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Multiple Hollywood Projects While many sets are built specifically for a film, there’s occasions where a specific location has so much character that multiple movies want to shoot there. Fox Plaza is one of those legendary sites. The lobby of this Los Angeles skyscraper served as the entry point for “Die Hard”’s iconic Nakatomi Plaza back in 1988. Fox Plaza would later double as the KPPX radio station in 1994’s “Airheads”. And in the same year, it made a memorable cameo in the opening to “Speed.” Even Detective Jake Peralta geeks out at the building during an episode of “Brooklyn 99!”
#6: Sets From “Dark City” (1998)
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“The Matrix” (1999) Many film fans have mused about how “The Matrix”seems to be both stylistically and thematically similar to a similar movie that was released a year earlier, “Dark City.” Both films have dark neo-noir settings and have characters question the nature of their respective realities. However, the similarities actually go even further than that. “The Matrix'' actually recycled physical sets like staircases from “Dark City.” The rooftop Trinity famously jumped off scene also appears in “Dark City”. Given all the similarities between the films, is there any chance the two universes could crossover in the future?
#5: Parts of the Set From “King Kong” (1933)
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“Gone with the Wind” (1939) The “Burning of Atlanta” scene in “Gone with the Wind” was a pivotal one for this 1939 classic. This sequence demanded a lot of moving parts, skill and hard work to execute. Did you know that the scene also did a little housekeeping for the storage crew over at MGM? It turns out old movie sets were set ablaze during the sequence. The large gates that appeared in the iconic 1933 monster movie “King Kong.” were included in the burning wreck. We're not sure if burning parts of iconic sets for the sake of another movie is worth it. However, we have to admit that the end results sure looked epic on screen.
#4: Acton Lane Power Station From “Aliens” (1986)
“Batman” (1989) They say one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, but does that also apply to movie locations? We’ll allow it, because Acton Lane Power Station gave us interior shots for not one but two classic films. After the defunct London coal station closed in 1983, James Cameron saw it as the perfect place to turn into an alien lair for his 1986 action classic “Aliens.” The Power Station returned again for the interior shots of Axis Chemicals. This fictional location is well-known for being the spot where one Jack Napier would transform into the Joker.
#3: Los Angeles Fire Station No. 23 From the "Ghostbusters" franchise (1984-)
Multiple Hollywood Projects We just love it when cool looking buildings like Los Angeles’ Fire Station No. 23 get a brand new lease on life up on the big screen. The real-life location was once known as the “Taj Mahal” of fire houses due to its bougie décor and layout. After Fire Station No. 23 was officially closed in 1960, it was used as a filming location for a little movie called “Ghostbusters.” While its appearance in that franchise is its best-known role, the lobby was actually reused years later in “The Mask.” Beyond that, Fire Station No. 23 has also appeared in “Flatliners” and that most decorated of law enforcement comedies, “Police Academy 2!”
#2: The PKE Meter Prop From the "Ghostbusters" franchise (1984-)
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Multiple Hollywood Projects Speaking of “Ghostbusters,” there’s just something iconic about the PKE Meter design…so much so that it was actually reused in other movies! John Carpenter’s brilliant action/satire “They Live” was the first to reuse the PKE in 1988 during that film’s climax. “Suburban Commando” followed that example in 1991 when the meter showed up as a tracking device. Hey, we can’t blame other movies and shows for wanting to get in on that cool PKE design. But we just hope the Ghostbusters got a little financial kickback after people borrowed their designs. Before we name our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions! Spaceship Props from “The War of the Worlds” (1953) They Took Flight Again in “Robinson Crusoe on Mars” (1964) The Paris Opera House from “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925) We Weren’t Expecting That Iconic Location to Appear in “The Muppets” (2011) The Parkwood Estate It’s Appeared in Everything From “Billy Madison” (1995) to “X-Men” (2000) Armor From “Starship Troopers” (1997) The Equipment Has Supposedly Appeared in the “Firefly” TV Show & 2001’s “Planet of the Apes” The Quality Cafe A Popular Meeting Place in “Se7en,” (1995) “Training Day” (2001) & Many More Movies
#1: Multiple Laboratory Items From “Frankenstein” (1931)
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“Young Frankenstein” (1978) If you’re gonna do a tribute, why not go all out? The team behind Mel Brooks’ classic comedy ‘Young Frankenstein” did when they sought out Kenneth Strickfaden, the original prop and set designer from “Frankenstein.”. He was able to supply Brooks with tons of props from the original laboratory set that appeared in 1931’s “Frankenstein”. The end results go a long way to making the Mel Brooks movie feel more authentic and helped it capture the mood of the original. After all, “Young Frankenstein” is more than just a parody. It's an ode to the classic monster movie genre that contains real items from horror history.