Filming locations differ wildly with each project, meaning that a film or TV show can take place anywhere in the universe. CGI and sets are always a help, but even major franchises, like the MCU, will use practical locations to make things as real as possible. Because of this, there are iconic filming locations that fans can visit.

Countless blockbuster movies and TV shows take place in outer space, and the thought of filming something there was nothing but a pipe dream. However, one film boldly shot where no project had shot before, changing the game forever, and causing an unexpected modern race to space for another major film.

Let's take a look back at this history-making project.

Many Movies Take Place In Space

"Space: the final frontier." Immortal words from William Shatner, and words that have echoed through the corridors of pop culture for decades now. It is a place we know little about, but a place that we have utilized as the setting of some of the most fantastical works of fiction on the big and small screen.

Many of the greatest entertainment franchises have been set in space, and no matter how many times it has been done, people still can't get enough. We may never get to see the discovery of the true extent of the cosmos, but we can definitely take time to enjoy the movies and shows that take us far beyond our own world.

Man's fascination with outer space is one that stretches back eons, and it's one that will remain embedded in society permanently. As such, we can expect that great works of fiction will continue to take place somewhere beyond our sky.

A few years back, one team made history when they beat the rest of mankind to the punch and actually filmed a project in space.

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'Apogee Of Fear' Is The First Film Shot In Space

Apogee of Fear, 2018
Via filmsfatale.com

In 2012, the short film, Apogee of Fear, became the first film shot in space. The sci-fi short film broke entirely new ground, and while it was not a massive full-length film, it still managed to push the boundaries of filmmaking in a profound way.

Even though the short film was a massive achievement in its own right, NASA was not keen on it being released.

"NASA has, so far, decided that since it's filmed onboard NASA hardware and uses NASA astronauts as actors, they have resisted me releasing it publicly," said director Richard Garriott.

Eventually, NASA agreed that the project would be released, and people finally got the chance to watch a historic piece of film for the very first time. This was one heck of a moment for all involved, and for all filmmakers, it was a moment to take in something that had never been done in the history of mankind.

It seems completely crazy that anyone would try filming in space again, but Hollywood is always looking to up the ante, and you had better believe that one major action star has some huge plans in mind.

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Tom Cruise Plans To Follow Suit

In 2020, Deadline broke news that left film fans speechless. Action legend Tom Cruise wanted to venture to new heights for a major blockbuster project.

"I’m hearing that Tom Cruise and Elon Musk’s Space X are working on a project with NASA that would be the first narrative feature film – an action adventure – to be shot in outer space. It’s not a Mission: Impossible film and no studio is in the mix at this stage but look for more news as I get it. But this is real, albeit in the early stages of liftoff," the site reported.

After this news broke, reports began surfacing about a race to space between Cruise and the folks making the Russian film, The Challenge. In September, Variety reported that the Russian picture was going to beat Cruise to the punch.

"The production team received a crash course in space travel earlier this year at the Yuri Gagarin Center for Cosmonaut Training. On Thursday, a commission of medical and safety experts from the center gave the project approval to go ahead," the site reported.

Cruise's movie is still happening, but it's just a shame that he was not able to get up to space sooner.

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Apogee of Fear completely changed the game, and one has to wonder how many more films will get the chance to be made in outer space. We've officially entered a whole new era of filmmaking.

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