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The Basque Country has most recently received recognition from American television enthusiasts with the last season of Game of Thrones being filmed in certain locations around Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa.

But did you know there have been many other American productions filmed in the Basque Country over the years?

Here’s a rundown of the most famous ones. Maybe you’ve seen some of them?

 

1. The Bachelorette (2017)

Okay okay okay, The Bachelorette isn’t a movie, but it’s a big fish on American television.

(Do you know about the Basque contestant on this season’s Bachelorette? Read all about it!)

Banking off of the popularity of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe as the filming location for Dragonstone in Season 7 of Game of Thrones, The Bachelorette’s 13th season paid a visit to the impressive hermitage off the coast of Bizkaia.

Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay had a date with Eric Bigger at the location just one month after Game of Thrones finished shooting there in 2017. They helicoptered in from La Rioja, just south of the Basque province of Araba.

The Bachelorette and her date rang the bell of the hermitage three times and made a wish together, in keeping with local tradition.

Despite the cuteness of their date, Rachel didn’t end up with this guy.

You can watch the Basque Country episode of The Bachelorette here.

 

2. Jupiter Ascending (2015)

A futuristic space opera starring big names Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Sean Bean, and Eddie Redmayne from the creators of The Matrix franchise, the Wachowskis. You’d think with such big names attached to the film that I would have heard of it!

Despite the star power of the cast and the past success of the creators, Jupiter Ascending was a box office flop and is little remembered outside of science fiction fandoms.

The stunning visual world of the film, its greatest strength according to critics, is based on the Basque city of Bilbao. You can see how much of the city was transformed to mirror the design of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum.

Watch the trailer:

You can watch the full movie here.

 

3. The Counselor (2013)

Directed by Ridley Scott with a screenplay by award-winning writer Cormac McCarthy, The Counselor was another film that promised so much and delivered little.

Ridley Scott blamed the studio for the box office bomb, criticizing their marketing campaign, but I can tell you that this is just a terrible movie.

I saw it in theater with my friend, knowing nothing about it other than its rockstar cast: Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, and Brad Pitt!

We both walked out of there vowing it would be the last time we paid for a movie based on the caliber of the actors alone. Not even such talented actors could make something of this dumpster fire.

With that said, it just might be worth a revisit after learning that some of the film was shot on location Bardenas Reales Natural Park in southern Nafarroa. The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is used as a stand-in for the border between the US and Mexico. If you’re familiar with the area, you may be able to recognize the Cabezo de las Cortinillas in the background of many scenes.

Watch trailer: 

You can watch the full movie here.

 

 

4. The Way (2010)

Beginning in Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port and following along the Camino Francés over the Pyrenees and through Pamplona, The Way shows many sights of the Basque Country in the beginning of the film.

The Way is a bit of a father-son affair: written, directed, and produced by Emilio Estevez and starring his father Martin Sheen.

The story follows a grieving father along the Camino de Santiago after the death of his son in a storm while attempting the historic pilgrimage. Initially going to Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port to collect his son’s remains, the protagonist embarks on the pilgrimage in his son’s honor.

Locations you’ll find in the film:

• Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port, featuring the train station and the Hotel Continental
• Albergue La Posada in Roncesvalles/Orreaga, Nafarroa
• Hotel Akerreta in Akerreta, Naffaroa
• Aoiz, just below the Itoiz reservoir
• Mesón del Caballo Blanco restaurant in Pamplona
• Alto del Perdón
• Santa Maria de Eunate
• Monastery of Irache

[Source: Camino Fácil]

The Way has become a bit of a cult classic among pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago.

When I walked the Camino in the fall of 2017, a full 7 years after The Way came out, so many people I encountered along the way referenced the film and its scenes, even quoting dialogue. Endless discussions were had about how accurate the film was or if anyone had had similar experiences to those of Martin Sheen’s character in the movie.

I had seen the movie years before but didn’t remember a thing about it. I didn’t get the memo that it was required viewing and memorization for Anglophone pilgrims along the Camino!

So take note, if you’re undertaking the Camino, it might be worth checking out this movie before you go.

Watch the trailer:

You can watch the full movie here.

 

5. The World Is Not Enough (1999)

That’s right, James Bond was in the Basque Country!

The 19th Bond film and third starring Pierce Brosnan shot a few scenes in Bilbao. You can spot the Guggenheim Museum and Jeff Koons’ Puppy in the pre-title scenes right at the beginning of the movie.

Need I say more?

Watch the intro to the movie shot in Bilbao:

You can watch the full movie here.

 

6. Robin and Marian (1976)

Heading back a little further in time, we have Robin and Marian, a Robin Hood movie starring Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn. The film marked Hepburn’s return to acting after an eight year hiatus.

The Urbasa mountains and Orgi forest of northwestern Nafarroa served as a backdrop for several scenes, but it is the town of Artajona just south of Pamplona that stands out the most.

In Artajona, the 11th century fortress called El Cerco hosts a sword fight in which Sean Connery shows off his skills, ending with Audrey Hepburn driving them both away from the danger in a carriage.

You can see the Basque countryside in the background of this scene:

You can watch the full movie here.

 

7. Papillon (1973)

Recently redone in 2017, the original 1973 hit film starred Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.

Based on the 1969 autobiography of French convict Henri Charrière, the movie follows the attempts of Charrière, known as Papillon, to escape from prisons and labor camps in French Guiana after being wrongfully convicted of murder.

Town scenes at the beginning of the film were shot in Hondarribia, Gipuzkoa, where Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman spent nearly a week filming.

Watch the trailer: 

You can watch the full movie here.

 

8. Patton (1970)

This next movie was directed by the same director as Papillon, Franklin J. Schaffner. Think his experience shooting in the Basque Country for Patton inspired him to return?

Either way, it’s only fitting to begin this description of Patton with its director, as he won the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on this movie.

This epic war movie follows the experiences of US General George S. Patton (played by George C. Scott) during World War II, with a screenplay written by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North based on this Patton biography. The duo won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for this one.

Overall, Patton was a huge success, winning a total of 7 Oscars (including Best Picture), 1 Golden Globe, and 1 BAFTA.

It even ranks #29 on Spike Lee’s 95 Essential Films List.

Several battle scenes of Patton were shot in Urbasa Andia Natural Park in Nafarroa.

Watch the trailer:

You can watch the full movie here.

 

9. The Sun Also Rises (1957)

Of course, last but not least, the story that brought San Fermin and Pamplona to the attention of American audiences.

Based on Ernest Hemingway’s novel of the same name, this film adaption of The Sun Also Rises stars Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Mel Ferrer and Errol Flynn.

Most of the movie was shot in Michoacan, Mexico, but some scenes were shot in Biarritz.

Perhaps someone who has actually seen the movie (and recently enough to remember it!) could tell me if any of it was actually shot in Pamplona. Some sources cite that it was, while Wikipedia states that they were unable to film in Pamplona because the trees weren’t in foliage (is that even a real thing?).

Nonetheless, perhaps the most interesting thing about this movie is the fact that Ernest Hemingway hated it. He walked out after the first twenty minutes. He said in an interview:

I saw as much of Darryl Zanuck’s [producer] splashy Cook’s tour of Europe’s lost generation bistros, bullfights, and more bistros… It’s pretty disappointing and that’s being gracious. Most of my story was set in Pamplona so they shot the film in Mexico. You’re meant to be in Spain and all you see walking around are nothing but Mexicans… It looked pretty silly. The bulls were mighty small for a start, and it looked like they had big horns on them for the day. I guess the best thing about the film was Errol Flynn.

You can watch the full movie here.

 

Bonus Video

So there you have it!

And for good measure, let me just remind you that this 1998 music video by Jermaine Dupri featuring Mariah Carey was shot in and around the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao soon after it opened:

(That Guggenheim really is popular, isn’t it?)

 

Do you know of any other movies filmed in the Basque Country? Tell us about them in the comments!