HistoryGuesser Daily · September 26, 2026 · 1926 – 2012
Enormous physical construction and daring practical engineering define these massive outdoor film productions, capturing breathtaking stunts, chaotic clashes, and sprawling immersive sets entirely on location.
The scenes are shown below — tap a card to reveal its place and year.
Round 1 · 1999
Building the Gladiator Colosseum Set
Kalkara, Malta
Ridley Scott's crew spent months building a massive 52-foot-high, one-third scale replica of the Roman Colosseum inside a historic 17th-century Maltese fortress.
Round 2 · 1999
Building Edoras on Mount Sunday
Canterbury, New Zealand
To create the capital of Rohan for The Lord of the Rings, the crew built a full-scale village on a remote shearer's station, flying the golden hall in by helicopter.
Round 3 · 2012
Filming the Mad Max: Fury Road Chase
Namib Desert, Namibia
After rare rains turned the Australian outback green, production of the post-apocalyptic epic relocated to the barren Namibian desert, relying on massive practical vehicle stunts.
Round 4 · 1997
Filming the D-Day Landings in Saving Private Ryan
Curracloe, Ireland
Steven Spielberg chose the Irish coast to film his visceral Omaha Beach sequence because the real Normandy beaches were heavily developed and protected.
Round 5 · 1926
Filming the Bridge Collapse in The General
Cottage Grove, Oregon
Buster Keaton spent $42,000—a massive sum at the time—to send a real vintage steam locomotive plunging off a burning trestle into the Row River.
