You’ve probably seen Century City a thousand times without even realizing it. Honestly, if you’ve watched a single action movie from the '80s or '90s, you’ve definitely been there. It’s that cluster of gleaming, slightly sterile skyscrapers on the west side of LA that always seems to stand in for "Generic Corporate Headquarters" or "The Future."
But there’s a weird irony here.
Century City isn't just a place where movies are filmed. It is a place literally built from the bones of a movie studio. Most people walking to a lunch meeting at the Westfield mall have no clue they’re standing where Shirley Temple used to film her dance routines or where the massive sets for Cleopatra nearly bankrupted an entire empire.
The Backlot That Became a City
In the early 1900s, this whole area was just a ranch. It belonged to Tom Mix, the silent film cowboy star. Eventually, it became the backlot for 20th Century Fox. We're talking 180 acres of pure movie magic—Western towns, European streets, the works.
Then came 1961.
Fox was in deep trouble. The production of Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor, was a total disaster financially. The budget spiraled from $6 million to an insane $37 million. To keep the lights on, the studio had to sell off about 180 acres of its backlot.
A massive real estate developer named William Zeckendorf and Alcoa (the aluminum company) stepped in. They didn’t want to build more movie sets. They wanted a "city within a city." They hired Welton Becket, the guy who designed the Capitol Records building, to create a master plan.
He wanted it to be the "modern Acropolis."
The result? Wide boulevards, tons of aluminum (obviously, since Alcoa was paying), and a skyline that looks like it was designed specifically to be blown up by Bruce Willis.
Century City Los Angeles Movies: The Nakatomi Factor
If you say "Century City" to a film nerd, they immediately think of Die Hard.
The Fox Plaza building at 2121 Avenue of the Stars is the undisputed king of century city los angeles movies. In the film, it’s called Nakatomi Plaza. Interestingly, the building was actually under construction while they were filming. If you look closely at the scene where John McClane is crawling through the vents or running around the unfinished floors, those weren't just sets. That was the actual building in its raw state.
The studio essentially used its own new headquarters as a giant prop.
It’s hilarious when you think about it. The "terrorists" were taking over the very offices where the movie's executives would eventually sit.
But Die Hard isn't the only one. Check out this list of appearances for Fox Plaza:
- Speed: You can see it in the background of the bus chase.
- Airheads: The fictional radio station is located right there.
- Fight Club: It’s one of the buildings that gets "erased" in the famous ending sequence.
- Lethal Weapon 2: It makes a cameo because, well, it's an '80s action movie.
When Apes Ruled the Mall
Before the skyscrapers took over, Century City had a very different "vibe."
In 1972, they filmed Conquest of the Planet of the Apes right in the heart of the Century City mall. At the time, the architecture was considered "futuristic." The cold, concrete brutalism of the original plaza was the perfect setting for a dystopian 1991 where apes were used as slaves.
There are these amazing behind-the-scenes photos of actors in full ape makeup sitting at 1970s outdoor cafes, just eating lunch between takes.
The pedestrian bridge that spans the Avenue of the Stars? That was a major tactical point in the ape revolution. Today, you can still walk across that same bridge, though it’s been remodeled so many times it’s lost some of that "Ape Management" grit.
Why Directors Still Love It
Why do filmmakers keep coming back? It's the "liminal space" quality.
Century City feels like everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It can be Tokyo. It can be New York. It can be a colony on another planet.
In Star Trek: Picard, the area’s sleek plazas stood in for 24th-century San Francisco. In Inception, the wide, empty streets at night provided that eerie, dream-like quality Christopher Nolan loves.
It’s also incredibly convenient.
The Fox lot is still right there. If you’re a producer, you can walk from a soundstage on the Fox lot, cross the street, and you're in a "high-end business district" location. No travel budget required.
The Hidden Movie History Under Your Feet
If you find yourself in the neighborhood, don't just look at the towers. Look for the traces of what used to be there.
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The Century Plaza Hotel (now the Fairmont) was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the same architect who did the original World Trade Center. It’s shaped like a crescent to follow the curve of the Avenue of the Stars. It’s hosted every president since Nixon and served as the "Western White House" for Ronald Reagan.
But underneath all that luxury is the ghost of the Hello, Dolly! set.
Literally. Part of the underground infrastructure for the city was built into the foundations of the old sets.
Modern Cameos and the Future
Even in 2026, the area is still a magnet. The $1 billion renovation of the Westfield Century City mall wasn't just for shoppers; it was for the cameras. The outdoor "piazza" style is designed for high-end lifestyle shoots and television dramas.
You’ll see it in shows like Hacks or 9-1-1.
The area is also home to the "Death Star"—the CAA (Creative Artists Agency) building. While not a movie location in the traditional sense, it is where most of the movies you love get greenlit. The architecture is intentionally intimidating. It’s meant to show power.
How to Do Your Own Century City Movie Tour
If you want to see these spots, you don't need a VIP pass. Most of it is public.
- Fox Plaza (Nakatomi Tower): You can't go inside (it's a private office building), but you can get a great view from the corner of Olympic and Avenue of the Stars. This is the classic "hero shot" angle from the movie.
- The Westin Bonaventure vs. Century Plaza: People often confuse these two, but the Century Plaza is the one with the massive fountains in front. These fountains appeared in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and countless car commercials.
- The Pedestrian Bridges: Walk across the one near the mall. It’s the closest you’ll get to feeling like you’re in a sci-fi dystopia.
- The Fox Lot: You can't just wander in, but the historic commissary and the old "New York Street" sets are visible from some of the higher floors of the nearby parking structures.
Century City is a weird place. It’s a corporate fortress built on top of a playground. It’s a neighborhood that only exists because a movie about an Egyptian queen went way over budget.
Next time you’re watching a movie and see a bunch of perfectly manicured trees and glass towers, check the background. You’re probably looking at the world’s most expensive backlot.
To get the most out of a visit, start at the Westfield Century City during the "golden hour." The way the light hits the Fox Plaza from the mall's terrace is exactly how the cinematographers frame it for the big screen. Just grab a coffee, sit by the fire pits, and look up. You're in the middle of a set.