Top 20 Futuristic Movie Cities | Articles on WatchMojo.com (2024)

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best, most noteworthy cities in science fiction films. For this list, we’ll be looking exclusively at places set in the future—sorry, “Star Wars” fans. Which other futuristic movie city takes your breath away? Let us know in the comments down below!

“Demolition Man” (1993)
Talk about urban sprawl. In the now-near future, the Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Barbara area will merge into one region known as San Angeles—at least, according to Hollywood. San Angeles was a concept developed as early as 1982's “Blade Runner.” The megalopolis was eventually put to good use in “Demolition Man,” in which a cop and a crime lord are cryogenically frozen. They eventually wake up years later in this city, where there is virtually no crime. Of course, this future is definitely on the bleak side, but at least the design is sleekly attractive.

“I, Robot” (2004)
The future belongs to robots. Based on the short stories of Isaac Asimov, “I, Robot” is set in Chicago of 2035, where realistically human robots work alongside people, the latter protected by the Three Laws of Robotics. But of course, not everything is as it seems. The film’s design for its city mixes present-day architecture with digital billboards, a tall spire-like skyscraper for the U.S. Robotics building, and even a futuristic Audi. Sprawling, imposing, and gleaming, this Chicago is our kind of place — and it may well be part of our real-life future too.

“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” (2017)
Luc Besson’s works rarely disappoint with their visual and design splendor. While this one was technically a box office flop, Big Market is nothing to scoff at. The place comprises countless stores, whose products are accessible through virtual holograms. Although the actual planet it’s located on is a desert, the virtual shopping experience is nothing less than vibrant and colorful. It’s a kind of Amazon and Ebay on holographic steroids, created by stunning visual effects. And hey, may be closer to a Big Market future than we think. Don’t give Jeff Bezos any ideas though!

#17: Traction Cities

“Mortal Engines” (2018)
What if cities could move? That is the premise for this 2018 sci-fi flick, where entire ones have been motorized and fight for the best land, with the most aggressive swallowing up smaller ones. Often huge and imposing, like glorified military tanks, big traction cities have a creative design with futuristic steampunk elements. Though they’re clearly dystopian in their violent conquest and subjugation — they have jaws — they are nonetheless visually impressive. We wouldn’t want to live in a world of Traction Cities like these, but there’s no denying this is CGI put to good use.

#16: Todayland

“Meet the Robinsons” (2007)
An underrated entry, “Meet the Robinsons” includes a typically whimsical Disney vision of a futuristic city. When Lewis accompanies Wilbur Robinson to the future, he is taken to Todayland, a pastel-themed place filled with rounded buildings, flying vehicles, and bubble transportation. It also features a scanner that plays your memories, and a flying pizza delivery service, to name a few. There is even a nod to Space Mountain. Todayland reportedly took cues from the Tomorrowland areas in Disney’s real-life amusem*nt parks, meant to capture the creative ethos of Walt Disney himself. We’re here for it!

“Escape from New York” (1981)
1997 may be long gone now, but this film’s dystopian vision of the prison-industrial complex lingers on. In the ‘80s action flick, Manhattan has been turned into a literal prison. Sure enough, it’s grimy and dark, a place that feels cold and unforgiving. Ironically, the film designer didn’t want production to take place in New York itself, citing the difficulties in making it look run-down. Instead, they largely filmed in East St. Louis, Illinois. The result is distinctive, conveying the grit and cynicism of post-Watergate America. We’re only glad the real New York wasn’t this grimy in 1997.

“Logan's Run” (1976)
Here’s a dystopian sci-fi film that has one of the most disturbing premises yet. City of Domes — which is technically unnamed in the movie — presents itself as a hedonistic utopia. It’s vibrant, with gleaming crystal and abundant nature. Except that the society kills off anyone who reaches 30 to prevent overpopulation, in a grisly ritual known as the “Carrousel.” People who don’t acquiesce to this are dubbed “runners.” It’s a shame, because the way the city’s colorful ‘70s hues blend with its architecture to create something new is attractive. “Don’t trust anyone over thirty” may have gone too far, but the design is hip.

“Ghost in the Shell” (1995)
Few animated films can say they have visuals as truly amazing as this iconic anime. “Ghost in the Shell”’s visual design inspired many other films, from “The Matrix” to “Avatar.” We imagine New Port City, styled after Hong Kong, is a big part of this. There are soaring skyscrapers, colorful signs and lights, digital advertisem*nts, and more. The beautiful art and animation is much of the draw, emphasizing the beauty in the cosmopolitan urban sprawl through an almost watercolor style aesthetic. Decades later, “Ghost in the Shell” and New Port City still exemplify some of the best animation has to offer.

#12: Mega-City One

“Dredd” (2012)
It’s time for another dystopian society, and another equally dystopian city. Though not a remake of the 1995 film with Sylvester Stallone, “Dredd” is based on the same source material, following the titular Judge and his fight against a drug lord. It’s set in Mega-City One, which is full of seedy slums, highways and cold, intimidating buildings. Mega-City One is a ruin, surrounded by miles of radioactive desert and plagued with urban anomie. The setting is a grim but plausible vision that takes the worst aspects of modern society and projects them into the future.

“Star Trek” franchise (1966-)
Gene Roddenberry’s heart clearly never left San Francisco. The “Star Trak” creator’s love for this West Coast city reportedly led to its becoming an important city in the franchise. Reconceived in a futuristic manner, it acts as the home of the Starfleet Headquarters, among other things. This San Francisco boasts vehicles like flying shuttles as well as an elaborate mass transit system. The design is also inspired by real life naval command and culture, making it feel extra real. But through it all, the Golden Gate Bridge still stands proud as an iconic landmark. It’s a beautiful tribute to a beautiful city.

“The Hunger Games” franchise (2012-)
The Capitol may be the huh of a callous society that has no problem sending and watching children fight to the death for entertainment. But one thing we can’t deny is that it has style. In “The Hunger Games”’ dystopian future of horrific wealth disparity, you get cross-country bullet trains, sleek stations, flamboyant fashion, and riotous parties. The Capitol’s penchant for Ancient Roman themes, architecture, and of course, games, doesn’t hurt either. The metropolis takes bread and circuses to a whole new level. The rebellion arriving there is of course, a good thing for humanity. But seeing that destruction visually is not easy, though we know they emerge stronger on the other side.

“Back to the Future Part II” (1989)
It’s official, 2015 should have had flying cars. Granted, director Robert Zemeckis has admitted that the reality depicted in his film didn’t come from a place of them actually trying to guess what the world would look like in that period. Instead, it was more about bringing the laughs and entertainment. Regardless, the depiction of Hill Valley as a 2015 abode succeeds wonderfully at both to a certain extent. The flying cars and hoverboards may not quite exist as they do in the movie. But there’s widescreen TVs, video chats, fingerprint scanners, animated billboards, and more that are rather familiar nowadays. It goes to show that trying to predict the future may just be a matter of having a wicked sense of humor.

“Big Hero 6” (2014)
Animation once again proves to be a fantastic medium for creative imaginings of the future. One of the most attractive cities, San Fransokyo combines – you guessed it – San Francisco and Tokyo, to great effect. It’s been said that in “Big Hero 6”’s world, the 1906 earthquake in California led to immigrants from Japan coming in to reconstruct San Francisco. San Fransokyo’s resulting hilly streets, colorful homes, iconic trolleys, and digital billboards therefore showcase the best of both worlds. If you ask us, it’d be easy to leave your heart here considering the advanced technology and truly gorgeous design.

“The Fifth Element” (1997)
Can you believe this came from the mind of a teenager? Director Luc Besson first conceived the sci-fi world of “The Fifth Element” when he was just sixteen. Later on, his futuristic New York took direct inspiration from French comics as well as historical architecture. Some details include flying taxicabs and vehicles. But some things never change, including sky-high buildings, tiny apartments, dim-witted muggers, and…McDonald’s drive-thrus, apparently. Yet even the old somehow feels new, and we become fully immersed into the 23rd century. Indeed, it’s that mix of futuristic technology and present-day culture that makes this film’s design ultra memorable.

“Minority Report” (2002)
This vision of future Washington, D.C. gives a new meaning to the term “thought crimes.” In the world of “Minority Report,” police now have psychic knowledge that enables them to stop crimes before they happen. Steven Spielberg’s commitment to plausibility in constructing the setting made its design more modest than most. You’ll find, for instance, that the Capitol Building remains. However, the city also has those modern, curvaceous domes and buildings. There’s also elements including retinal scanners, spyder robots, jet packs, podlike self-driving vehicles, personalized advertising, and much more that place it firmly in the future. It’s a vision both striking and realistic.

#5: Birnin Zana, Wakanda

Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-)
When it comes to next-level breathtaking futuristic cities, the Marvel Cinematic Universe spares no expense. Although glimpsed briefly in the MCU before, the city of Birnin Zana in the fictional African nation of Wakanda is fully introduced in 2018’s “Black Panther.” Inspired by the Kingdom of Lesotho, the city blends megalopolis splendor with natural beauty, modern futuristic technology with the romance of royalty. Birnin Zana naturally incorporates traditional African architectural elements such as thatched roofs. Unlike many other futuristic cities, it has pedestrianized streets with low traffic. This beautifully-designed spot is definitely one we’d like to live in someday.

“Cloud Atlas” (2012)
We’re on cloud nine just thinking about this “Cloud Atlas” city. This futuristic Seoul has a sleek and svelte design, including high-speed vehicles on digital highways and flying ships. It’s a new iteration of Old Seoul that emerged after, as the story goes, the latter was flooded with the rising tides. Beautiful as it looks on the surface, however, it’s no paradise. Like most sci-fi cities, Neo Seoul is a corporate dystopia complete with authoritarian government, humanoid clones, and censorship, among other things. While “Cloud Atlas” as a whole gained mixed reviews, the Neo Seoul segment of the story is a winner in our book visually and narratively speaking.

#3: Metropolis of 2026

“Metropolis” (1927)
A classic film of the ‘20s, “Metropolis”’s greatest triumph is certainly its design, which utilized the most advanced special effects available at the time. The dystopian cityscape is a sprawling, towering one, eerily reminiscent of our own large modern world. Even fantastical details like dome-like structures and flying vehicles are now common tropes in the science fiction world. Even nearly a hundred years later the craftsmanship on display with everything from the art deco style to the special effects utilizing miniatures continues to impress us. “Metropolis”’s prescience in its sci-fi future makes its city among the most iconic in the canon.

“Akira” (1988)
Known for its stunning animation, this iconic 1988 movie has left an impactful mark on countless media released after it. Just one aspect of its artistry is its take on a futuristic, if dystopian, Tokyo. You get things like bright searchlights, high-speed motorbikes, imposing skyscrapers – the list goes on and on. From the soaring heights of its buildings to the seedy poverty of its underbelly, Neo-Tokyo is beautifully-conceived, well-detailed and impressively crafted. Based on the manga of the same name, “Akira” is chock-full of design and animation that has informed other futuristic cities, making it a surefire cyberpunk hit.