Visiting Paradise? See if you recognise the sets of these hit films such as Lord of the Rings and Mission Impossible

The aptly named Paradise is a must visit during your time in Glenorchy...

The stunning Lake Diamond and surrounding mountains look like something off a Hollywood  movie set - and they are!

Numerous directors, including New Zealand's own James Cameron ,have chosen the spot to shoot some top films.

Below is a list of some of the films, TV shows and music videos shot in the area.

You never know, you might end up leaning against the same tree as Tom Cruise, walk the same paths as Orlando Bloom or Martin Freeman or follow in the footsteps of Taylor Swift. 

Maybe. 

Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit:

Locations right across New Zealand - from north to south - have been used as sets for the blockbuster Lord of the Rings trilogy and then the later-released prequels The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

During filming many locals, including residents in Glenorchy, were drafted in as extras. 

Paradise - a short drive from Glenorchy - provided the setting for locations in Lord of the Rings such as Lothlorien, Amon Hen and Isengard.

Several tour operators including PureGlenorchy and Dart River Adventures offer trips to see the sights. 

Diamond Lake, Paradise - where several locations from the Lord of the Rings trilogy were set

A bonus location for fans of The Hobbit is at end of the Earnslaw Burn track - though it is a 8 to 12-hour return hike to get there. 

The track starts on the left bank of the Earnslaw Burn on the Glenorchy-Paradise Road about a 20 minute drive from Glenorchy.

The location provided the setting for a scene in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey where the Company just leave Rivendell and can be seen walking along the base of this melting glacier.

Arcadia Station - a high country farming Paradise - was also chosen as the setting for Beorn's House in the The Hobbit: A Desolation of Smaug

The spectatcular Earnslaw Burn, where part of the The Hobbit film was shot. It's a long hike to get there though...

Mission Impossible 6: 

Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise was in town in 2017 to shoot parts of Mission Impossible 6.

He was joined by the likes of British actors Simon Pegg and Henry Cavill. Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in the hit series of films.

Parts of the beautiful Rees Valley was transformed into the film set and wooden buildings were constructed on private land.

The area was standing in for Iraq as filming in the Middle Eastern country was deemed too problematic.  

Part of the Mission Impossible 6 film set

Taylor Swift music video: Out of the Woods:

The pop superstar has also used New Zealand's naturally occurring film set, with its moody skies and jagged, snow-capped mountains, to her benefit. 

Her  music video Out of the Woods, which was released in 2016, was largely shot on Bethell's Beach in Auckland but she also ventured down south.

Parts of the video was shot in woodland Paradise and in and around Glenorchy, Queenstown, Mt Earnslaw and the Dart River.

Swifts trip to New Zealand was met with controversy though. It was alleged the New Zealand production company making the music video breached its permit by taking up to 12 vehicles on the beach, when it only had approval for two, threatening the nesting site of local dotterel. 

Watch the video, and see if you can spot some of the local sights, here. 

The 'making of' video can be watched here.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

A privately-owned horse ranch in Paradise was used as a location for the filming of the movie depiction of the classic C.S Lewis novel.

The film's producer Mark Johnson said: 'There are a couple of locations that were perfect for this movie that only New Zealand could offer. In many ways, it is a fairytale country with the kind of locations that make your draw drop.'

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Fans of the film will likely remember the scene when Logan/Wolverine (played by Aussie Hugh Jackman) is on the run and holes-up with an elderly couple at their farmhouse - that set was built in Paradise.

Paradise is also the location where Wolverine is seen to takes down his enemy Zero's helicopter. 

Top of the Lake (TV series):

Mystery drama series Top of the Lake, which was written by New Zealand's own Jane Campion, was filmed exclusively on location in and around Paradise, Glenorchy and Queenstown. 

The Emmy-award winning show follows a detective, played by American actress Elisabeth Moss, investigating the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl. 

Filming took over 18 weeks and Glenorchy was referred to in the series as a fictitious town called Laketop.

Follow its successful first series a second series was commissioned and largely filmed in Australia starring Nicole Kidman. Some parts were filmed in Queenstown.