Hollywood’s Most Destroyed Landmarks Revealed
A new study by insurer MS Amlin reveals that some of the world’s most iconic landmarks—including London’s Big Ben and Tower Bridge—are repeatedly destroyed in Hollywood blockbusters. According to the analysis, the Elizabeth Tower (commonly known as Big Ben) has been annihilated nine times in films such as Mars Attacks! and London Has Fallen. The London Eye follows closely, demolished in seven different movies including Independence Day and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Tower Bridge has met a similar fate, collapsing into the Thames six times in major productions like Independence Day: Resurgence and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Despite these dramatic portrayals, American landmarks suffer even more frequent destruction on screen. New York’s Statue of Liberty leads the list with 19 cinematic demolitions, followed by San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge at 13 and Times Square at nine. In Europe, Paris’s Eiffel Tower has been torn apart seven times.
Martin Burke, chief underwriting officer at MS Amlin, notes: “Hollywood has been blowing up the world’s most cherished landmarks for decades, undoubtedly amassing billions, if not trillions, of dollars in fictional damages.”
The report comes as Netflix finalizes a £54 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, one of the largest acquisitions in Hollywood history. The streaming giant says the merger—pending regulatory approval—will deliver up to £2 billion in savings and unite major franchises including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Netflix’s own Stranger Things. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the deal aims to “give audiences more of what they love and define the next century of storytelling.” However, concerns remain about whether HBO Max will continue as a standalone service after the merger.
