This Pinoy Is Recreating Movie Scenes While Travelling

“Napuntahan ko na ‘yan!” That’s the thrill many of us feel when we recognise destinations from our travels on the big screen. For Nilo Adriano, an OFW based in Saudi Arabia, that excitement turned into a quirky travel tradition — recreating movie scenes wherever he goes.

Over years of travelling, Nilo has collected photos upon photos of himself recreating iconic movie scenes. “It all started in 2017, when my wife, some high school friends, and I went to the UK,” he tells TripZilla Philippines. “We visited a friend who lives in Greenwich, London. That friend mentioned that Thor: The Dark World was filmed there.”

Image credit: Nilo Adriano | Character: Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Movie: Thor: The Dark World. Location: Greenwich Old Royal Naval College (London, England). Coordinates: 51.482771209292096, -0.004775292241418103.

“While roaming around, we ran into the place where Thor landed. I immediately looked for a YouTube clip of that scene, took a screenshot, then tried to imitate the scene,” Nilo recalls. “Recreating the movie scene was really fun. We jokingly named me the ‘impos-Thor’. Passersby couldn’t help but laugh at us. When we finally uploaded it on social media, it generated a lot of funny comments from our friends.”

Also read: 5 Movie Scenes That Were Actually Shot in the Philippines

Recreating movie scenes while travelling

“My friends, Mic, Roselle, Marty, and Ros, also helped me with some of my photos from London,” Nilo says.

“Since I love both movies and travelling, recreating movie scenes has become a part of our itinerary every time we visit a new country,” Nilo reveals. “I think it’s fresh and original, compared to the usual photos that I’m seeing on social media.”

Like most of us, Nilo and Daisy keep a list of destinations they want to visit. After booking tickets and receiving their visas, the couple starts their research. “Normally, I try to recall movies that I’ve seen. I’d watch them again and take a screenshot of the scene I want to recreate.”

On that note, Nilo shares that he doesn’t limit his travel photos to movies he’s already watched. As we do when we plan our itineraries, Nilo plans for his movie scene shoots.

“Before travelling, I collect screenshots of as many movie scenes as possible. I just keep them on my phone. The more options I have, the better, because not all movie scenes are possible to recreate. Some movie locations are off-limits to pedestrians, others have too many people that it’s difficult to take a good photo.”

Check out his photos below!

Movie scenes from around the world

Image credit: Nilo Adriano | Character: Owen Wilson as Gil Pender. Movie: Midnight in Paris. Location: Pont Alexandre III (Paris, France). Coordinates: 48.86401240658381, 2.3136019133188643. Image credit: Nilo Adriano | Character: Mark Ruffalo as Dylan Rhodes. Movie: Now You See Me 2. Location: Pont des Arts (Paris, France). Coordinates: 48.85862564728903, 2.337513982630489. Image credit: Nilo Adriano | Character: Eddie Griffin as T.J. Hicks. Movie: Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. Location: Dam Square (Amsterdam Netherlands). Coordinates: 52.3732544035651, 4.8926486228575605. Image credit: Nilo Adriano | Character: Pierce Brosnan. Movie: Die Another Day. Location: Westminster Bridge South Bank (London, England). Coordinates: 51.500963181686814, -0.11992033175146719. Image credit: Nilo Adriano | Character: Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. Movie: Mission Impossible. Location: Old Town Square (Prague, Czech Republic). Coordinates: 50.087755041491015, 14.421187498017991. Image credit: Nilo Adriano | Character: Leonardo Di Caprio as Dom Cobb. Movie: Inception. Location: Pont de Bir-Hakeim(Paris, France). Coordinates: 48.855978821203564, 2.287659165995553. Image credit: Nilo Adriano | Character: Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon. Movie: Angels and Demons. Location: Piazza Della Rotonda (Rome, Italy). Coordinates: 41.89933, 12.47710. Image credit: Nilo Adriano | Character: Liam Neeson as Daniel. Movie: Red Nose Day Actually / Love Actually. Location: Tate Modern Garden (London, England)). Coordinates: 51.508579178269024, -0.10052665688785904.

On his favourite shots and dream destinations

“Out of all my recreated photos, my favourite is the one where I recreated a scene from Fast & Furious 6. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is one of my favourite actors and wrestlers,” Nilo tells us. “I also love the city of London! I also think that this scene was the best imitation I have done, as a lot of people commented, ‘Pati kunot ng noo nakuha!’”

Image credit: Nilo Adriano. | Character: Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs. Movie: Fast & Furious 6. Location: Tower of London (London, England). Coordinates: 51.50755991431293, -0.07832573667461752.

“Given the chance, I would love to go to the US. Most of the Hollywood movies are filmed there, especially in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, and New York. I would really like to do the Rocky Steps in Philadelphia.”

Also read: 23 Local Destinations Where Your Favourite Pinoy Romcoms Were Filmed

The secret to recreating great movie scenes

Finally, Nilo spills his secret to recreating great movie scenes: A supportive travel buddy who doubles as his photographer, of course!

“I would like to give credit to my wife for her patience and for going along with this gimmick,” he says. “Some scenes are easy to take, but some really take time to recreate as you have to find the right angle.”

To that, we just can’t help but say — Sana all.

Also read: How To Train Your Boyfriend: On Taking Better Travel Photos Of You

Nilo’s unique travel tradition of recreating movie scenes is just so inspiring, don’t you agree? It shows how travelling isn’t just about ticking places off a list — it can also be about finding creative ways to connect with the places we visit.

Have you ever tried recreating a movie scene on your travels? Share your photos with us by tagging @tripzillaph and using the hashtags #TripZillaPH and #LifesATrip — we’d love to feature your adventures next!

All images credited to Nilo Adriano.