Most of Kick-Ass plays out in New York, but the cameras rolled in Canada and the UK. Here is where to find each spot.
Kick-Ass was mainly filmed in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, where exteriors stood in for New York City. Interiors and additional scenes were shot at Elstree and Pinewood Studios in the UK, with some plates and scenes also filmed in London and New York. The film was independently financed by Matthew Vaughn after studios rejected its R-rated violence and young Hit-Girl character.
Kick-Ass arrived in 2010 as an unlikely project. Matthew Vaughn financed it himself after studios passed, uneasy with the graphic violence and the idea of a young Hit-Girl. That independence shaped where the movie was made: rather than a big US studio production, it became a transatlantic shoot built around Canadian streets and British soundstages.
The story is set in New York City, but almost none of the key action was shot there. Toronto's towers and Hamilton's residential blocks did the heavy lifting, while Elstree and Pinewood Studios in England hosted the interiors and a backlot recreation of the comic book store and street scenes.
| Location | Where | What was filmed | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Bank Plaza | Toronto, Canada | Jumping off building scene in opening narration | Free to see |
| Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School | Hamilton, Canada | Millard Fillmore High School | Outside only |
| 32 Keith Street | Hamilton, Canada | Dave Lizewski’s modest home exterior | Outside only |
| Parking Lot off King William Street | Hamilton, Canada | Capri Pizza Lot mugging and car theft scenes | Free to see |
| County Hall | London, United Kingdom | Entrance to Frank D'Amico's building (Casparin Building) | Free to see |
| Beckton Sewage Works | London, United Kingdom | Concrete basin where Big Daddy shoots Mindy to test vest | Private property |
| All Star Lanes Bayswater | London, United Kingdom | Bowling alley scene with Mindy and father | Ticketed |
| Yonge Street (between Gerrard & Elm) | Toronto, Canada | Cat Search scene and driving scenes | Free to see |
8 locations. The map loads when it scrolls into view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Ontario, Toronto, Canada Free to see
Filmed here: Jumping off building scene in opening narration
This financial district plaza played host to the opening narration's most memorable image, a would-be hero jumping from a building. The plaza remains fully public, so anyone can walk through and take in the glass towers that help Toronto pass for New York. It sits in the heart of the downtown core, close to Union Station, making it an easy add-on to any city walk.
Ontario, Hamilton, Canada Outside only
Filmed here: Millard Fillmore High School
Hamilton's Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School stood in for Millard Fillmore High School, where Dave Lizewka and his friends endure their daily routine. Only the exterior was used, and the building still functions as an active school. Visitors should view it from the street and be respectful during school hours, keeping in mind that students and staff are going about their day.
Ontario, Hamilton, Canada Outside only
Filmed here: Dave Lizewski’s modest home exterior
Dave Lizewski's modest family home exterior sits on this quiet Hamilton residential street. Like many film homes in the city, it is a private residence, so viewing is limited to what can be seen from the sidewalk. The house looks much as it did on screen, though the owners did not sign up for a constant stream of visitors, so a quick photo from the curb is the polite approach.
Ontario, Hamilton, Canada Free to see
Filmed here: Capri Pizza Lot mugging and car theft scenes
This Hamilton lot hosted the Capri Pizza mugging and car theft scenes, early evidence of the city's crime problem that helps push Dave toward vigilantism. Fans hoping to stand in the exact spot should temper expectations: the area has been redeveloped, so check the current status before seeking it out. The surrounding downtown blocks remain walkable and easy to explore.
Greater London, London, United Kingdom Free to see
Filmed here: Entrance to Frank D'Amico's building (Casparin Building)
London's County Hall provided the entrance to Frank D'Amico's Casparin Building, the villain's skyscraper stronghold. The building now houses attractions including the Sea Life Aquarium, and the public can access both the exterior and some interiors. Its stately classical facade makes it one of the easiest Kick-Ass locations to visit properly rather than just photograph from outside.
Greater London, London, United Kingdom Private property
Filmed here: Concrete basin where Big Daddy shoots Mindy to test vest
The stark concrete basin where Big Daddy shoots Mindy to test her bulletproof vest was filmed at Beckton Sewage Works in East London. It is a restricted industrial site with no public access, so this one is firmly look-but-do-not-visit. Film trivia fans may recognize it as the same location that stood in for Vietnam in Full Metal Jacket.
Greater London, London, United Kingdom Ticketed
Filmed here: Bowling alley scene with Mindy and father
The bowling alley scene between Mindy and her father was shot at the All Star Lanes branch in Bayswater. Sadly for visiting fans, that specific location has closed. Other All Star Lanes branches still operate, so travelers can approximate the experience with a game and a drink elsewhere in London, even if the original lanes are gone.
Ontario, Toronto, Canada Free to see
Filmed here: Cat Search scene and driving scenes
This busy downtown Toronto stretch appears in the Cat Search scene and several driving sequences. As one of the city's main arteries, it could not be easier to visit: it is public, usually crowded, and well served by transit. The Yonge Street corridor and the financial district's skyscrapers are the reason so many productions use Toronto to double for New York.
Kick-Ass is set entirely in New York City, following Dave Lizewski from his high school and suburban home to the Manhattan towers of crime boss Frank D'Amico. Almost none of that was captured in New York. Exteriors were filmed in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, where architecture and busy streets convincingly double for the city. Interiors and additional scenes were shot in the UK, with only some plates and select scenes genuinely filmed in New York.
Two UK studios carried the interior workload. Elstree Studios in Borehamwood hosted most of the film's interiors, a choice that qualified the production for UK tax rebates. Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath was used for backlot work, including the built-from-scratch comic book store and street scenes. Neither studio offers visits tied to this production, and both are working facilities rather than tourist attractions.
No dedicated Kick-Ass tour exists, but travelers can get close. Toronto's general film and TV touring scene covers the downtown blocks where the movie shot, and one listed option passes through the same landmarks and squares that appear throughout the city's screen credits.
Toronto: Hollywood North Experience Film & TV Tour
This guided film and TV tour of downtown Toronto includes stops at landmarks such as David Pecaut Square, Union Station and Nathan Phillips Square, placing visitors in the same districts that stood in for New York in Kick-Ass and countless other productions.
Only partly. Some plates and scenes were shot in New York, but the story's New York setting was recreated mainly in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, with interiors and additional scenes filmed in the UK.
Toronto's Yonge Street and the financial district's skyscrapers, including the area around Royal Bank Plaza, closely resemble parts of Manhattan. The city is a frequent stand-in for New York across many film and TV productions.
Elstree Studios and Pinewood Studios are working production facilities and do not offer visits connected to Kick-Ass. Travelers are better served by the real-world locations in Toronto, Hamilton and London.
Yes. The exterior is a private residence at 32 Keith Street in Hamilton, Ontario. It can be viewed from the street, but it is someone's home, so visitors should stay on the sidewalk and keep the stop brief.
Not the one on screen. The All Star Lanes branch in Bayswater that hosted the scene with Mindy and her father has closed. Other All Star Lanes branches still operate in London.
County Hall, which served as the entrance to Frank D'Amico's building. It is publicly accessible, houses attractions such as the Sea Life Aquarium, and welcomes visitors inside, unlike the restricted Beckton Sewage Works site.
Kick-Ass belongs to the strange category of films whose New York barely contains any New York. Fans can trace the production from Hamilton's residential streets to Toronto's financial district, then hop across the Atlantic to London's County Hall. The Toronto film and TV walk listed above offers the simplest route into the city's screen geography, even without a tour devoted solely to this film.
Before You Go
The tours travellers book most for Kick-Ass.
