Most visited planet in science-fiction movies

The most visited planet in science-fiction movies is Mars, which has been used as a setting for at least a few scenes in 185 feature films as of 31 March 2025.

That Mars holds this record is not surprising, given its proximity to Earth and its relatively Earth-like appearance. The idea that Mars might be inhabited was a fairly mainstream view in the 19th and early 20th century.

Venus is actually our planet's closest celestial neighbour, but it is covered by thick clouds of opaque gas, meaning that even today we have very little information about what its surface actually looks like.

The locations that most commonly stand in for Mars during film production are the Wadi Rum valley in Jordan and the Moab Desert in Utah, USA.