8 Classic Films You Know & Love That Were Filmed In BC
The next time you pop on a feel-good movie from your childhood, you might want to look out for popular Canadian hotspots. That's because quite a few films you grew up watching were produced in Canada and you probably didn't even notice. These classic movies filmed in British Columbia star so many familiar faces.
The west coast of Canada is an incredibly popular place for filming due to its low costs and close proximity to Hollywood. Right now, series like Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina are using the area for their own production.
That doesn't mean the east coast is any less popular. There are quite a few famous movies from our childhood and teen years that were filmed in Ontario including Cheaper by the Dozen 2, Hairspray, and The Vow.
There are even cartoons from the '90s and live-action shows from our childhood that were filmed in Canada.
If you're out and about in some of BC's hottest cities, keep in mind these eight classic flicks that were filmed in places you could totally visit.
Happy Gilmore
Adam Sandler's 1996 role as a rejected hockey player was exclusively filmed in BC. Movie Maps claims that production locations include West Lawn Building, Furry Creek Golf & Country Club, Swaneset Bay Resort and Country Club, Stanley Park Pitch & Putt, and even the PNE.
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Though most of the scenes in this 1995 Jim Carrey classic were filmed in South Carolina and Texas, part of the movie also took place at Panorama Ski Resort in BC, per IMDb.
Deadpool
Ryan Reynolds' iconic superhero character was filmed all over BC, close to his hometown in Vancouver. The 2016 original took place in areas including Chinatown Vancouver, Royal Roads University, Surrey, No 5 Orange, and Georgia Viaduct according to IMDb. The 2018 sequel also filmed at Royal Roads University as well as Riverview Hospital and the Vancouver area.
Elf
Sorry to break it to you but Will Ferrell didn't actually visit the North Pole to film his part as Buddy the Elf. Most of the 2003 classic Christmas movie was filmed in New York City since that's where it's set. But Film Locations also claims that "most of the interiors were filmed in an abandoned mental hospital in Vancouver". That's the same Riverview Hospital that was used in Deadpool.
Juno
Canadian stars Ellen Page and Michael Cera stayed in their homeland for the 2007 flick that was produced exclusively in BC. There are tons of locations listed on Movie Maps including Summitview Medical Centre, South Surrey Athletic Park, Coquitlam Centre Mall, Eric Hamber Secondary School, and Natureway Farm Market.
White Chicks
This 2004 movie starring the Wayans brothers was filmed almost entirely in BC. IMDb claims that the beginning scene took place in New York City. After that, production moved to cities including Vancouver, Victoria, and Chilliwack.
Scary Movie
Despite its title, the 2000 classic was just a parody and didn't actually feature many jumpscares. BC hotspots used for the flick were "Vancouver Technical Secondary School, 2600 East Broadway, north of the city toward Coal Harbour" according to Movie Locations. They continued writing that "Much of the film was shot in the picturesque fishing village of Steveston Harbour, Richmond, on the Fraser River south of Vancouver."
Jumanji
The original 1995 movie starring Robin Williams had a big variety of filming locations, per Movie Locations. Though it was set in New England, areas used for production included Bridge Studios in Burnaby, the Mount Pleasant district, Sir Sav-A-Lot, and Maple Ridge Water Park. Other parts were filmed in New Hampshire and Maine in the US.