Hollywood North: Movies Filmed In Vancouver

Vancouver has been aptly dubbed Hollywood North because of the huge film industry in the city. Because it's cheaper to film here than the real Hollywood, U.S.-based filmmakers have been flocking to this city to shoot their movies. As the third largest movie production city in North America, Vancouver offers its residents and visitors the chance to spot celebrities and film sets. In Vancouver, I've personally spotted Jason Alexander, John Cusack and Tom Green, and I never keep my eye out for celebs.

While there are plenty of movies filmed in Vancouver, hardly any of them are actually set in Vancouver. But, it's still nice to recognize a piece of home in a blockbuster hit. If you want to see a bit of Vancouver in Hollywood, check out my list of Top 5 movies filmed in Vancouver.

1. 50/50

50/50, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogan, is filmed in Vancouver but set in Seattle. The opening scene of the movie is the dead giveaway that the movie was filmed in Vancouver, as Joseph Gordon-Levitt is running along the Seawall (which they obviously don't have in Seattle). Aside from this minor detail, 50/50 is a heartwarming story about love and friendships during the difficulties of cancer. I highly recommend it.

2. This Means War

This Means War, starring Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy and Chris Pine, is a chick flick with a bit of action. There are plenty of recognizable Vancouver locations in the movie, including the Vancouver Public Library, the Blarney Stone, Barcelona nightclub and the old Virgin Megastore on Robson St. All these Vancouver elements made me think of home and not the movie's actual setting of L.A.

3. Antitrust

Antitrust, a 2001 thriller starring Ryan Phillippe, is about a computer geek who is hired and duped by a Bill Gates lookalike known as Gary Winston. This movie was mainly filmed at the two main university campuses in Vancouver: the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. Though it's an older movie, it's still worth watching, despite the huge advances in technology that have been made since 2001.

4. Twilight

The Twilight Saga was filmed in Vancouver, and I'm sure the students of David Thompson Secondary School were swooning over the sight of Edward and Jacob. Whether or not you're a fan of Twilight, there's no denying that this movie saga has brought tons of revenue to the film industry in British Columbia.

5. Everything's Gone Green

You probably haven't heard of this one, because it's more of a local movie. Written by Canadian author Douglas Coupland, Everything's Gone Green is a movie that is actually filmed and set in Vancouver. This movie touches on some elements and issues of Vancouver, like the B.C. Lottery Corporation and marijuana grow-ops. It's a good Canadian movie that's worth checking out.