Entertainment
The diverse geography of British Columbia – from lush coastal rainforest, glaciated landscapes, and thundering mountain peaks to some of Canada’s highest waterfalls, and the country’s only true desert terrain – is a huge draw for international film location scouts. In fact, in the film industry, British Columbia is often touted as “the best stand-in for somewhere else.” Vancouver, “Hollywood North,” or “Brollywood” during its particularly rainy winter months, is the third-largest film production centre in North America, following closely behind New York and Los Angeles.
TV, Too!
Countless TV shows have also been filmed here, including
The Bachelorette (starring Vancouver girl Jillian Harris), Hell's Kitchen (which filmed at Araxi in
Whistler),
Supernatural, Fringe, Battlestar Galactica, The L Word, Eureka and
X-Files, Smallville and on the list goes.
Movies Made in British Columbia
However, Vancouver is far from being the only hub of film production in British Columbia. In recent years, various other communities in British Columbia have served as major motion picture locales:
Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) was partially shot in
Tofino;
Wolverine (2009), along with
X-Men: Last Stand (2006), and
X2 (2003) feature backdrops of the
Vancouver Island region, including
Victoria; the closing scene of The
Incredible Hulk (2008) is set in
Bella Coola (identified by name on screen); and
Final Destination 2 (2003) includes outdoor shots of
Campbell River, in the
Vancouver Island region.
Twilight and Wolverine
Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) and
Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), the second and third movies in the Twilight series, follow-up to
Twilight (2008), filmed in Vancouver and surrounding areas. Locations included Vancouver’s
Stanley Park, one of North America’s largest urban parks, and home to the
Vancouver Aquarium;
Pitt Meadows in the Fraser Valley, an endless expanse of farmlands, meadows, lakes, streams, and rivers; and
Tofino, home to some of the best
ocean kayaking and
surfing in British Columbia. During shooting, Twilight star Robert Pattinson was frequently spotted out and about in Vancouver’s
Yaletown District, one of the city’s trendiest
shopping and dining neighbourhoods.
Like two of its predecessors –
X2 (2003), and
X-Men: Last Stand (2006) –
Wolverine (2009), starring Hugh Jackman was shot at various locations throughout Vancouver, and at Hatley Castle, a lavish early-20th-century castle located in
Hatley Park National Historic Site,
Victoria.
Zac Efron's Latest Film
The Life and Death of Charlie St. Cloud (2010), featuring Zac Efron, shot extensively in the quiet seaside town of
Gibsons on the
Sunshine Coast. This area is known for
artists,
hiking and
fishing, and is also no newcomer to film crews – Gibsons was the location of the long-running TV hit
Beachcombers. Molly's Reach, the
restaurant featured in
Beachcombers, was painted green and renamed "Flynn's Reach" for scenes in
The Life and Death of Charlie St. Cloud.
Watchmen, the Hulk, and Doctor Parnassus
Heath Ledger's final film,
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, was also shot in Vancouver.
Cats and Dogs 2 (2010) filmed scenes in historic Steveston in
Richmond.
For comic book fans, the 2009 film adaptation of Alan Moore’s iconic film
Watchmen contains scenes shot at the
Bloedel Floral Conservatory, in Vancouver’s
Queen Elizabeth Park, and at various locations throughout
New Westminster, Canada’s oldest western city.
At the end of 2008’s
The Incredible Hulk, The Hulk takes refuge in
Bella Coola (identified by name on screen), a beautiful and small town on British Columbia’s
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, close to
Tweedsmuir (South) Provincial Park, a magnet for anglers and outdoor adventurers.
These are just a few of some of the most recent movies made here, but the number grows almost daily!
How to Spot a Film Set
- The easiest way to spot a filming location is by the long lines of white crew trucks parked together.
- Day-glow orange, green, and pink signs with arrows attached to trees, or telephone and street sign poles, indicate a filming location, and even some are printed with the film company name.
- Look for section of city streets (often with a barrier) where street signs have been changed, Canadian mailboxes and vehicle license plates have been switched out for American ones, and American Flags are flying.
- Have you spotted a film set or a star while visiting BC? Share your stories and photos with other travellers on the Hellobc.com blogs, (select "Theatre & Performing Arts" as the activity when you file it) and your photos and blogs might be used on upcoming film pages!