Vancouver is one of the few cities in the world where Hollywood blockbusters, independent films, and hit television series are filmed almost every day. Nicknamed Hollywood North, the city has quietly appeared as New York, Seattle, San Francisco, and countless fictional places—while offering visitors the chance to walk through the very locations seen on the big screen.

Hollywood Movies Filmed in Vancouver: 10 Famous Films and Where to Visit Their Filming Locations

From superhero adventures and science fiction blockbusters to award-winning comedies and action thrillers, Vancouver has become one of North America's best-known filming destinations.

Its dramatic mountains, modern skyline, historic neighbourhoods, forests, beaches, and oceanfront make it incredibly versatile. One day it can become downtown Seattle, the next it transforms into futuristic San Francisco—or simply plays itself.

Many visitors are surprised to learn that some of Hollywood's biggest productions were filmed just steps from Vancouver's most popular attractions.

Whether you're a movie lover, a newcomer discovering British Columbia, or planning your next city adventure, these filming locations offer a unique way to experience Vancouver through cinema.

Why Is Vancouver Called Hollywood North?

For decades, Vancouver has earned the nickname Hollywood North, and for good reason.

British Columbia is home to some of North America's largest film studios, internationally recognized visual effects companies, and thousands of talented film professionals. Combined with competitive tax incentives and an extraordinary variety of landscapes, the province attracts hundreds of productions every year.

Within a short drive, filmmakers can access downtown skyscrapers, historic streets, mountain ranges, rainforests, beaches, suburban neighbourhoods, and coastal scenery—all without leaving Metro Vancouver.

It's one of the reasons productions ranging from Marvel films to Netflix series continue to choose Vancouver year after year.

Explore Vancouver Through Film

As you work through this guide, you'll notice that many filming locations are clustered together.

A walk through downtown Vancouver might take you from a superhero battle in Deadpool to the futuristic cityscapes of I, Robot. A visit to Vancouver Island introduces you to the famous mansion from the X-Men films, while a stroll through Gastown reveals streets that have doubled for cities across North America.

With an interactive Google My Map, you'll be able to follow every filming location at your own pace.

Let's begin with one of Vancouver's most famous superheroes.

🎬 1. Deadpool (2016)

About the Movie

Ryan Reynolds' portrayal of Marvel's unconventional anti-hero helped turn Deadpool into one of the most successful R-rated superhero films ever made.

The connection to Vancouver runs deeper than the filming locations—Ryan Reynolds himself was born and raised in the city.

Although the story is set in a fictional American city, Deadpool makes little effort to hide its Vancouver roots. From the Georgia Viaduct to Chinatown, many locations remain instantly recognizable to local residents.

Where Was It Filmed?

Some of the film's most recognizable scenes were shot at:

Georgia Viaduct
Vancouver Chinatown
Downtown Vancouver
False Creek area

The spectacular highway battle on the Georgia Viaduct remains one of the movie's defining action sequences.

📍 Visit It Yourself

The Georgia Viaduct offers panoramic views of downtown Vancouver and False Creek.

While the roadway itself is primarily for vehicles, the surrounding neighbourhoods are easy to explore on foot.

🍁 Continue Your Adventure

Nearby attractions include:

Science World
Chinatown
Olympic Village
Creekside Park

🚆 Nearest SkyTrain: Main Street–Science World Station

🎥 Behind the Scenes

The production temporarily closed sections of the viaduct to film one of the movie's largest action scenes, transforming a busy commuter route into cinematic chaos.

🎬 2. Watchmen (2009)

About the Movie

Zack Snyder's Watchmen brought Alan Moore's acclaimed graphic novel to the screen with a visually striking adaptation set in an alternate version of 1985 New York City.

Although much of the film relied on large studio sets and digital effects, Vancouver provided several memorable locations, including one of the city's most iconic landmarks.

Where Was It Filmed?

Documented Vancouver-area locations include:

Marine Building
Riverview Hospital
Nat Bailey Stadium
BCIT Aerospace Campus
Bloedel Conservatory

The Marine Building appears during the film's opening credits in one of its most memorable sequences.

📍 Visit It Yourself

Marine Building

Completed in 1930, the Marine Building is considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in Canada. Its elaborate lobby and exterior have appeared in dozens of films and television series.

🍁 Continue Your Adventure

Nearby attractions include:

Canada Place
Vancouver Lookout
Waterfront Station

🚆 Nearest SkyTrain: Waterfront Station

🎥 Behind the Scenes

Rather than filming entirely on location, the production constructed a massive backlot replicating several blocks of New York City, blending Vancouver locations with practical sets and visual effects to create its alternate 1985 setting.

🎬 3. Juno (2007)

About the Movie

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, Juno tells the heartfelt story of a teenager navigating an unexpected pregnancy with humour and honesty.

Although the story takes place in Minnesota, nearly all of the suburban neighbourhoods seen throughout the movie are actually in Metro Vancouver.

Where Was It Filmed?

Key filming locations include:

Eric Hamber Secondary School
White Rock
South Surrey
Vancouver residential neighbourhoods

Eric Hamber Secondary School became the fictional Dancing Elk High School.

📍 Visit It Yourself

Eric Hamber remains an active public high school.

Please admire the location respectfully from public sidewalks.

🍁 Continue Your Adventure

Nearby attractions include:

VanDusen Botanical Garden
Queen Elizabeth Park
Oakridge neighbourhood

🚆 Nearest SkyTrain: Oakridge–41st Avenue Station

🎥 Behind the Scenes

Director Jason Reitman intentionally chose Vancouver because its neighbourhoods closely resembled the quiet suburban atmosphere he envisioned.

Together, these locations have appeared in countless films and television series over the past three decades.

🎬 4. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)

About the Movie

The third installment of the beloved Night at the Museum series follows Larry Daley, played by Ben Stiller, on an adventure that takes him from New York to London's British Museum in an effort to save the magical tablet that brings the museum exhibits to life.

Although much of the story is set in London, several scenes were filmed in and around Vancouver. The city's diverse architecture and production facilities helped recreate locations that seamlessly blended with the film's international setting.

Where Was It Filmed?

Key filming locations include:

Vancouver Film Studios
Mammoth Studios (Burnaby)
Kerrisdale Seniors Centre

The University of British Columbia's impressive campus provided an elegant backdrop for several scenes.

📍 Visit It Yourself

University of British Columbia

Perched on Vancouver's western peninsula, UBC is consistently ranked among the world's leading universities. Beyond its beautiful campus, visitors can explore beaches, forest trails, gardens, and several outstanding museums.

🍁 Continue Your Adventure

Nearby attractions include:

Museum of Anthropology at UBC
Beaty Biodiversity Museum
Pacific Spirit Regional Park
Wreck Beach
UBC Botanical Garden

🚆 Getting There

Bus routes from Broadway–City Hall Station and Commercial–Broadway Station provide direct service to the UBC campus.

🎥 Behind the Scenes

UBC has quietly appeared in dozens of Hollywood productions thanks to its mix of historic buildings, modern architecture, and expansive green spaces. It's one of Vancouver's most versatile filming locations and a favourite among international productions.

🎬 5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

About the Movie

This reboot of the beloved science fiction franchise transformed Vancouver into modern-day San Francisco.

Computer-generated visual effects blended seamlessly with real Vancouver streets to create one of the decade's most memorable action films.

Where Was It Filmed?

Filming took place throughout:

Downtown Vancouver
Georgia Street
Financial District

Many scenes required surprisingly little visual alteration thanks to Vancouver's modern architecture.

📍 Visit It Yourself

Walking through downtown Vancouver offers movie fans an opportunity to recognize familiar streets while exploring one of Canada's most vibrant urban centres.

🍁 Continue Your Adventure

Nearby attractions include:

Vancouver Art Gallery
Robson Street
Cathedral Square
Harbour Centre

🚆 Nearest SkyTrain: Burrard Station

🎥 Behind the Scenes

Advanced visual effects transformed Vancouver into San Francisco while keeping much of the city's distinctive skyline visible to attentive viewers.

🎬 6. Fantastic Four (2005)

About the Movie

Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe reshaped superhero films, Fantastic Four introduced audiences to Marvel's First Family on the big screen. While the story is set primarily in New York City, much of the production took place in Vancouver, whose blend of Art Deco landmarks, modern office towers, and university campuses helped bring Marvel's world to life.

One of the film's most recognizable Vancouver locations is the Marine Building, which doubled as the exterior of the iconic Baxter Building, headquarters of the Fantastic Four.

Where Was It Filmed?

Notable filming locations include:

Marine Building
Robson Square
University of British Columbia
Burnaby studios

The Marine Building's distinctive Art Deco architecture made it the perfect stand-in for the Baxter Building, a role it reprised in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007).

📍 Visit It Yourself

Marine Building

Completed in 1930, the Marine Building is one of Vancouver's architectural masterpieces. Its ornate façade and beautifully preserved Art Deco lobby have made it a favourite filming location for Hollywood productions.

🍁 Continue Your Adventure

Nearby attractions include:

Canada Place
Vancouver Lookout
Gastown
Waterfront Station

🚆 Nearest SkyTrain: Waterfront Station

🎥 Behind the Scenes

The Marine Building has portrayed the Baxter Building in multiple Fantastic Four films and has appeared in dozens of other productions, making it one of Vancouver's most recognizable filming locations.

🎬 7. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)

About the Movie

Although the story unfolds in Seattle, much of Fifty Shades of Grey was filmed throughout downtown Vancouver.

The city's modern skyline, luxury hotels, and waterfront neighbourhoods convincingly doubled for Seattle while providing spectacular Pacific Northwest scenery.

Where Was It Filmed?

Major locations include:

Bentall 5
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Coal Harbour
Downtown Vancouver

📍 Visit It Yourself

Coal Harbour is one of Vancouver's most scenic waterfront neighbourhoods, offering stunning views of the North Shore Mountains, Stanley Park, and Burrard Inlet.

🍁 Continue Your Adventure

Nearby attractions:

Vancouver Lookout
Canada Place
Harbour Green Park
Seawall

🚆 Nearest SkyTrain: Burrard Station

🎥 Behind the Scenes

Many viewers assumed the movie was filmed entirely in Seattle, highlighting Vancouver's remarkable ability to portray its American neighbour.

🎬 8. I, Robot (2004)

About the Movie

Set in the futuristic Chicago of 2035, I, Robot used Vancouver's contemporary architecture to help bring its vision of the future to life.

Glass towers, wide boulevards, and waterfront buildings blended seamlessly with visual effects to create a believable sci-fi metropolis.

Where Was It Filmed?

Key filming locations include:

Gastown
Downtown Vancouver
Shannon Mews
Marine Drive industrial areas

📍 Visit It Yourself

Walking through Gastown and downtown Vancouver, it's easy to recognize the architectural mix that helped create the film's futuristic version of Chicago.

🍁 Continue Your Adventure

Nearby attractions include:

Canada Place
Vancouver Lookout
Waterfront Station
Gastown

🚆 Nearest SkyTrain: Waterfront Station

🎥 Behind the Scenes

The production combined real Vancouver architecture with digital effects, creating a futuristic city while preserving many recognizable landmarks.

🎬 9. Godzilla (2014)

About the Movie

When Godzilla returned to the big screen in 2014, Vancouver played an important role behind the scenes. While the film follows the legendary monster across multiple countries, several key sequences were filmed throughout downtown Vancouver, with the city's modern skyline and waterfront standing in for locations around the world.

From towering office buildings to the bustling harbourfront, Vancouver's versatility once again proved why it's one of Hollywood's favourite production hubs.

Where Was It Filmed?

Several scenes were filmed throughout downtown Vancouver, including:

Vancouver Convention Centre
Canada Place
Coal Harbour
Downtown Vancouver
Financial District

These locations were transformed into large-scale disaster zones using a combination of practical effects and CGI, creating the dramatic backdrop for one of the film's most intense moments.

📍 Visit It Yourself

The Vancouver Convention Centre and Canada Place are two of the city's most recognizable landmarks and are connected by a scenic waterfront promenade.

Walk along the seawall through Coal Harbour for panoramic views of Burrard Inlet, the North Shore Mountains, and the downtown skyline. It's easy to imagine why filmmakers continue to choose this area for blockbuster productions.

🍁 Continue Your Adventure

Nearby attractions include:

FlyOver Canada
Vancouver Lookout
Jack Poole Plaza
Harbour Green Park
Coal Harbour Seawall

🚆 Nearest SkyTrain: Waterfront Station

🎥 Behind the Scenes

During filming, sections of downtown Vancouver were temporarily transformed with military vehicles, emergency response equipment, and large production sets. Extensive visual effects later turned these familiar streets into scenes of citywide destruction, while Vancouver's distinctive waterfront and modern architecture remained recognizable to attentive viewers.

🎬 10. Blade: Trinity (2004)

About the Movie

The third installment of the Blade trilogy transformed Vancouver into a dark, atmospheric city filled with vampires, underground hideouts, and high-octane action.

Gastown's brick buildings, narrow streets, and industrial alleys helped create the perfect backdrop for the film's gothic aesthetic.

Where Was It Filmed?

Locations include:

Gastown
Downtown Vancouver
Industrial districts
Warehouse districts

📍 Visit It Yourself

Gastown

Today, Gastown is one of Vancouver's most vibrant neighbourhoods, known for its heritage architecture, independent shops, restaurants, and the famous Steam Clock.

🍁 Continue Your Adventure

Nearby attractions include:

Steam Clock
Maple Tree Square
Waterfront
Chinatown

🚆 Nearest SkyTrain: Waterfront Station

🎥 Behind the Scenes

Gastown's historic character has made it one of Vancouver's most frequently filmed neighbourhoods, appearing in everything from superhero films to historical dramas.

🗺 Explore Vancouver's Hollywood Filming Locations

Whether you're following your favourite superhero, retracing iconic movie scenes, or discovering Vancouver for the first time, our interactive map makes exploring Hollywood North easier than ever.

Each pin highlights a confirmed filming location from the movies featured in this guide, along with visitor information, nearby attractions, and practical transit tips.

Use the map to:

🎬 Explore filming locations for all ten movies.
🚆 Plan your journey using nearby SkyTrain stations.
🏛 Discover museums, parks, and neighbourhoods nearby.
📸 Visit famous movie locations and recreate memorable scenes.
🍁 Experience Vancouver from a new perspective.

Tip: Use the layer menu to filter filming locations by movie or display every location at once to see just how much of Vancouver has appeared on screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Vancouver called Hollywood North?

Vancouver is one of the world's busiest film production centres thanks to its experienced crews, major film studios, competitive production incentives, and diverse natural and urban landscapes.

What famous movies were filmed in Vancouver?

Some of the best-known films include Deadpool, X-Men, Juno, Fantastic Four, I, Robot, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Blade: Trinity, Final Destination 2, and Fifty Shades of Grey.

Can you visit Vancouver filming locations?

Yes. Many filming locations are public streets, parks, waterfronts, universities, and attractions that visitors can explore throughout the year.

What is Vancouver's most famous filming location?

The Marine Building is one of Vancouver's most recognizable filming locations. Its Art Deco design has appeared in numerous Hollywood films and television series, including Fantastic Four, Watchmen, Blade: Trinity, Smallville, and The Flash. Other iconic filming locations include Gastown, the Vancouver Convention Centre, Stanley Park, and the University of British Columbia.

Which Vancouver neighbourhood appears in the most movies?

Downtown Vancouver, Gastown, Coal Harbour, and False Creek are among the city's most frequently filmed neighbourhoods.

Final Thoughts

Vancouver's nickname, Hollywood North, isn't just a clever slogan—it's a reflection of the city's remarkable role in the global film industry. From superhero blockbusters and science fiction epics to award-winning dramas and romantic films, Vancouver has helped bring countless stories to life while quietly standing in for cities around the world.

Exploring these filming locations offers more than a chance to relive memorable movie moments. It's an opportunity to discover Vancouver's neighbourhoods, waterfronts, historic landmarks, and cultural attractions from a fresh perspective.

Whether you're visiting for a weekend or have called the city home for years, you'll soon realize that some of Hollywood's biggest productions were filmed just around the corner.