9 Shows & Movies Filmed in Canada to Binge This Winter
As the weather turns colder, it’s the perfect time to snuggle up with a mug hot cocoa and put on your favourite movies. Many of your favourite American films were actually filmed in Canada.
Over the last few decades, the film industry in Canada has been booming. With the lush scenery and rocky mountains as a backdrop, American film and production companies have been flocking to the Great White North.
The attractive exchange rate has turned Canada into a go to destination for indie films, and big budget blockbusters alike.
Here is our list of 9 binge-worthy shows and movies filmed right here in Canada.
1. Brokeback Mountain
The Academy award winning film, directed by Ang Lee, was set in Wyoming but filmed in Southern Alberta. Brokeback Mountain tells the tale of a forbidden romance between two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar played by Heath Ledger, and Jack Twist portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal, in the wild west.
Regarded as a turning point for queer cinema, the film was selected by the American National Film Registry for preservation. It received multiple nominations and wins alike, at both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
2. Twilight
The Twilight Saga is a series of 5 films based off of the best-selling books of the same titles by author Stephenie Meyer. Grossing 3.3 billion worldwide, the series tells the love story between Bella, a teenager attending Forks High School, and Edward, her vampire counterpart.
The series was filmed in various locations across British Columbia. With New Westminister doubling as Port Angeles, Washington and Pemberton as Denali, Alaska.
3. Suicide Squad
2016 Action film Suicide Squad stars Jared Leto, Will Smith and Margot Robbie, and is based off of the DC comics of the same name. The super villain squad is recruited by a government agency to save the world in exchange for their freedom. Ranked the 10th highest grossing film of 2016, Suicide Squad grossed over $746 million worldwide.
Suicide squad was filmed in Toronto, Ontario. The bustling city of Toronto was used in lieu of New York City.
4. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
No movie list would be complete without Canadian actor and musician Michael Cera. The 2010 comedy is based on the graphic novels of the same name, by Cartoonist Bryan Lee O’Malley.
Scott Pilgrim is a slacker musician who tries to defeat the seven evil ex-boyfriends of his manic pixie dream girl, Ramona Flowers. The movie is a nod to O’Malley’s love of Toronto, Ontario. Featuring many famous Toronto locations, like Casa Loma.
5. Good Will Hunting
The 1997 film Good Will Hunting follows the life of a young janitor, who with the help of a psychologist, finds his direction in life. The film was written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, with an original budget of $10 million. Good Will Hunting grossed over $225 million and was nominated for 9 academy awards.
Although the film was set around South Boston and Harvard Square, it was shot north of the border. 880 kilometers north, in Toronto to be exact.
6. Titanic
The 1997 epic romance film, directed by James Cameron, stars Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet. The film tells the tale of two individuals from different social classes that fall in love despite their very different upbringings.
The film incorporates both fictional and historical aspects, of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The British ocean liner sank 400 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada, the film of the same name was shot not far from the sinking location in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
7. Chicago
Chicago explores corruption, scandal and secret lives of celebrities in Chicago during the Jazz Age, the era between the 1920’s and 1930’s. Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones, play Roxie and Velma, two murderesses awaiting trial.
Contrary to its name, the 2002 musical Chicago was filmed in Toronto, Ontario. The Onyx theatre, a focal location in the film, is actually the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, a historical building on the Toronto waterfront.
8. The Prince and Me
The 2004 romantic comedy stars Julia Stiles and Luke Mably. In a Cinderella-esque storyline, pre-med student Paige Moore meets and falls in love with Prince Edvard. The film spawned three sequels under the same series title.
Does the University of Wisconsin- Madison look familiar? That’s because it’s actually The University of Toronto.
9. X-Men
Last but certainly not least, the wildly popular X-Men film series based on the comic books of the same name by Stan Lee. The super hero team bands together to save the world. The series features 12 films thus far, and is the seventh highest grossing film series of all time.
Did your favourite movie make our list? With so many blockbuster films being shot in Canada, it’s no wonder Vancouver and Toronto have coined the terms Hollywood and New York of the North.
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