Top 10 Movies Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia

Surprise: you've probably seen Vancouver more times than you think. Just not as Vancouver. This west coast gem often moonlights as New York, Seattle, San Francisco, or even alien planets. With its glassy skyline, dense forests, and just the right splash of gloom, it's become Hollywood North's favorite disguise.

You might spot familiar downtown streets mid-explosion in a superhero showdown. Or recognize that one mountain view that seems to pop up in every apocalyptic sci-fi. The city's got range. It can look like a glittering metropolis, a sleepy suburb, or a dystopian war zone. Plus, it doesn't hurt that filming in Canada can be a budget-friendly dream for production studios.

So if you've ever found yourself thinking, "Hey, that alley looks weirdly familiar," it's probably because you've seen it six times across three franchises and one Netflix original.

Now it's your turn to call out the flicks that brought Vancouver's many disguises to the big screen. Scroll through the list and vote for the movies you think best used the city's scenery, skyline, and storm clouds. Or vote just because you like the film. No one's judging.

The Top Ten

Deadpool

Starting the list with an obvious one, Deadpool. This popular Marvel movie starring Ryan Reynolds was shot in his hometown. Most of the movie was filmed in the Downtown Eastside area, also showcasing the Telus World of Science.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Despite the movie being set in California's San Francisco, parts of the movie were filmed in the Downtown Eastside area. The neighborhood where Caesar lives was filmed in the Mount Pleasant area, which can serve as a similar replica to San Francisco.
Godzilla (2014)

Another movie is set in the Bay Area but used areas in Vancouver to film. The popular skiing area, Cypress Provincial Park, served as a replica of the Oakland Bay Area park. The Vancouver Convention Center was used as a stand-in for Hawaii's Honolulu International Airport. Parts of the tsunami's destruction in Honolulu can be seen through a window of a building. That building also happened to be the convention center!
Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four uses many areas in Vancouver as filming spots. The most notable one would be the university that the group stays at. This was filmed at the University of British Columbia.
Mission: Impossible IV - Ghost Protocol

While this movie was filmed in many major, well-known cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Dubai, Budapest, and Prague, it was also filmed in Vancouver. Instead of Seattle, as the movie depicts, Granville Island was used as a replica of Seattle's Pike Place.
Final Destination 3

We all remember the fear after watching that scene of everyone on the roller coaster, which had a terrifying aftermath. This scene was filmed at Vancouver's very own amusement park, Playland. In real life, the ride is called Corkscrew, and surprisingly, it is pretty tame compared to the roller coasters at Six Flags!
Apollo 18

This film was shot all around Vancouver.
Fifty Shades of Grey

Funny enough, the protagonist lives in Vancouver, Washington. However, the film was shot in Vancouver, Canada. The neighborhood was filmed in Gastown.
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Downtown Vancouver was also used to stand in for Washington, D.C. The Ambleside Pier in the movie was filmed at Chesapeake Beach in West Vancouver. It's kind of cool to imagine that there are monsters there!
Good Boys

The Newcomers

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If I Stay
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Intersection

The Contenders

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3: Dog Days

While the movie was filmed all over British Columbia, there was a theme park featured in the film where Greg and Rowley rode on the Cranium Shaker ride. That amusement park is also Playland, as seen in Final Destination. The ride they went on is called Revolution, and yes, it is just as thrilling as it seemed in the movie!
Are We There Yet?
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever
Tron: Legacy
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open
Riceboy Sleeps