10 Movies You Didn't Know Were Filmed In Vancouver

Image via Vancouver Sun

Joss Whedon’s campy romp flew under the radar for most people, but for fans of the writer-director, it became an instant cult hit. Kristen Connolly's "Dana" had her cozy apartment located on West 5th, while a larger portion of the movie was shot in Coquihalla Canyon. We can only hope to stay clear of supernatural forces when we go camping in BC this summer.

SNL alumni The Lonely Island are known for their ridiculous and amazing digital shorts. But in 2007, the gang created a new comedic favorite in Hot Rod. It’s a movie with some utterly dumb and some truly hilarious vignettes. Andy Samberg and company filmed on location both in downtown Van City, and some of his stunts were bravely acted out in nearby Surrey.

In the Fall of 2013, the 50 Shades hype train ended up in Vancouver. Location scouting resulted in UBC doubling as Washington State University, and the local Fairmont Hotel serving as the Heathman Hotel. But if you happened to be some weird university student/expensive hotel frequenter, we didn’t have to point any of that out to you.

Joe Carnahan’s A-Team was shot, not just in Vancouver, but all over the 604. Additional locations included Kamloops, Cache Creek, Ashcroft, Burnaby, and Coquitlam. We’re not sure how much of BC was victim to explosions, or if any hitched a ride in B.A.’s van, but that’d be pretty damn cool.

Ok, so it's not out just quite yet, but upcoming Marvel vehicle Deadpool will likely be another financial and critical success. With filming wrapping up right in his own hometown, Vancouver native Ryan Reynolds will finally make a full-length debut as everyone’s favorite ninja assassin. If you've noticed any strange katana-like marks around town, you now know where they came from.

You might be hesitant to visit the west coast when we find out the last truly frightening Exorcist film was shot in Vancouver. See if you can spot the Buchanan and MacMillan buildings at UBC. You may want to live off campus, especially after witnessing Emily's demonic possession.

Will Smith's massive sci-fi adventure was a hit at the box office and peddled a sterile, futurist aesthetic that was ultimately too reminiscent of other genre films. It wasn’t overly individual, but it sure was striking. Vancouver became the canvas for Alex Proyas and company to transform the city into post-robotic Chicago.

We all knew that Seth Rogen and James Franco’s The Interview would never be allowed to shoot in Pyongyang. In fact, no one is allowed to film in North Korea without the supreme leader’s blessing. And if you paid attention to the news this year, there was no way that was going to happen for this big-budget comedy. Still, I’m sure none of us could tell that Robson Square played Kim Jong-un’s compound, and Skylark Studios was in fact CBC Vancouver.