By Soren Rivero
Canada is home to some of the most famous attractions in North America, including some of the world’s top blockbuster movies. Keep reading to find out which of your favorite movies were filmed in Canada — some may surprise you!
Titanic
An iconic film filled with memorable moments and historic references, Titanic was filmed mostly off the shores of California, but some scenes were recorded on the shores of Nova Scotia in Eastern Canada.
The film’s director, James Cameron, is one of Canada’s most notorious directors of all time. Having produced other movies such as The Terminator, it came as no surprise that this Canadian director would want to film Titanic in Canada as well!
Fun fact: On one of the last days of the Canadian filming period, someone laced a soup that was made for the crew with PCP. Over 50 people began hallucinating, including James Cameron himself! Till this day, no one knows who the culprit was.
It (Both Chapters)
A supernatural clown who has terrorized the city of Derry, Maine for centuries, just wishing to feast on the city’s townsfolk is… from Canada?
Yep, that’s correct. Pennywise and all the other characters were cast in two Canadian locations: Port Hope and Toronto. Stephen King wanted the setting to match the eeriness described in the novel version, and since there aren’t many U.S. cities matching that vibe, they looked towards Toronto.
Surprisingly, even the first iteration of It (1990) was filmed in British Columbia. Seems like Pennywise really likes Canada, eh? If you’re swimming in a sea of astonishment by this filming location surprise, we were also on that same boat! But have no fear, because you’ll float too.
Deadpool
There are many DC and Marvel movies that had some filming in Canada, but our pick is the hilarious Deadpool.
There’s not a single movie on this list that screams Canadian more than Deadpool. Shot entirely in Canada, this film features a chaotic neutral superhero who seeks revenge against the man who turned him into a disfigured super-human.
Deadpool’s actor, Ryan Reynolds, is one of the world’s most well-known comedy actors. Reynolds himself is a Canadian native, and the entirety of the movie was even filmed in his hometown of Vancouver. You can click here to see where throughout Vancouver the movie was filmed!
Mean Girls
This may seem a little far-fetched (yes, we made it happen), but it’s totally true! Mean Girls, the nationally accredited, incredibly iconic teenage drama was completely filmed in Toronto!
What better way to say American teenage drama than to film in Canada, eh? Despite the location of this legendary movie being set in Chicago, none of the recording was done on U.S. land. Who would have guessed, right?
You can visit some of the places where Mean Girls was filmed in Toronto. The school scenes were all set throughout three different education institutes: Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, University of Toronto, and Malvern Collegiate Institute. The iconic mall where Regina George took the girls after saying “get in loser, we’re going shopping” was none other than Sherway Gardens in Western Toronto.
Be sure to stop by these locations to see where Mean Girls took place, and don’t forget to wear pink on Wednesdays!
American Psycho
American Psycho’s original setting is New York City, with there being many references to the city itself throughout the movie. Ironically, the office of protagonist Patrick Bateman (full-time journalist, part-time serial killer) was filmed at the Toronto-Dominion-Centre in Toronto instead. Quite far from New York, one might say.
Regardless, the movie does a great job of capturing the essence of New York City, despite being hundreds of miles away from it.
Be sure to visit all of these movie locations on your trip to Canada!
