1. Good Will Hunting — known for its Boston setting, a lot actually filmed in Toronto.
The famous Bostonian movie is, YEAH, NOT BOSTON. The movie did catch some bars and, of course, the MIT campus, in Massachusetts, but more scenes were actually shot in Canada. For example, the corporate building where Will rejects a job offer is on Bloor street in downtown Toronto (right). And the candy store where Will and Skyler go on their first date? A candy store in Canada.
2. The Twilight Saga — supposed to be Washington, filmed in various U.S. locations, but the beautiful aerial shots? Yup, Canada.
The saga romanticized the town of Forks, Washington, and while most on-the-ground Twilight scenes were filmed in the states (mainly Oregon and Washington), their breathtaking aerial shots of forests are actually of British Columbia's Tofino and New Westminster green coasts. "The secrecy of those thick trees, it felt really organic to the story. We got so many beautiful things we wouldn't have had somewhere else." Stephenie Meyer told Huffington Post B.C.
3. Brokeback Mountain — supposed to be in Wyoming, actually shot in majestic mountains of Alberta.
The gorgeous scenes of the great outdoors were not the wild cowboy Wyoming, but Alberta's breathtaking Rocky Mountains (right). Parts of Calgary, Cowley, Elbow Falls and Fort Macleod were also masqueraded as the middle-American state.
4. Happy Gilmore — supposed to be Connecticut, actually shot in British Columbia.
The movie was supposedly set in Waterbury, CT , but the film locations were actually in various parts of British Columbia. Almost all of the golf scenes in the movie (left) were shot in the Swan-e-set Bay Resort & Country Club (right) in Pitt Meadows, BC.
5. How To Deal — supposed to be some small U.S. town, actually shot in and outside of Toronto.
The American teen flick was shot in various locations in Ontario: Brampton, Hamilton, Scarborough, Oakville, and Toronto.
6. Superman — supposed to be in "Smallville," U.S.A., actually shot in Calgary and other locations in Alberta.
One of the most, if not the most, well-known American superhero film was mainly shot in the province of Alberta. Everything from Clark's farm (which was just outside of Calgary), to the missile base scenes (which was Kananaskis Country), to some city shots (which was Calgary), was done on Canadian turf.
7. My Big Fat Greek Wedding — supposed to be Chicago, actually shot in Toronto.
Toronto's greektown was used as footage to convey a Chicagoan greek community. You can also catch parts of downtown Toronto, including Danforth Avenue, in the film, again, to stand in as "Chicago."
8. Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle — supposed to be New Jersey, actually shot in various locations in Ontario.
Harold and Kumar's hunt for a White Castle in Cherry Hill, NJ was depicted by all sorts of outdoor/indoor shots in Ontario, namely Mississauga. The manic driving scenes were shot on Mississauga's Erin Mills Parkway.
There aren't even White Castles in Canada.
9. The Incredible Hulk — supposed to be NYC, actually filmed in Toronto.
The city backdrop for The Incredible Hulk was meant to evoke The Big Apple (as you can see in the movie poster), but production actually took place in Toronto. Much of the cityscape in the movie was shots of Tdot's famous Yonge street, Eaton Centre, and financial district.
10. American Psycho — supposed to be NYC, actually filmed in Toronto.
The famous movie depicts a psychotic investment banker based in Manhattan, but much of the city shots are of different downtown Toronto locations (right): Eglington, Sherbourne, Victoria st.
11. Get Rich Or Die Tryin' — supposed to be NYC, actually filmed in Toronto.
50 Cent famously grew up in New York City, and his biopic movie certainly tried to capture that, but a ton of shots of his "childhood neighbourhood" were various downtown spots in the Tdot.
Torontoist breaks down these "New York" locations, frame by frame, and where they're actually found in Toronto.
12. Serendipity — famous for its NYC setting, some parts actually shot in Toronto.
Toronto is constantly used as a double for NYC in big Hollywood films, and one of the most famous films about NYC ...has shots of Toronto in it. Just part of the production mechanics/budgeting process, eh?
13. Capote — supposed to be Kansas, actually shot in Winnipeg and other parts of Manitoba.
The plot has Truman Capote traveling to the state of Kansas, where much of the movie is set, but those scenes actually took place in Winnipeg and Selkirk (right).
14. Once Upon a Time in America — supposed to be in ...AMERICA, parts actually filmed in Quebec.
Sure, the NYC crime movie, did take footage of iconic landmarks (Williamsburg bridge, Manhattan bridge, parts of Brooklyn) to, y'know, convince us of The Big Apple, but most of the movie was shot in Montreal and other cities in Quebec.
15. How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days — supposed to be NYC, some scenes actually filmed in Toronto.
Another uber famous Manhattan rom-com, the film gets all of the necessary scenic shots, like of Andie's bougie job at the Conde Nast building, or the dates on the Staten Island Ferry, but much of the movie's inside scenes were done in Canada.
Like, the scene with the "Knicks" game at Madison Square Garden was shot mostly in Toronto using green screens, while they quickly filmed them leaving MSG at the actual on-site location, and cut it around the other scenes.
The gala event near the end of the film was supposed to be in the US Customs House in Lower Manhattan, but they also cut some outside shots of the building, before filming the inside-gala scenes in Canada.
16. Mean Girls — supposed to be Illinois, actually shot in Toronto.
The quintessential American high school flick actually took place in CANADA. The famous mall scenes were of Etobicoke, Ontario's Sherway Gardens Mall, the outdoor high school scenes were of Etobicoke's Collegiate Institute, and the aerial "Chicago" shots were aerial shots of Toronto.
Apparently, fellow Canadians Rachel McAdams and Rajiv Surendra (AKA Kevin Gnapoor) really bonded over being on their home turf while shooting the film.
17. Chicago — supposed to be ...Chicago..., actually filmed in Toronto.
The well-known musical/movie adaptation Chicago is based in Chicago. That is the the sexy draw of the film: The 1920s Jazz Age of Chicago.
Wellllllll. The movie was almost entirely filmed in Toronto and various other nearby locations: Queen's Park, the Elgin Theatre, downtown's Union Station, the Canada Life Building, and the Osgoode Hall, which became the famous courthouse scene in the movie. Even Chicago's main vocal coach was Canadian and Torontonian Elaine Overholt.
