Filmmakers are pretty good at making film locations look unrecognizable on screen—so good, in fact, that you may not even recognize your own neighbourhood when it appears in a big Hollywood movie! For people living in Victoria, this probably happens all the time, since large film productions love to shoot against the beautiful architecture and landscapes that Vancouver Island has to offer. Here are some films that you probably didn’t realize were filmed in and around Victoria.
- White Chicks (2004)
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Who would have thought?! If you look closely, the Royal Hamptons Hotel is actually Government House!
- Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) and Eclipse (2010)
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Yes, Victorians, we once shared this island with Taylor Lautner! Incinerator Rock and South Beach at the Pacific Rim National Park were used in New Moon, and the Nanaimo River was used in Eclipse.
- Godzilla (2014)
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If you can believe it, Nanaimo acted as San Francisco for this film. Also, the railways near Nanaimo were used in the burning train scenes!
- Are We There Yet? (2005)
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This is arguably the best road trip movie of its time. Did you know that its driving scenes were shot along Highway 19, AKA Island Highway?
- Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018)
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With Hatley Castle at Royal Roads University being used as the X-Mansion, both Deadpool movies and many X-Men movies have been filmed here on Vancouver Island!
- Last but certainly not least…. Cats and Dogs (2001)
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If this cinematic masterpiece about canine covert operatives working to stop cats from making all humans allergic to dogs was NOT a major part of your childhood, you certainly missed out. If you were like me and watched this movie approximately 37 times, you may recognize that Mr. Mason’s house is actually Craigdarroch Castle!
Did you recognize Victoria the first time you watched any of these films? Let us know!