The following information is provided by Graphiq and PrettyFamous.
It’s no secret that many movies are filmed on giant sets in Hollywood. Filmmakers have the technology to create almost any type of location imaginable. With big budgets and abundant CGI, a set can turn into a secluded village or a galaxy far, far away.
However, large budgets also provide filmmakers with the ability to film on location, moving the entire cast and crew to the real-world location where the story takes place. Sometimes, filming in exotic locations takes the audience even farther from reality, like the film “Avatar,” whose tropical scenes of the planet Pandora were filmed in Hawaii. Filmmakers have traversed all 50 states to enrich their films and entertain audiences.
Have you ever wondered which successful movie was filmed near you? Using data from Gracenote, PrettyFamous discovered which movies brought in the highest U.S. box office revenue (not adjusted for inflation). We then used IMDb to find out which states (including Washington, D.C.) these movies were filmed in. In order to be counted in the state, each of these films had to have at least one scene (which could take up any amount of screen time) filmed in that particular state.
Some high-grossing films like “Transformers” or “The Avengers” were shot in multiple states, and appear on our list more than once. From Rhode Island to Idaho, it may surprise you that many box office blockbusters were filmed in small towns not at all associated with the bright lights of Hollywood.
#1. Alabama
Film: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $148,213,000
Filming Location in Alabama: Talladega Superspeedway: 3366 Speedway Boulevard, Talladega, Alabama
#2. Alaska
Film: Transformers
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $319,014,000
Filming Location in Alaska: Columbia Bay, Alaska
#3. Arizona
Film: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $402,077,000
Filming Location in Arizona: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona
#4. Arkansas
Film: Gone With the Wind
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $198,676,000
Filming Location in Arkansas: North Little Rock, Arkansas (The farm in opening credits)
#5. California
Film: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $934,898,000
Filming Location in California: 1666 Euclid St, Santa Monica, California (Bad Robot Productions)
#6. Colorado
Film: Furious 7
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $350,828,000
Filming Locations in Colorado: Woodland Park, Colorado and Aspen Ranch, Colorado
#7. Connecticut
Film: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $317,011,000
Filming Location in Connecticut: Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut (Marshall College)
#8. Delaware
Film: The Village
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $114,196,000
Filming Location in Delaware: Centerville, Delaware
#9. Florida
Film: Iron Man 3
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $408,992,000
Filming Location in Florida: Miami, Florida
#10. Georgia
Film: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $424,646,000
Filming Locations in Georgia: Georgia World Congress Center and the Swan House in Atlanta, Georgia
#11. Hawaii
Film: Avatar
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $760,506,000
Filming Locations in Hawaii: Rainforest of Hamakua Coast and Oahu and Kauai, Hawaii
#12. Idaho
Film: Wild Wild West
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $113,806,000
Filming Location in Idaho: Pierce, Idaho
#13. Illinois
Film: The Dark Knight
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $534,858,000
Filming Location in Illinois: South LaSalle Street in Chicago, Illinois
#14. Indiana
Film: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $352,359,000
Filming Location in Indiana: Shores of Lake Michigan in Gary, Indiana
#15. Iowa
Film: Twister
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $241,718,000
Filming Locations in Iowa: Ames, Boone, Rippey, Whitten and Eldora, Iowa
#16. Kansas
Film: Dances With Wolves
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $184,011,000
Filming Location in Kansas: Tomahawk Drive in Fort Hayes, Kansas
#17. Kentucky
Film: Rain Man
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $171,189,000
Filming Location in Kentucky: Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport in Hebron, Kentucky
#18. Louisiana
Film: Jurassic World
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $652,177,000
Filming Locations in Louisiana: Louis Armstrong International Airport and New Orleans Audubon Zoo in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
#19. Maine
Film: Forrest Gump
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $330,252,000
Filming Location in Maine: Marshall Point Lighthouse in Point Clyde, Maine
#20. Maryland
Film: Wedding Crashers
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $209,218,000
Filming Location in Maryland: Assateague Island National Seashore near Cedartown, Maryland
#21. Massachusetts
Film: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $337,104,000
Filming Location in Massachusetts: Boston, Massachusetts
#22. Michigan
Film: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $352,359,000
Filming Locations in Michigan: Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, Michigan and Detroit, Michigan
#23. Minnesota
Film: Grumpier Old Men
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $70,473,800
Filming Locations in Minnesota: Afton, Stillwater, St. Croix and St. Paul, Minnesota
#24. Mississippi
Film: The Help
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $169,706,000
Filming Locations in Mississippi: Greenwood, Jackson and Clarksdale, Mississippi
#25. Missouri
Film: The Silence of the Lambs
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $130,651,000
Filming Location in Missouri: Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri
#26. Montana
Film: Forrest Gump
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $330,252,000
Filming Location in Montana: Blackfeet Indian Reservation near Browning, Montana
#27. Nebraska
Film: Dances With Wolves
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $184,011,000
Filming Location in Nebraska: Areas near Oglala National Grassland, Nebraska
#28. Nevada
Film: Transformers
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $319,014,000
Filming Locations in Nevada: Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire State Park and Las Vegas, Nevada
#29. New Hampshire
Film: Jumanji
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $100,273,000
Filming Location in New Hampshire: Maine Street in Keene, New Hampshire
#30. New Jersey
Film: The Dark Knight Rises
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $448,131,000
Filming Location in New Jersey: Newark, New Jersey
#31. New Mexico
Film: Marvel’s The Avengers
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $623,280,000
Filming Location in New Mexico: Albuquerque Studios: 5650 University Boulevard SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
#32. New York
Film: Marvel’s the Avengers
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $623,280,000
Filming Location in New York: Grumman Aerospace Factory in Bethpage, Long Island, New York
#33. North Carolina
Film: Iron Man 3
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $408,992,000
Filming Locations in North Carolina: Screen Gems Studios: 1223 North 23rd Street, Wilmington, North Carolina and Cary, North Carolina
#34. North Dakota
Film: Fargo
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $24,547,500
Filming Locations in North Dakota: Fargo and Grafton, North Dakota
#35. Ohio
Film: Marvel’s the Avengers
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $623,280,000
Filming Location in Ohio: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Fairborn, Ohio and the towns of Parma, Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio
#36. Oklahoma
Film: Transformers
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $319,014,000
Filming Location in Oklahoma: Tinker Air Force Base near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
#37. Oregon
Film: Independence Day
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $306,169,000
Filming Location in Oregon: Grants Pass, Oregon
#38. Pennsylvania
Film: Marvel’s the Avengers
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $623,280,000
Filming Location in Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#39. Rhode Island
Film: There’s Something About Mary
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $176,484,000
Filming Location in Rhode Island: Providence, Rhode Island
#40. South Carolina
Film: Forrest Gump
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $330,252,000
Filming Locations in South Carolina: Bluff Plantation: 3547 Combahee Road, Yemassee, South Carolina and Fripp Island, South Carolina
#41. South Dakota
Film: National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $219,962,000
Filming Locations in South Dakota: Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, South Dakota and Sylvan Lake, South Dakota
#42. Tennessee
Film: Cast Away
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $233,630,000
Filming Location in Tennessee: Memphis, Tennessee
#43. Texas
Film: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $352,359,000
Filming Location in Texas: Johnson Space Center: 2101 NASA Rd., Houston, Texas
#44. Utah
Film: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $337,104,000
Filming Location in Utah: Desert Mound Road, Cedar City, Utah
#45. Vermont
Film: Star Trek
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $257,704,000
Filming Location in Vermont: Rock of Ages Smith Quarry: 772 Graniteville Road, Barre, Vermont
#46. Virginia
Film: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $402,077,000
Filming Location in Virginia: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, Virginia
#47. Washington
Film: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $300,523,000
Filming Location in Washington: Seattle, Washington
#48. West Virginia
Film: The Silence of the Lambs
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $130,651,000
Filming Location in West Virginia: Clay County, West Virginia
#49. Wisconsin
Film: Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $352,359,000
Filming Location in Wisconsin: Milwaukee Art Museum: 700 Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#50. Wyoming
Film: Dances With Wolves
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $184,011,000
Filming Location in Wyoming: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
#51. Washington, D.C.
Film: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Total U.S. Box Office Revenue: $402,077,000
Filming Location in Washington D.C.: National Air & Space Museum: Sixth & Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C.
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