23 Movies Filmed in CALIFORNIA (+ Famous Locations)

Watching enjoyable movies is a great hobby; when you can specialize in the kinds of movies you watch, it makes your hobby even better. 

Many movies are filmed in different parts of the world, and Hollywood, the world’s movie capital, is in California. 

The major film studios in America are in Hollywood, California, so most Hollywood movies are filmed in California. 

You could binge-watch movies made in a particular place to understand the fundamentals of filming movies or even just for the fun of watching them.

Countless movies have been filmed in California; keep reading to narrow your search for the next movie you watch.

And by the way, you may also want to check out the best Movie Theaters in California.

Movies filmed in Inglewood, California

1. Speed (1994)

This movie features well-known actors and actresses like Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, and Dennis Hopper.

It is an action/thriller that relates the story of a packed bus with a bomb attached to it and a message from the bomber that the bus must not be allowed to go slower than 50km per hour. 

The movie had a lot of action scenes, and most of the movie was on that bus. 

Multiple Grumman 870 buses were used for the filming, two of which were blown up during filming. 

Many scenes were on Interstate 110 and Interstate 105, which were closed to the public when filming Speed. 

Much time, talent, and money were put into this movie which was directed by Jan De Bont in 1994.

Location: Inglewood, California

2. American Sniper (2014)

This movie was distributed globally by Warner Bros Pictures and is based on an autobiography of the same name written two years earlier than the movie. 

The movie relates the biographical story of a real-life character, Kyle, who joins the army and becomes a legendary deadly marksman. 

It focuses on his life during the war and how he can cope with post-traumatic stress disorder after killing countless people. 

Asides being filmed in California, some scenes in the movie were also shot in Morocco and Seal Beach. 

American Sniper was the highest-grossing movie in North America in the year it was produced.

It also was nominated for and won countless awards in different categories. 

The movie was produced after the author, whose life story was told in the book, had passed away. 

Location: Inglewood, California

3. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a romantic comedy set in a high school and involves the love story between Linda Barrett and two friends, Mark Ratner and Mike Damone. 

It is a coming-of-age movie that has now been selected to be preserved by the United States for its aesthetical, cultural, and historical significance. 

The movie was developed from Crowe’s book, which wrote about his experiences when he went undercover in high school. 

There were many soundtracks used for the movie, and after the movie was produced, an album was made with all the songs in it; this album became #54 on the US Billboard that year. 

Many notable film institutions like the American Film Institute and the National Film Preservation Board have recognized the movie.

Location: Inglewood, California

4. CSI Miami (2002-2012)

This season with 234 episodes, was primarily filmed in California, although it was portrayed in the movie as if all the filming was done in Miami. 

Crime Scene Investigation Miami is a sequel to the original CSI, which is filmed around a fictional police department in Miami-Dade County and how they investigate crime scenes to find suspects of crimes. 

Since the sequel spanned a decade, many of the cast left, and many others joined the show during filming. 

Asides from Inglewood, California, other places where the movie was filmed include Coral Gables, Miami Dade County, and Hawthorne, California. 

The movie was the recipient of many awards and nominations for practically all the years that it ran. 

Aside from CSI Miami, another sequel franchise created was CSI NY, which is said to be set in New York.

Location: Inglewood, California

Also see our article on Date Ideas in California.

Movies filmed in Sierra Madre, California

1. Oppenheimer (2023)

The Oppenheimer movie, set to be released by July 2023, is a story that centers on the biography of Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atomic bomb. 

This movie is set around World War II when the atomic bomb was first invented, and it shows the life events of Oppenheimer, acted by Cillian Murphy, and how the first atomic bomb was created. 

The movie’s filming occurred in New Mexico, New Jersey, and California. 

It was written and directed by Christopher Nolan and is highly anticipated by the rest of the world since the publicity for the movie had been going on for one year before filming was even completed. 

The movie is based on Kai Bird and Sherwin’s book, American Prometheus; which was remodeled to create this movie.

Location: Sierra Madre, California

2. True Lies (1994)

True Lies is an action comedy based on La Totale!, a French comedy film. 

The movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, who plays the role of Harry Tasker. 

Harry Tasker is a US spy agent who lives a double life, with his actual career at one end and being a family man to his wife and daughter at the other. 

Filming true life was an experience for many of the cast and crew members; there were a lot of stunts to be performed and so many stunt performers to stand in for the cast.

Rosecliff Mansion, Ochre Court, Millennium Biltmore Hotel, and other notable places in downtown Los Angeles were used in filming the movie. 

The movie received five awards and was nominated for many others the year it was produced.

Location: Sierra Madre, California

3. The Princess Diaries (2001)

This movie, filmed in California, features the life story of a fictional character, Mia Thermopolis, and how she confronts whether to become a princess. 

In the movie, Mia (Anne Hathaway) meets her father’s mother and discovers that she is next in line to the throne. 

Although she chooses to become a princess or renounce her position, the movie develops based on her life choices. 

The film, which was initially going to be called The Princess of Tribeca, was changed to Princess Diaries when the movie setting was changed to California, USA. 

Locations around California were used in the filming of the movie; some of these places include the Doherty Mansion, used as the German consulate, Alverno High School, serving as Mia’s high school, and many others.

Location: Sierra Madre, California

4. The Wedding Singer (1998)

The Wedding Singer is a romantic comedy produced by Jack Giarraputo and Robert Simonds. 

Adam Sandler acts it, and it is known as his best comedy to date. 

The movie features Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, and many other cast members. 

After the movie was produced in 1998, it was adapted to a stage musical of the same name on Broadway in 2006.

In the movie, Sandler is a 1980s wedding singer who fails in his personal, romantic life, so the script is written by a scriptwriter who was recently heartbroken so that he’d be able to document the feelings properly. 

The movie is the first of the many movies that Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore ever acted together as main characters.

Two different soundtrack albums with the same name as the film were also produced in 1998.

Location: Sierra Madre, California

Also see our article on Fun things to do in California.

Movies filmed in Hemet, California

1. The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Rob Cohen directed this action movie, and it relates the plot of a Los Angeles police officer who goes undercover to the street car racing world to understand a string of carjackings.

The movie is based on a magazine story Racer X by Ken Li, which relates the story of illegal street racing in New York City. 

Most of the filming for the movie was done in Los Angeles and some parts of California. 

The movie is the first of the Fast and Furious series that is still ongoing in the present time. 

Initially, the movie was to be called Redline, but it was changed to Fast and Furious to represent the racing that the movie is very for. 

Locations like Dodgers Stadium, Angelino Heights, Echo Park, and Silver Lake were used in filming different scenes in the movie.

Location: Hemet, California

2. Sea Biscuit (2003)

Sea Biscuit is a sport-themed movie based on a similar book. 

In the book, the characters place their faith in a horse named Sea Biscuit and hope that the horse guides them to victory. 

Although the horse is considered unmanageable, lazy, and small, the owner can train it for the horse races, and it eventually becomes a valid competitor in the matches played. 

Even though the movie is about the horse, it also relates how the horse influences the three main characters and how training the horse to be a victor in matches made them better people. 

The movie was produced by four production companies and filmed in California.

Sea Biscuit is one of those movies where the viewer gets to feel so empathetic towards all the characters, even the horse; because you get to see so much about their lives.

Location: Hemet, California

3. The Lebanese Burger Mafia (2023)

This movie is a documentary that explores the actual life of the writer and producer Omar Mouallem. 

He is the owner of a fast-food restaurant in America.

Since he is an immigrant, the documentary focuses on what immigrants in America face when they try to make a name for themselves in a place where all dreams are possible. 

Omar goes out of his way to interview many people, so he has a lot of perspectives, and as such, the film has a lot of variety on the topic that he explains. 

The movie is based on another popular short film called The Last Baron, but this movie adds more authenticity and history to the analyzed fast food restaurants. 

Although a documentary, this movie is still very entertaining and engaging.

Location: Hemet, California

4. The Skydivers (1963)

This 1963 film is a fictional crime story involving infidelity, revenge, and murder. 

The story is about a couple who have a skydiving facility, how they lose access to it because of their carelessness and the reveal of many personal secrets between them. 

All these lead to a girl deciding to murder her ex-lover, the main character, and being assisted by one of his workers. 

They pour acid on his parachute, so he dies while skydiving since the parachute deteriorates in the air. 

Since witnesses realized the suspected culprits, they were gunned down after a chase by law enforcement. 

The action movie was filmed in places in Hemet, California.

Basically, it relates the story of one of the character’s murder and the ways the culprit was caught.

Location: Hemet, California

Also see our article on Outdoor Activities in California.

Movies filmed in Santa Cruz, California

1. Us II (2019)

Us is the second part of a horror movie that Jordan Peele produced. 

The movie relates the story of Adelaide, who witnessed her replica as a child, and this little encounter led to her losing her voice. 

When Adelaide is grown and has a family of four, she takes a vacation with her family and another family of four that is the exact mirror image of them breaking into the house. 

The movie involves them fighting to kill their replicas, and they find out that most of the human population in America is fighting their doppelgangers as well, who have to come to take their place in the world. 

As the movie progresses, Adelaide’s doppelganger Red is realized to be the honest Adelaide while Red has been pretending to be Adelaide since their encounter as children. 

This movie set in Santa Cruz will keep you at the edge of your seat with fear and anticipation while you watch it. 

Location: Santa Cruz, California

2. Bumblebee (2018)

Bumblebee is a Transformers movie since it is based on the Transformers toy line, a car that can transform into a robot. 

The science fiction, which Paramount Pictures distributed, tells the story of one of the transformers sent to Earth for a mission but befriends a girl who calls it Bumblebee because of its bright yellow color. 

In the movie, twenty years after Bumblebee gets to the earth when Autobots come to the world, and the girl who names the robot Bumblebee is the one who repairs it and assists it in saving the world from autobots called Decepticons.

Bumblebee is the sixth film in the series called Transformers, and the movie was filmed in places in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and many others. 

The movie was well-loved by many people and critics, and it was nominated for many awards, even though it only won two of them.

Location: Santa Cruz, California

3. The Lost Boys (1987)

Have you ever watched a funny horror movie that scares the daylight out of you but does so in a fun way that you can’t stop watching? 

Then, The Lost Boys is a movie you should consider watching.

The movie centers around two boys who move into a new town with their newly divorced mom to be close to their dad and his dad. 

In this new town, they find out about a vampire gang who try to turn them by giving one of them blood to drink, which is half the turning process to be a vampire. 

Since the brother who drank the blood is yet to kill anyone and, as such, is not entirely a vampire, they strive to find the leader of the vampire gang and kill him so he can return to normal. 

With the help of their family members and vampire killers in town, they can achieve this feat and return to normal.

Location: Santa Cruz, California

4. Devs (2020)

With six episodes, this film was filmed entirely on the University of California campus in Santa Cruz. 

The plot centers around a scientist who loses her boyfriend, a coworker and finds out that a job was assigned to him that led to his death. 

In the movie, she dives into investigating the cause of his death and how the new division in their tech company, Devs, might have led to his death. 

She does all this while dealing with loss and grief. 

The movie is very different compared to other science fiction movies and is an excellent watch if you are looking for a different short show that will entertain you while you watch it. 

Devs was nominated for many awards and was applauded by many critics for being a great show in its own right.

Location: Santa Cruz, California

Also see our article on Indoor Activities in California.

Movies filmed in Ferndale, California

1. Salem’s Lot (1979)

As you may know, the name Salem is associated with horror; just hearing the name brings thoughts about scary supernaturals who haunt your sleep and waking moments too. 

This movie is no different; Salem’s Lot is a horror series based on a book by the novelist Stephen King of the same name. 

In this terrifying film, an author returns home and realizes that people in his neighborhood are transforming into vampires. 

Asides the presence of vampires in the town, there are also creepy existences like ghosts and other scary beings. 

Being a record-breaking horror movie, every producer interested in horror was interested in producing the movie in California, so eventually, the film was produced by three people, with Silliphant, the executive producer, and Kobritz and Cottle being associate producers.

Location: Ferndale, California

2. Joe Dirt (2001)

This hilariously funny movie follows the life of Joe Dirt, a character his family abandoned in childhood. 

In the movie, he tries to find his birth family and fails multiple times, but after he becomes a local star on the radio, his greedy family contacts him to use his popularity for their selfish gains. 

Sony Pictures distributed the movie using absurd situations, broad humor, and vigorous actions to characterize Joe Dirt, who uses the last name Dirt because he does not know his real last name. 

After discovering how selfish his birth family is and realizing that they abandoned him purposely, Joe falls in love with Brandy, and together they drive away while listening to a song on the radio dedicated to Joe.

Location: Ferndale, California

3. Outbreak (1995)

This movie is a thriller that focuses on the medical disaster of a fictional virus called Motaba and how it infects many people in the United States. 

The virus is introduced when a monkey is illegally brought to the US, infecting the first few people that it scratches; even though the monkey was moved out of the vicinity, their blood is passed around by some scientists who get affected by the virus. 

While the army is trying to contain the virus and make sure that it does not affect too many people and blow up to be a worldwide pandemic, other people in the army are planning to weaponize the virus and, as such, are sabotaging the plans for anti-virus to be made. 

Eventually, the virus becomes airborne and affects and kills many people in the US; that is when a serum that kills the strain of the virus is made so the whole world is protected. 

The movie was filmed and produced when certain places in Africa were dealing with ebola, so the Motaba virus was made ebola-like.

Location: Ferndale, California

4. The Majestic (2001)

The Majestic is the first movie acted by Jim Carrey that was not entirely comedy. 

In this movie, set just after the second world war, Carrey is a scriptwriter accused of being a communist. 

Even though the accusation is false, he does not have any way to prove himself as an anticommunist.

So he loses many things, like the movie he just wrote that was named to someone else because of the bad publicity attached to him. 

With all this ill luck, Carrey spirals and is soon in an accident that causes him to lose all his memory and start living his life as a missing-in-action war hero in a small town. 

Eventually, he is found and regains his memory, where he is tried in court for being a communist and found not guilty. 

He then returns to the small town and lives with them as himself, not who they thought he was the first time.

Location: Ferndale, California

Also see our article on Ghost Towns in California.

Movies filmed in Mendocino, California

1. Murder, She Wrote (1984- 1996)

This series which started in 1984, is one of the longest-playing series that is also successful, even after running for twelve years. 

The series focuses on the life of Jessica Fletcher, acted by Angela Lansbury, and how her family member’s death began her journey as an amateur detective. 

At first, her detective skills were used to find treasures, but it later became a means of solving murder cases. 

Even though the series finished in 1996, there is still a book series with the same ongoing plot. 

The movie, which had a total of twelve seasons, was filmed mainly in Universal Studios in California, and when there was a need for outdoor shots, they were done in California as well. 

In 2013, some producers considered doing a modern reboot of the show; however, this was terminated because of the sentimental attachment that many people had to the series and its cast. 

Location: Mendocino, California

2. Sharp Objects (2018)

Sharp Objects is a psychological drama mini-series that involves a reported returning to her hometown to solve the murder of two young girls. 

The film, which is Southern Gothic, involves the reporter finding clues for the girl’s death and revealing parts of her past that affect her emotional instability. 

This movie was developed from Gillian Flynn’s debut novel, Sharp Objects, and most of the filming of this movie was done in Georgia and California. 

The movie received many nominations, especially for its acting and cinematography, which was very real and dark. 

In the movie, the reporter has to go back to living with her mother in her hometown and is forced to confront her inadequacies under the watching eyes of her socialite mother. 

This movie is not just about finding the cause of the death of the two young girls; it’s about finding herself. 

Location: Mendocino, California

3. Need For Speed (2014)

This action movie is set over many years. 

It is a racing movie that involves the characters racing illegally and betting on very high stakes, which cause them to do Extreme things like murder one another. 

After the murder of a racer, the person guilty runs away, and the third person is arrested for involuntary murder and so is released after a couple of years. 

Upon release, he (Tobey) looks for Dino to avenge Pete’s death and becomes partners with Julia. 

In a final race between Tobey and Dino, the police apprehend both, and the police find out that Dino is responsible for Pete’s murder and so is imprisoned for his crime. 

The movie was critiqued widely for not having a solid plot and not being profitable after its release. 

Location: Mendocino, California

If you liked this article, you may also like to read about the best National Parks, Castles, and Playgrounds in California.

Looking beyond California? Check out our article on some popular movies filmed in Texas and Florida.