Hollywood can’t get enough of Alberta. The province has played a starring role in some of Tinseltown’s biggest blockbusters and television productions. And it’s easy to see why. Here’s some of the most well-known examples from recent decades.
Must-See Blockbusters and TV Productions Filmed in Alberta
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Alberta’s dramatic landscapes have become some of Hollywood’s favourite filming locations. Visitors can explore these scenic spots that range from the peaks of the Canadian Rockies to Edmonton’s river valley.
- Top Hollywood films and TV productions have been filmed across Alberta.
- Alberta’s staggering natural beauty steals the show in many movies.
- Sets from many TV shows and movies filmed in Alberta are available to see.
Blockbuster Movies
The Thicket
This Western thriller starring Peter Dinklage and Juliette Lewis was filmed in Calgary and area in 2023. Adapted from the 2013 Joe R. Lansdale novel of the same name, The Thicket is set in Texas, making Alberta an appropriate backdrop for the film. Filming locations included Albertina Farm, CL Ranch, Bow River Ranch and Stoney Nakoda.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
The third chapter of the beloved Ghostbusters saga began shooting in Calgary in July 2019 under the working title "Rust City.” Recognizable locales like Horsethief Canyon and Calgary’s historic Lougheed House are featured along with the Turner Valley Gas Plant and Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod. Locations in the Canadian Badlands include downtown Drumheller and the Bleriot Ferry, which crosses the Red Deer River. The film stars Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard (of Stranger Things fame) and reprises the classic roles of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson. The release of Ghostbusters: Aftlerlife was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hitting the big screen in November 2021.
Let Him Go
The dynamic duo of Kevin Costner and Diane Lane spent time in Alberta in April 2019 filming Let Him Go. The drama is set in North Dakota and Montana in the early 1960s, but locations throughout Alberta stood in for the northern states. Downtown Fort Macleod, Calgary, Didsbury and Drumheller all received a close-up.
Togo
This Disney epic follows Togo, a real-life heroic sled dog who ran hundreds of kilometres in unthinkable conditions in 1925. The film stars Willem Dafoe as famed musher Leonhard Seppala, along with a crew of sled dogs from Snowy Owl Sled Dogs in Canmore. Two of the local sled dogs stood in as stunt doubles for Diesel, the husky who plays Togo. Fun fact: Diesel is a direct descendant of Togo. Shot entirely in Alberta in 2018, filming locations included Kananaskis Country, Cochrane, and Abraham Lake.
Jumanji: The Next Level
In spring 2019, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Kevin Hart were in Alberta filming scenes for Jumanji: The Next Level. This is the third instalment of the fantasy saga that began in 1995 with Robin Williams. The crew spent four days shooting among the snow-capped peaks at Fortress Mountain. No doubt this was a stark contrast to the sweltering jungles also featured in the film. Hart even gave Alberta a loving shout-out on his Instagram stories. Meanwhile, Johnson got nostalgic about starting his journey in Calgary as a professional football player in the 1990s with only $7 to his name.
Brokeback Mountain
The tear-jerker cowboy love story is set in Wyoming, but Alberta was chosen to stand in for the state. During the summer of 2004, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger spent a considerable amount of time in the province, shooting primarily in the Canadian Rockies. Mount Lougheed, Fortress and Moose Mountain were combined electronically to create the main peak featured in the movie. Remember the campsite scenes? They were shot in Goat Creek, Upper Kananaskis Lake and Elbow Falls. But the list doesn’t stop there. Other scenes in Brokeback Mountain were filmed in Cowley, Fort Macleod and Calgary, which included Ranchman’s Cookhouse and Danceha.
Cool Runnings
Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, which marked the debut of the Jamaican national bobsled team. Sound familiar? It’s also the story that inspired the 1993 comedy Cool Runnings. The iconic film was partially filmed in Calgary, including at WinSport Canada Olympic Park and Ranchman’s Cookhouse and Dancehall.
Inception
The sci-fi mindbender starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy and Elliot Page underwent a globetrotting journey. Filming locations included Tokyo, the United Kingdom, Morocco, France, Los Angeles and, yes, Alberta. The final phase of filming, which captured the deepest dream level of the twisty plot, was shot in November 2009 at Fortress Mountain. The crew spent three months crafting a set near Fortress Mountain, where KPow Cat-Skiing operates. Then it became a waiting game for a snowstorm to arrive so filming could begin.
Interstellar
Alberta, Iceland and Los Angeles were the backdrops for this 2014 sci-fi tale starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. Filming began in Alberta in August 2013 and involved a handful of communities in southern Alberta, including Nanton, Longview and Lethbridge. The scene where a sandstorm hits a baseball field was filmed right at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks. Additional dust storm scenes involving McConaughey were filmed in Fort Macleod.
Legends of the Fall
Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt was in Alberta in fall 1993 to film this scenic epic. It went on to earn three Academy Award nominations and even snagged a golden statue for Best Cinematography. First World War battle scenes were shot near Morley, about 63 km (39 mi) west of Calgary, with Canadian Forces soldiers used as extras. The film’s Ludlow ranch was set in the Ghost River Wilderness Area. Funeral and cemetery scenes were captured along the Bow River near Banff.
Superman
Not one, but three Superman movies were filmed in Alberta. Christopher Reeve starred as the Man of Steel, and Clark Kent’s childhood hometown, Smallville, was recreated in rural Alberta. The village of Barons, with a whopping population of 343 at last count, hosted the high school football scenes. Several scenes were shot in High River and the hamlet of Blackie was the location of the Kent family home. Look closely and you’ll spot the recognizable façade of the St. Louis Hotel in Calgary's East Village in Superman III (1983).
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Fort Edmonton Park in Edmonton’s expansive river valley is a well-known history hub. Yet those wanting to feel like an action-movie villain can simply climb aboard its vintage locomotive. Brad Pitt made another trip to Alberta in 2005 to film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Kananaskis Country, Fort Edmonton Park, Heritage Park and historic Calgary hotel Fairmont Palliser all shared time in the limelight.
The Revenant
The Revenant was the second movie Leonardo DiCaprio filmed in Alberta and the one that finally got him an Oscar. It tells the true story of Hugh Glass, a fur trapper left for dead after a bear attack. The trapper must navigate treacherous winter terrain in order to get back to civilization. Shot in Kananaskis Country using entirely natural light – not an easy task for filmmakers – it involved creating an avalanche at Fortress Mountain. Viewers mistook it for CGI magic, but a plane dropped explosives on the mountain to trigger the avalanche while the cameras rolled. The Revenant also took great care to honour Indigenous Peoples in the film. A cultural advisor was hired, and hundreds of extras from Alberta’s Indigenous communities lent their cultural perspectives and talents to filming.
Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood was a triple threat in this 1992 western, taking on the starring role, producing and directing. The move worked out, too. Unforgiven took home four Academy Awards, including Best Director. Filming began in Alberta in August 1991 and wrapped that November.
Set pieces constructed near the town of Longview in southwest Alberta became the fictional 1880s town of Big Whiskey, Wyoming.
TV Productions
The Last of Us
This award-winning HBO series is one of the largest television productions in Canadian history. It began filming in Alberta in 2021 and premiered on January 15, 2023. During the year of filming, crews turned Alberta cities like Calgary, Edmonton and Canmore into dystopian wastelands. Starring Pedro Pascal of The Mandalorian and Bella Ramsay, the show is based on a 2013 action-adventure video game. The series follows a smuggler (Pascal) tasked with accompanying a teenager (Ramsay) through a United States plagued by cannibalistic creatures.
Black Summer
The zombie trend continues with Black Summer. The Netflix series starring Jaime King released two seasons. The edge-of-your-seat thriller opens with the zombie apocalypse hitting an unnamed city in the United States. Season One follows King’s character and others as they make their way to safety at “the stadium”, which is actually Calgary’s McMahon Stadium. Those familiar with the city will recognize plenty of landmarks along the way, including the Calgary Stampede grounds. The second season of the series moves to winter in the mountains and more rural settings. For that, many scenes were filmed in Kananaskis Country and communities like Morley and High River.
Fargo
The darkly comedic crime drama returned to Alberta for its fifth season. The series relocated to the United States for season four, but returned to Alberta in October 2022. Fargo, which was inspired by the 1996 Coen Brothers film of the same name, was filmed throughout Calgary and the surrounding area. Stars like Jon Hamm, Juno Temple, and Joe Keery were spotted around the city. Fun fact: Fargo has been nominated for a whopping 55 Emmy Awards so far.
Game of Thrones
Yes, really. One of the biggest hits in HBO’s history landed in Alberta to film several episodes. Banff National Park joined the list of worldwide filming locations for the fantasy epic. Part of GOT’s contentious series finale was filmed in Alberta, though the exact locations are unknown. Some four-legged cast members even hail from Alberta. The canines that served as the mythical dire wolves were sourced from Instinct Animals for Film. This includes Jon Snow’s faithful companion, Ghost, whose real name is Quigly.
Wynona Earp
This popular Western horror series has been filmed in Calgary since 2015. The main character, Wynonna, takes on supernatural abilities throughout the series after inheriting them from her great-great-grandfather. There are plenty of recognizable Calgary locations throughout the show, including neighbourhoods like Bridgeland and Inglewood. Heritage Park, the west Calgary community of Springbank and Didsbury were also used as filming locations.
Heartland
One of the longest-running Canadian dramas is filmed in Alberta. Based on a book series, Heartland follows Amy Fleming and her family as they navigate the ups and downs of ranch life. The popular series was filmed in-studio and on-location in High River, the Millarville Racetrack and throughout Calgary neighbourhoods like Inglewood. Props can be viewed at High River’s Museum of the Highwood, while downtown looks just like the fictional town of Hudson.
My Life with the Walter Boys
This coming-of-age Netflix series, based on the popular novel by Ali Novak, was filmed across Alberta in 2022. Starring Nikki Rodriguez, Noah LaLonde, Ashby Gentry, Alisha Newton and more, the series follows recently orphaned teen girl Jackie Howard (Rodriguez), who relocates to rural Colorado when she is taken in by the Walter family. Filming locations included Calgary, Cochrane and Crossfield. The series was renewed for a second season and is anticipated to film again in Alberta in 2024.
