10 Movies You Didn't Know Were Filmed in Winnipeg
These 10 Hollywood blockbusters were filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba
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We've poked fun at Leonardo DiCaprio's womanizing ways in Montreal-filmed Catch Me If You Can (but forgot to talk about his ones off-screen), memorized one-liners about Windex in Toronto-shot My Big Fat Greek Wedding (and simply cannot wait for the sequel this Spring)...and finally ogled Edward Cullen aka Robert Pattinson in Vancouver-recorded Twilight (well in all of the versions). But how about you brave the cold with Seann William Scott in Goon, or reminiscence summer weather with I Know What You Did Last Summer alumni/couple Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. in Scooby-Doo 2? Well you can live vicariously through them and find warm solace in the fact that both movies were shot in Winnipeg, which seems to be the go-to spot for special effects in Hollywood films. Check out the ten films that prove this!
Shall We Dance?
On-screen powerhouses Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon join forces in this rom-com about a burnt-out estate lawyer (Gere) who registers for ballroom dancing lessons after observing the same beautiful woman (Lopez) gazing out of one of the windows of a dance studio that he passes on the train home every night. Even though various segments of the movie were actually shot in Chicago, parts recorded in Winnipeg also accurately depicted the film's setting of Chicago; more specifically, a dance studio found on campus at the University of Manitoba. Even more particularly, the estates on South Drive in Winnipeg may seem familiar to local viewers watching. J-Lo began dating Ben Affleck at the movie's time shooting in 2003, and Winnipeg soon became a site of interest for paparazzi around the world. Reporters even waited for Bennifer in the McDermot Avenue parking lot behind the Ted Motyka Dance Studio.
Goon
Collaborating as American Pie or Canadian comical relief alike...Jay Baruchel, Eugene Levy and (non-Canadian but American Pie alum) Seann William Scott connect with their Canuck roots to parody a stereotypical hockey-playing Canadian in a Canada-set-and-shot movie. Scapegoated by his family, a bouncer (Scott) perseveres a series of unfortunate circumstances to coach a team of mediocre players to semi-pro hockey league. Not only was it filmed in Toronto but areas of Winnipeg, Brandon, Portage la Prairie and other areas of Manitoba. Majority of the hockey scenes were taken at the Portage Credit Union Centre in Portage la Prairie, even though the Halifax Metro Centre was revealed as the movie's residence of the Halifax Highlanders. Some scenes were also produced at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg and the Keystone Centre in Brandon.
Heaven Is For Real
The immaculate and touching creation based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book of the same name, Heaven Is for Real tells the story of a loving father (Greg Kinnear) and mother (Sonja Burpo) - an off-screen couple whose son (Connor Corum) alleges to have traveled to Heaven during a near-death experience. Upon this epiphany, the family struggles to find a way to convey this reality to society and the public world. The film's director, Randall Wallace, even verbalized himself that the choice to direct the film in southern Manitoba provided the movie with the hints of heaven and spirituality it needed. Shot in Winnipeg, Selkirk, Warren and Beausejour (all in Manitoba), the time of filming was after Manitoba survived its most record-breaking winter within this century so far. But all the more pure white as driven snow for the church and across-bridge scenes in Selkirk; not to mention, of course, Winnipeg, East St. Paul, Rosser and Meadows.
The Lookout
In a movie shot around Winnipeg and Hartney Manitoba, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Chris Pratt (ha) - a high school athlete with a lot of potential whose life is affected by a devastating accident. He then accepts a job as a janitor at a bank, where he is once again at the wrong place at the wrong time; stuck in the middle of organized theft. Although the movie's storyline is meant to stand for Kansas City, Missouri, the bank in the movie was shot in the town of Hartney, Manitoba utilizing the town's museum, and city scenes of Kansas were emulated in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Most significantly, scenes of the skating rink were constructed behind the Millennium Library, and the outside of Chris's apartment was shot in the Exchange District; as well as multiple historic sites in Winnipeg: the Bank of Montreal, the Ambassador Apartments, the inside of the Market Building and the James Ashdown House at 529 Wellington. The Ambassador Apartments are also featured on the film's cover.
Wild Cherry
In not-just-your-average teen movie, an abstinent high school senior (Tania Raymonde) plots to avenge her jock boyfriend (Pretty Little Liars' Ryan Merriman) when she finds out he's only dating her in hopes that she'll make it to his teams' "bang book". So her and her two female best friends (mimiced by no other than Rumer Willis and Kristin Cavallari) agree to "save themselves" in an anonymous pact all while humiliating the team. Film production resumed in Winnipeg, Manitoba from May 7, 2008 to May 29, 2008 (so just over three weeks of shooting!), and school scenes were snapped at Technical Vocational High School.
The Italian Job
Another movie about robbery filmed in Winnipeg...a group which includes the respective powers of Donald Sutherland and Mark Wahlberg (or their impeccable acting) molds together for one final heist to pinch $35 million in gold bars from a strongly protected safe in Venice, Italy. But despite the convincing and conventional-looking freeways/subways of L.A., what appears to be L.A. actually isn't L.A. Special effects from our very own The Italian Job derive from special effects from Winnipeg; with the major settings being shot at the Manitoba Hydro building in the beginning, and the Church of the Rock parking lot for the vast of it.
Paycheck
Filmed mostly in Vancouver but also in Winnipeg (for special effects), Paycheck describes the tale of Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck); a reverse engineer who executes technical tasks for specific companies but loses the memory of the work he has completed. When all-omnipresent billionaire, James Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart), offers him a contract that would keep for 2 to 3 years and potentially acquire him 8 figures, Michael consents but after giving all of his personal effects; his memory is blanked out once again. Michael then realizes he gained over 90 million dollars over the three years. Of course, just like real-life (sucks), that money came with a price (duh) and probably wasn't supposed to be his. So he's accused of some pretty severe crimes (aka. murder), and blah blah blah...
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Aside from being filmed in areas of Toronto, Hamilton and Berlin (Germany), this edition of Resident Evil was also shot in Winnipeg. The movie was predominantly recorded in Ontario, with Toronto and its surrounding suburbs representing Raccoon City - the place where Alice (Milla Jovovich) awakes from her slumber upon witnessing that it has been pervaded with zombies and monsters. Toronto City Hall and Exhibition Place (really the National Trade Centre) were camouflaged as Umbrella's international headquarters, while the logos of Canada's (Canada, not just Toronto) major banks are exposed vividly in the skyline views of the city, and the Prince Edward Viaduct was chaneled to reinforce Ravens' Gate.
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Filmed mostly in surrounding areas of Vancouver, but also in Winnipeg (again for special effects); Mystery Inc. must rescue Coolsville from an assault of former unmasked monsters resurrected by a sinister masked person/thing, attempting to "unmask" the gang. Oooh, unmask. You get to see Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar and Matthew Lillard in costume for duration of the movie. That's all you need to know to want to watch it on Netflix. That is all.
Swordfish
Filmed in Oregon, California and France, but also in Winnipeg for its special effects (we Canucks know how to make that s**t look real!), this film shares the story of a DEA expelling its dummy corporation operation codenamed SWORDFISH. In 1986, they had accumulation quantities exceeding $400 million which was left to dry; but come fifteen years later (good ol' 2001 and Britney Spears music everywhere), compound interest has expanded that amount to a whooping $9.5 billion! Then a terrorist unit comes to make matters worse, and no Travolta, Jackman, or Berry are safe.