1 / 53
Backdraft (1991)
- Director: Ron Howard
- IMDb user rating: 6.7 (85K reviews)
- Runtime: 137 minutes
- Genres: Action, Drama, and Mystery
- Cast: Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, and Robert De Niro
Which movies were filmed in Illinois?
The magic of Hollywood is that oftentimes movies aren't filmed anywhere near where they purport to be taking place. California may be home to Hollywood, but so many of your favorite films were set against backdrops far removed from the glitterati of the West Coast.
With huge studios like Warner Bros., MGM, and RKO Pictures churning out film after film during the heyday of the silver screen, California made a name for itself as the cornerstone for all things movies. As the industry has continued to shift, however, that has begun to change.
From the need for more rural settings to a director's desire to get everything as historically accurate as possible, not to mention the attractive tax incentives offered by states outside of California, crews are increasingly enticed to look elsewhere when filming. More and more, shoots take place in the most unexpected places in a quest to entertain, and sometimes, to make film history. Have you ever wondered where the Cullen house in the "Twilight" movies actually is? (The answer is Oregon.) How about the location of where the wasteland astronauts trekked in "Planet of the Apes" from 1968? (Answer: Arizona.)
With that in mind, Stacker compiled a list of movies filmed in Illinois using data from Movie Locations. Additional information about each film was collected from IMDb. Some films may have been omitted due to data dissimilarities and lack of corresponding information found on IMDb.
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2 / 53
The Batman (2022)
- Director: Matt Reeves
- IMDb user rating: 7.8 (733K reviews)
- Runtime: 176 minutes
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Drama
- Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, and Jeffrey Wright
3 / 53
Batman Begins (2005)
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- IMDb user rating: 8.2 (1.5M reviews)
- Runtime: 140 minutes
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Drama
- Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Ken Watanabe
4 / 53
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
- Director: Zack Snyder
- IMDb user rating: 6.5 (740K reviews)
- Runtime: 151 minutes
- Genres: Action, Adventure, and Sci-Fi
- Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Amy Adams
5 / 53
The Blues Brothers (1980)
- Director: John Landis
- IMDb user rating: 7.9 (209K reviews)
- Runtime: 133 minutes
- Genres: Action, Adventure, and Comedy
- Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Cab Calloway
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6 / 53
The Breakfast Club (1985)
- Director: John Hughes
- IMDb user rating: 7.8 (424K reviews)
- Runtime: 97 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Drama
- Cast: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, and Molly Ringwald
7 / 53
Bridesmaids (2011)
- Director: Paul Feig
- IMDb user rating: 6.8 (304K reviews)
- Runtime: 125 minutes
- Genres: Comedy
- Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Rose Byrne
8 / 53
Candyman (2021)
- Director: Nia DaCosta
- IMDb user rating: 5.9 (72K reviews)
- Runtime: 91 minutes
- Genres: Horror and Thriller
- Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett
9 / 53
Class (1983)
- Director: Lewis John Carlino
- IMDb user rating: 6.0 (12K reviews)
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, and Romance
- Cast: Jacqueline Bisset, Rob Lowe, and Andrew McCarthy
10 / 53
The Color of Money (1986)
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- IMDb user rating: 7.0 (90K reviews)
- Runtime: 119 minutes
- Genres: Drama and Sport
- Cast: Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
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11 / 53
The Dark Knight (2008)
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- IMDb user rating: 9.0 (2.8M reviews)
- Runtime: 152 minutes
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Drama
- Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Aaron Eckhart
12 / 53
Divergent (2014)
- Director: Neil Burger
- IMDb user rating: 6.6 (477K reviews)
- Runtime: 139 minutes
- Genres: Action, Adventure, and Mystery
- Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet
13 / 53
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
- Director: John Hughes
- IMDb user rating: 7.8 (376K reviews)
- Runtime: 103 minutes
- Genres: Comedy
- Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, and Mia Sara
14 / 53
Field of Dreams (1989)
- Director: Phil Alden Robinson
- IMDb user rating: 7.5 (125K reviews)
- Runtime: 107 minutes
- Genres: Drama, Family, and Fantasy
- Cast: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, and Ray Liotta
15 / 53
Five Easy Pieces (1970)
- Director: Bob Rafelson
- IMDb user rating: 7.4 (40K reviews)
- Runtime: 98 minutes
- Genres: Drama
- Cast: Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, and Billy Green Bush
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16 / 53
Flatliners (2017)
- Director: Niels Arden Oplev
- IMDb user rating: 5.2 (50K reviews)
- Runtime: 109 minutes
- Genres: Drama, Horror, and Mystery
- Cast: Elliot Page, Diego Luna, and Nina Dobrev
17 / 53
The Fugitive (1993)
- Director: Andrew Davis
- IMDb user rating: 7.8 (309K reviews)
- Runtime: 130 minutes
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Drama
- Cast: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, and Sela Ward
18 / 53
Gone Girl (2014)
- Director: David Fincher
- IMDb user rating: 8.1 (1M reviews)
- Runtime: 149 minutes
- Genres: Drama, Mystery, and Thriller
- Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, and Neil Patrick Harris
19 / 53
Groundhog Day (1993)
- Director: Harold Ramis
- IMDb user rating: 8.0 (663K reviews)
- Runtime: 101 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, and Fantasy
- Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott
20 / 53
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
- Director: John McNaughton
- IMDb user rating: 7.0 (39K reviews)
- Runtime: 83 minutes
- Genres: Biography, Crime, and Drama
- Cast: Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold, and Tom Towles
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21 / 53
High Fidelity (2000)
- Director: Stephen Frears
- IMDb user rating: 7.4 (186K reviews)
- Runtime: 113 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, and Music
- Cast: John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, and Todd Louiso
22 / 53
Home Alone (1990)
- Director: Chris Columbus
- IMDb user rating: 7.7 (613K reviews)
- Runtime: 103 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Family
- Cast: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern
23 / 53
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
- Director: Joel Coen
- IMDb user rating: 7.2 (84K reviews)
- Runtime: 111 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, and Fantasy
- Cast: Tim Robbins, Paul Newman, and Jennifer Jason Leigh
24 / 53
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
- Director: Norman Jewison
- IMDb user rating: 7.9 (81K reviews)
- Runtime: 110 minutes
- Genres: Drama, Mystery, and Thriller
- Cast: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, and Warren Oates
25 / 53
A League of Their Own (1992)
- Director: Penny Marshall
- IMDb user rating: 7.3 (117K reviews)
- Runtime: 128 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, and Sport
- Cast: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Lori Petty
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26 / 53
Man of Steel (2013)
- Director: Zack Snyder
- IMDb user rating: 7.1 (797K reviews)
- Runtime: 143 minutes
- Genres: Action, Adventure, and Sci-Fi
- Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, and Michael Shannon
27 / 53
Meet the Parents (2000)
- Director: Jay Roach
- IMDb user rating: 7.0 (347K reviews)
- Runtime: 108 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Romance
- Cast: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, and Teri Polo
28 / 53
Midnight Run (1988)
- Director: Martin Brest
- IMDb user rating: 7.5 (91K reviews)
- Runtime: 126 minutes
- Genres: Action, Comedy, and Crime
- Cast: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, and Yaphet Kotto
29 / 53
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
- Director: Les Mayfield
- IMDb user rating: 6.6 (41K reviews)
- Runtime: 114 minutes
- Genres: Drama, Family, and Fantasy
- Cast: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, and Dylan McDermott
30 / 53
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
- Director: Joel Zwick
- IMDb user rating: 6.6 (141K reviews)
- Runtime: 95 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, and Romance
- Cast: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, and Michael Constantine
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31 / 53
Natural Born Killers (1994)
- Director: Oliver Stone
- IMDb user rating: 7.2 (245K reviews)
- Runtime: 119 minutes
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Romance
- Cast: Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, and Tom Sizemore
32 / 53
The Negotiator (1998)
- Director: F. Gary Gray
- IMDb user rating: 7.3 (151K reviews)
- Runtime: 140 minutes
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Drama
- Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, and David Morse
33 / 53
North by Northwest (1959)
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- IMDb user rating: 8.3 (339K reviews)
- Runtime: 136 minutes
- Genres: Action, Adventure, and Mystery
- Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason
34 / 53
Ordinary People (1980)
- Director: Robert Redford
- IMDb user rating: 7.7 (55K reviews)
- Runtime: 124 minutes
- Genres: Drama
- Cast: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, and Judd Hirsch
35 / 53
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
- Director: John Hughes
- IMDb user rating: 7.6 (153K reviews)
- Runtime: 93 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Drama
- Cast: Steve Martin, John Candy, and Laila Robins
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36 / 53
Public Enemies (2009)
- Director: Michael Mann
- IMDb user rating: 7.0 (313K reviews)
- Runtime: 140 minutes
- Genres: Action, Biography, and Crime
- Cast: Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, and Christian Stolte
37 / 53
Risky Business (1983)
- Director: Paul Brickman
- IMDb user rating: 6.8 (97K reviews)
- Runtime: 99 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Crime, and Drama
- Cast: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, and Joe Pantoliano
38 / 53
Road to Perdition (2002)
- Director: Sam Mendes
- IMDb user rating: 7.7 (279K reviews)
- Runtime: 117 minutes
- Genres: Crime, Drama, and Thriller
- Cast: Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, and Rob Maxey
39 / 53
Silver Streak (1976)
- Director: Arthur Hiller
- IMDb user rating: 6.9 (21K reviews)
- Runtime: 114 minutes
- Genres: Action, Comedy, and Crime
- Cast: Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, and Jill Clayburgh
40 / 53
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
- Director: Nora Ephron
- IMDb user rating: 6.8 (186K reviews)
- Runtime: 105 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, and Romance
- Cast: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Ross Malinger
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41 / 53
Source Code (2011)
- Director: Duncan Jones
- IMDb user rating: 7.5 (537K reviews)
- Runtime: 93 minutes
- Genres: Action, Drama, and Mystery
- Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, and Vera Farmiga
42 / 53
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- IMDb user rating: 7.5 (686K reviews)
- Runtime: 127 minutes
- Genres: Action, Adventure, and Sci-Fi
- Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Alfred Molina
43 / 53
The Sting (1973)
- Director: George Roy Hill
- IMDb user rating: 8.3 (273K reviews)
- Runtime: 129 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Crime, and Drama
- Cast: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Robert Shaw
44 / 53
Suicide Squad (2016)
- Director: David Ayer
- IMDb user rating: 5.9 (708K reviews)
- Runtime: 123 minutes
- Genres: Action, Adventure, and Fantasy
- Cast: Will Smith, Jared Leto, and Margot Robbie
45 / 53
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
- Director: Michael Bay
- IMDb user rating: 6.2 (425K reviews)
- Runtime: 154 minutes
- Genres: Action, Adventure, and Sci-Fi
- Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Tyrese Gibson
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46 / 53
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
- Director: Michael Bay
- IMDb user rating: 5.6 (327K reviews)
- Runtime: 165 minutes
- Genres: Action, Adventure, and Sci-Fi
- Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz Beckham, and Jack Reynor
47 / 53
U.S. Marshals (1998)
- Director: Stuart Baird
- IMDb user rating: 6.5 (111K reviews)
- Runtime: 131 minutes
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Thriller
- Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes, and Robert Downey Jr.
48 / 53
Union Station (1950)
- Director: Rudolph Maté
- IMDb user rating: 6.8 (2.6K reviews)
- Runtime: 81 minutes
- Genres: Crime, Drama, and Film-Noir
- Cast: William Holden, Nancy Olson, and Barry Fitzgerald
49 / 53
The Untouchables (1987)
- Director: Brian De Palma
- IMDb user rating: 7.8 (323K reviews)
- Runtime: 119 minutes
- Genres: Crime, Drama, and Thriller
- Cast: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Robert De Niro
50 / 53
Wanted (2008)
- Director: Timur Bekmambetov
- IMDb user rating: 6.7 (402K reviews)
- Runtime: 110 minutes
- Genres: Action, Crime, and Thriller
- Cast: Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman
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51 / 53
A Wedding (1978)
- Director: Robert Altman
- IMDb user rating: 7.0 (3.7K reviews)
- Runtime: 125 minutes
- Genres: Comedy and Drama
- Cast: Carol Burnett, Desi Arnaz Jr., and Geraldine Chaplin
52 / 53
Weird Science (1985)
- Director: John Hughes
- IMDb user rating: 6.6 (95K reviews)
- Runtime: 94 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, and Sci-Fi
- Cast: Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Kelly LeBrock
53 / 53
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
- Director: Rob Reiner
- IMDb user rating: 7.7 (233K reviews)
- Runtime: 95 minutes
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, and Romance
- Cast: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, and Carrie Fisher
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Olivia Monahan, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 48 states.
