2015 was a busy year for Vancouver as it shines its way to earning a Hollywood star. The third-largest film production centre in North America, Vancouver recorded 353 productions in 2015 alone – a record setting year for the city’s thriving film industry.
In 2015, Vancouver hosted cast and crew from more than 26 feature films, including Star Trek Beyond, the Fifty Shades of Grey series and Deadpool. Vancouver native Ryan Reynolds stars in the latter, Marvel’s latest epic movie that broke records at the box office, with opening weekend sales of $134,000,000. The executive producer of Deadpool lauded Vancouver as the perfect setting for his blockbuster hit, saying “…Vancouver had the most attractive elements including an active and supportive film-friendly city staff, amazing locations, and well-experienced local crews.”
In addition to feature films, more than 309 television episodes from 45 televisions series filmed in Vancouver in 2015, including Arrow, The Flash, Supernatural, Once Upon a Time, The 100 and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. .
Vancouver earns a good living as an impersonator that easily steals the faces of dozens of communities ranging from Seattle to Mumbai. Some of the most popular filming locations in Vancouver include:
Hotel Europe – The triangular “flatiron” style Hotel Europe in Gastown, which is one of Vancouver’s most distinctive structures.
Orpheum Theatre – Built as a vaudeville house in 1927 for $1.25 million, the Orpheum was then Canada’s largest theatre. Currently home to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Orpheum’s interior has been used for dozens of productions including Psych, Fringe, The X-Files, Fantastic Four 2 and Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.
Riverview Hospital – Riverview opened in 1913 as a mental health hospital; a century later, the complex has proved a blessing for filmmakers seeking multiple locations. Among the productions filmed here are Elysium, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Fringe, The Killing, Falling Skies, Psych and Supernatural. Excluding studios, Riverview Hospital’s grounds are the most filmed-at site in all of Canada.
Simon Fraser University – Architect Arthur Erickson’s SFU’s Burnaby Mountain campus was designed in the early 1960s with inspiration drawn from the Acropolis in Athens and Italian hill towns. SFU has stood in as CIA and FBI headquarters, an advanced race’s planet, as well as various corporate headquarters and schools in productions such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, Personal Effects, Two For The Money, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, Millennium and The X-Files.
Terminal City Iron Works – Sprawling over an entire city block just off Hastings Street, Terminal City is a turn-of-the century iron foundry that provides 100,000 square feet of multi-use warehouse space for productions including Fringe, Smallville, Catwoman, Underworld, Dark Angel and X-Men.
University of B.C. and the Chan Centre – The futuristic architecture of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts has attracted dozens of productions, since opening in 1997 including Josie And The Pussycats, Catwoman, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Tomorrowland.
The Marine Building – The Art Deco tower at Burrard and Hastings streets is widely regarded as one of the finest buildings in Vancouver. Built in 1930, its lavish art deco lobby has features in productions such as Smallville, Fantastic Four, Blade: Trinity and Timecop.
Britannia Mine Museum – A short drive from downtown Vancouver along the Sea to Sky Highway, the Britannia Mine Museum has become a magnet for film and television producers thanks to its 210 km of dark tunnels and a 20-storey mountainside mill. Productions ranging from Scooby Doo Two and The X-Files to Once Upon A Time, Continuum, Fantastic Four, Smallville and Dark Angel have mined the museum’s rich visual reserves.
Get There…
Canadian Affair is offering a seven night city break to Vancouver from just £635 per person. This is based on seven nights at the Sandman City Centre hotel, based on two people sharing (room only), and return Economy Class flights with Air Transat from London Gatwick, Manchester or Glasgow to Vancouver. For information and reservations, call 020 7616 9184 or visit www.canadianaffair.com
For more information on Destination British Columbia, visit www.hellobc.com
18 April 2016
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FOR MEDIA INFORMATION ONLY:
For more information and images, please contact Jo Thomas or Claire Ranganathan at Destination BC’s UK Press Office on 01825 763636 / jo.thomas@kbc-pr.com / claire.ranganathan@kbc-pr.com