Which of these 14 big-budget blockbuster movies set in WA state were actually filmed here?

There’s something gratifying about movies filmed on location, like the movie was made for locals and those in the know a little more than everyone else. Every time someone muttered the word “Hanford” at recent Tri-Cities “Oppenheimer” movie showings, Tri-Citians heads perk up. The Hanford Nuclear Site in Benton County led to Richland’s development and continues to be a largely relevant contributor to the community in various ways.

It’s not often that movies are primarily set in the Evergreen State, especially in light of industry hubs that exist in locales like California or New York. When Washington is a main movie location, it’s sometimes hard to tell if it was actually filmed on location. What looks like Washington state scenery could just as easily be Oregon or British Columbia.

So we decided to look into which of these 14 big box movies set in Washington State, how many were actually filmed here?

Movies set in WA, filmed in WA

▪ “The Parallax View” - 1974

Beginning with the assassination of a senator on the Space Needle, this political thriller follows a witness (Warren Beatty) who suspects a conspiracy amid the deaths of other witnesses. Budget and box office information is scarcely reported.

Filming locations: Reportedly partially filmed in Washington and California

Stream it on: Paramount+

▪ “An Officer and a Gentleman” - 1982

This romantic drama is about a Navy Officer candidate (Richard Gere) with a bad attitude and a rough sergeant working to become an aviator. It appears to be set on a non-specific base. The actual Aviation Officer Candidate School at the time was in Florida, which filmmakers were not permitted to use. Naval Air Station Whidbey Island was used, which is a fleet base, not a training installation. The budget was around $7 million, and the movie grossed over $129 million.

Filming locations: Fort Worden Historical State Park and Port Townsend

Stream it on: Apple TV, Vudu, Amazon Prime

▪ “Vision Quest” - 1985

Set in Spokane, this romantic drama is about a high school wrestler (Matthew Modine) looking for direction after turning 18. Featuring a cameo from Madonna, it grossed around $13 million in box offices, but budget information is scarcely reported.

Filming locations: Primarily filmed in Spokane

Stream it on: Tubi, Vudu, Amazon Prime

▪ “Harry and the Hendersons” - 1987

A family film about a misplaced Sasquatch becoming part of the family (including John Lithgow and Melinda Dillon) after stowing away on the ride home to Seattle with the Henderson family after a camping trip in the Cascades. The film had a $10 million budget, which it quintupled in box office earnings, likely leading to the following TV series that ran for two years.

Filming locations: Primarily filmed in Washington, namely in North Bend near Seattle and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Stream it on: Hulu, Roku, Philo, Vudu, Amazon Prime, Starz

▪ “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” - 1992

Set in the small, fictional, titular western Washington town, “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” is a prequel to the Twin Peaks television series, but it should not be watched first. A David Lynch psychological horror, the film features much of the original cast, including Sheryl Lee and Ray Wise. The budget was $10 million, and it grossed $4.2 million in box offices.

Filming locations: Like its preceding TV series, filmed in Everett, Snoqualmie, North Bend and Fall City

Stream it on: Max, Vudu, Amazon Prime

▪ “Sleepless in Seattle” - 1993

The iconic romantic comedy that found global success is about a widowed father (Tom Hanks) who moves to Seattle with his son, and the call-in talk radio show that becomes a mechanism for his healing process. The movie grossed $227.8 million with a $21 million production budget.

Filming locations: Scenes set in Seattle primarily filmed in Seattle

Stream it on: Netflix, Vudu, Amazon Prime

▪ “10 Things I Hate About You” - 1999

A modern telling of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, the new kid (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in a Seattle-area high school has to set up one of the difficult girls in school (Julia Stiles, with Heath Ledger) in order to date her younger sister. The romantic comedy had a budget of $30 million and grossed over $38 million.

Filming locations: Filmed in Washington state, primarily Seattle and Tacoma, including Stadium High School

Stream it on: Disney+, Hulu, Vudu, Amazon Prime

Movies set in WA, filmed elsewhere

▪ “First Blood” - 1982

The first Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) movie released is set in fictional Hope, Washington and introduces the veteran and those against him. With a budget of $15 million, the movie grossed $125.2 million in box offices, leading to four more movies in the series.

Filming locations: Primarily filmed in Canada, but at least in Hope, British Columbia

Stream it on: Vudu, Amazon Prime

▪ “Stakeout” - 1987

Two Seattle detectives (Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez) are assigned to a night shift stakeout, watching the ex-girlfriend of an escaped convict, but one of them falls for her. The buddy cop action flick had a budget of $14 million and grossed over $65 million in box offices.

Filming locations: British Columbia

Stream it on: Disney+, Vudu, Amazon Prime

▪ “Say Anything” - 1989

This romantic comedy tells the story of a high school senior (John Cusack) in Seattle pining after the perfect girl in school (Ione Sky), attempting to woo her before she leaves for college, despite her strict father disapproving. With a budget of around $16 million, the movie grossed over $20 million in box offices and is considered to be the film that launched Cusack’s big-screen career.

Filming locations: Primarily filmed in Los Angeles

Stream it on: Disney+, Vudu, Paramount+

▪ “Dante’s Peak” - 1997

Another small, fictional, titular Washington town, “Dante’s Peak” is about a volcanologist (Pierce Brosnan) and a nearby volcano that is thought to be dormant, but may erupt. The disaster flick had a budget of $115 million and grossed $178 million in global box offices.

Filming locations: Primarily filmed in Wallace, Idaho, but supplemental filming in California and Washington, namely at Mt. St. Helens

Stream it on: Tubi, Amazon Prime

▪ “Air Bud” - 2007

Set in the fictional rural Washington town Fernfield, this family film is the first in a series, which was followed by a spin-off movie series. In total, “Air Bud” was the first of a dozen movies. Golden retriever Buddy is more than the family pet, he’s also a team member, after the dog is found to be an athletic aficionado.

Filming locations: Primarily filmed in British Columbia, Canada

Stream it on: Vudu, Amazon Prime

▪ The “Twilight” Saga - 2008-2012

All installations of the “Twilight” Saga, novels and films, are set in the small Western Washington town of Forks. The vampiric romantic dramas revolve around the new girl (Kristen Stewart) in school discovering local vampire (Robert Pattinson) and werewolf (Taylor Launter) communities, and subsequent love triangles.

Filming locations: Filmed throughout the Pacific Northwest, not in the actual town of Forks, but some locations in Washington

Stream it on: Hulu, Tubi, Peacock

▪ “50/50” - 2011

This comedy is about a man in his 20s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who has lived relatively healthy that receives a cancer diagnosis with a 50/50 chance of survival. He tries to stay upbeat despite his best friend’s (Seth Rogen) devastation. Set in Seattle, the movie had a budget of around $8 million and grossed $35 million in North America. It was written by Rogen’s actual friend Will Reiser, who loosely based the movie on his own cancer journey.

Filming locations: Primarily filmed in British Columbia, Canada

Stream it on: Hulu, Vudu, Starz