Purchased from the French in 1803, Louisiana was the 18th state admitted into the union and was named after King Louis XIV. And although the Pelican State is the smallest when it comes to area, it still ranks 25 in population. And of course, there’s New Orleans, the Birthplace of Jazz with its French architecture, food, events, culture, and more.
Louisiana has a pretty good list of things that it can really brag about. It’s home to the UNESCO World Heritage site, Poverty Point and Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, the longest bridge over water in the entire world. And its state capitol, which lies in Baton Rouge, is 450 feet tall, making it the tallest capitol in all the United States.
Movies Filmed in Louisiana
Crazy in Alabama (1999)
Directed by actor Antonio Banderas, and starring his wife Melanie Griffith, this comedy-drama was about a homemaker in Alabama in 1965 who heads to California to try and make it big as a movie star. However, despite both the movie’s name and also it’s setting, for the most part, shots were only done in Houma, Schriever, Chackbay, and New Orleans.
1 h 52 min | PG-13
The Final Destination (2009)
The fourth installment in the franchise is otherwise known as Final Destination 4. Unlike its predecessors, this one was made in 3D to help enhance its horror effects, which also helped it end up making more than any other film in the series. While the previous movies had utilized Vancouver, this one was shot in New Orleans and Harahan.
1 h 21 min | R
The Mist (2007)
Although ending quite a bit more shockingly, this science fiction movie was based upon acclaimed horror author Stephen King’s 1980 story. Its cast included Thomas Jane, Andre Braugher, and Laurie Holden. The book was set in Bridgton, Maine, which if you know anything about King is a given, but it was actually filmed in Shreveport and Vivian.
2 h 5 min | R
Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
Movie lucky number seven in the franchise, this slasher flick was also made in 3D to enhance its effects. Although there is an almost forty-year gap in between the movies, this one was meant to be a sequel to the original 1974 movie. Most of the movie is, of course, set in Texas, but filming for it was done in Mansfield, Minden, and Shreveport.
1 h 31 min | R
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Based upon a 1947 play by Tennessee Williams, this drama starred a very young Marlo Brando. Even if you know nothing about the play, movie, or even who Marlon Brando is, there’s a good chance you have heard the imitation of Brando and his drunken screams of “Stella!” The story itself, as well as this very famous scene, was done in New Orleans. (PG – 124 min)
2 h 4 min | PG
12 Years a Slave (2013)
This movie was based upon the 1853 memoir of a free African American from New York, Solomon Northup, who was kidnapped and forced into slavery in Louisiana in 1841. Filming locations were at Felicity, Bocage, Destrehan, and Magnolia, four antebellum plantations. The film won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Writing.
2 h 14 min | R
21 Jump Street (2012)
Adapted from the very less-comedic TV show that ran from 1987-1991 and starred Johnny Depp, this buddy cop movie about officers going undercover in high school starred Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. While the movie never indicates where it is set, locations were done (and often recognized) in New Orleans, Metairie, Jefferson, and Belle Chasse.
1 h 49 min | R
The Skeleton Key (2005)
This supernatural horror movie about a home haunted by its brutal and magical past and the young nurse who moves into it as a caregiver starred Kate Hudson, Peter Saarsgard, John Hurt, Joy Bryant, and Gena Rowlands. For filming, the Felicity Plantation in Saint James Parish was used, although the movie calls it Terrebonne Parish.
1 h 44 min | PG-13
The Big Short (2015)
Based upon a novel, this movie detailed three separate stories that all connected to the 2007-2008 financial crisis. It starred some of the biggest names in all Hollywood like Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, and Steve Carell. Most of the movie was shot in New York, but there were several scenes that were done in New Orleans.
2 h 10 min | R
Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Filmed in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, this biopic focused on Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), a man with AIDS in the mid-80s. Faced with no other choice for treatment, he sets up the Dallas Buyers Club, where he smuggles in and sells non-FDA-approved AIDS medicine for himself and other patients. It won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.
1 h 57 min | R
Interview with a Vampire (1994)
Based on Anne Rice’s 1976 novel, this vampire movie had Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as the lead bloodsuckers and Christian Slater as their interviewer. Supporting actors included Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas. Louis and Lestat lived in New Orleans throughout much of the movie, and scenes were done in Destrehan and at the Oak Alley Plantation.
2 h 2 min | R
Captain Marvel (2019)
The 21st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe told the story of Carol Danvers AKA Captain Marvel. The very first female-led film for Marvel had Brie Larson in the title role and also featured Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn. The story’s 1995 setting was in California, with filming done there and also in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
2 h 3 min | PG-13
Steel Magnolias (1989)
The ultimate tearjerker, from both tears and laughs, this Southern-soaked drama starred some of the biggest actresses in Hollywood, like Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, and Olympia Dukakis, among many others. The ladies themselves lived in Chinquapin Parish, a fictional place that used Natchitoches for filming.
1 h 58 min | PG
Ray (2004)
In a role that would make his career, Jamie Foxx’s portrayal of R&B legend Ray Charles won him Best Actor at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, SAG, and Critic’s Choice awards. While Charles really did not have all that much to do with Louisiana, he is more associated with Florida and Georgia, a great deal of the movie was filmed there.
2 h 32 min | 18+
Now You See Me (2013)
Set in New Orleans, fans can take a tour of the city and see many of the film’s locations. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, and others, this bank heist movie involved Robin Hood-like magician criminals, who used their illusion skills to steal money that they gave out to their audiences.
2 h 4 min | 13+
The Blob (1988)
This sci-fi film about an amoeba arriving by meteorite to Earth and dissolving each and every person and thing that stands in its way was a remake of the 1958 original. The story is set in California, although all the filming was done in Abbeville. A sequel to the first movie, directed by J.R Ewing AKA Larry Hagman, was released in 1972.
1 h 34 min | R
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Benjamin Button, the little boy who started out old and grew up to be young, starred Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. The fantasy/romance/drama movie was set in New Orleans, with locations done there and in Mandeville, Morgan City, LaPlace, and Donaldsonville. It was partly based on a 1922 F. Scott Fitzgerald story, which was set in Baltimore.
2 h 46 min | PG-13
Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)
A full 29 years after Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter experienced their bogus journey, the duo again found themselves in danger of not saving the world. This time they have to write a song to unite humanity, and they can only do it with the help of their daughters. The movie was set in San Dimas again but was filmed in New Orleans.
1 h 31 min | PG-13
Aside from jazz, the Bayou State is also the birthplace of trumpeter Louis Armstrong, former NFL players Terry Bradshaw and Peyton Manning, author Truman Capote, actress Reese Witherspoon, and singer Britney Spears. Since its establishment, the state has not only produced a great deal of talent but has also been a place to make it shine.