You may associate peaches with Georgia, and of course, you wouldn’t be wrong, being as though it’s the Peach State, but you might be surprised to learn that peanuts, pecans, and even Vidalia onions are also produced there. The state’s capital and most populated city, Atlanta, is known as the origin of the Civil Rights Movement and it’s also where Martin Luther King Jr.’s home, a National Historic Site, resides. You might also be surprised to learn how many films have been shot in this Atlantic Ocean-bordering state. In fact, every year, well over one hundred movie crews have made parts of Georgia their home due to the tax credits the state offers.
There are several movies that took place and were centered around Georgia, so filming there makes sense. 2019’s Richard Jewell retold the story of the Atlanta bombing and actually filmed at Centennial Olympic Park. And Deliverance (1972) was also set and filmed in Georgia Marvel seems to really like Georgia as well: Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spiderman: Homecoming (2017), and Black Panther (2018), among others, were shot there. Movies like Sweet Home Alabama (2002) can be a little tricky; despite their name and setting, this movie was shot in Georgia.
And the Whistle Stop Cafe in the Alabama-based Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) was also in also Georgia. And the same goes for another movie set in Alabama, 1992’s My Cousin Vinny. But it’s not just Alabama. It’s no secret that a majority of Stephen King’s books take place in Maine. Sequels, like Pet Sematary 2, are no different. Except this one was shot in Georgia. In 2019 alone, there were upwards of 400 movies shot in the state, and due to its extreme popularity, the number will most likely grow.
Movies Filmed in the State of Georgia
Forrest Gump (1994)
Forrest Gump is an award-winning drama directed by Robert Zemeckis, based on the 1986 novel of the same name written by Winston Groom. It stars Tom Hanks who portrayed the life of Forrest Gump, a slow-witted man with childlike optimism who has witnessed and somehow influenced several historical events of the US. The movie was mainly filmed in Georgia, while other shots were taken in North and South Carolina, California, Utah, Maine, Montana, and Arizona.
(2h 22min | PG-13)
Road Trip (2000)
Directed by Todd Phillips, Road Trip is a sex comedy film starring Breckin Meyer, Seann William Scott, Paulo Costanzo, and DJ Qualls. It follows a group of four college friends who went on an 1800-mile road trip. Among its filming locations are Athens, Lawrenceville, Cumming, College Park, and Atlanta, Georgia. Other filming locations also include Texas, Tennessee, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and California.
(1h 34min | R)
Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Sweet Home Alabama is a romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant. It follows the story of New York fashion designer Melanie Carmichael (Witherspoon) who returned home to settle her divorce from her husband after the latter refuses to sign the papers seven years ago.
Despite its title, the majority of the movie was actually filmed in Georgia, particularly in Rome, Conyers, Covington, Crawfordville, Peachtree City, Starr’s Mill, and Atlanta. Although, some scenes were also taken in Alabama and in New York City.
(1h 48min | PG-13)
The Blind Side (2009)
The sports-drama film The Blind Side is directed by John Lee Hancock based on the book by Michael Lewis entitled The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. It follows the story of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) who became an offensive lineman for American football with the help of his adoptive family – Sean (Tim McGraw), Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock), Collins (Lily Collins, and SJ Tuohy (Jae Head). The entire movie was filmed in Georgia, specifically at Atlanta International School, The Westminster Schools, Agnes Scott College, and in Atlanta, Georgia.
(2h 8min | PG-13)
Zombieland (2009)
Zombieland is a post-apocalyptic comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer. It follows the story of zombie apocalypse survivors (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) who took a road trip together in search of a sanctuary from zombies. It was filmed across Georgia – in Rutledge, Valdosta, Powder Springs, Newman, Atlanta, Hampton, Morrow, Decatur, and Hapeville. There are also some scenes filmed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
(1h 28min | R)
The Last Song (2010)
The Last Song is a teen romantic drama movie developed side-by-side with the 2009 novel of Nicholas Sparks with the same title. The story is about a teenager (Miley Cyrus) who was sent to a beach town to stay with her estranged father (Greg Kinnear) but then unexpectedly falls in love with a guy there (Liam Hemsworth). The film was set in Georgia – Tybee Island, Savannah, and at Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta.
(1h 47min | PG)
Trouble with the Curve (2012)
Starring Clint Eastwood, and Amy Adams, Trouble with the Curve is a sports drama directed by Robert Lorenz. It is about a daughter (Adams) trying to restore her relationship with her father (Eastwood) who is a seasoned baseball scout by joining him on a scouting trip. The movie was filmed at Luther Williams Field, Macon; at Dunwoody High School, Dunwoody; at Turner Field, Atlanta; in Macon, Athens, Atlanta, Young Harris, Jasper, and Dawsonville, Georgia.
(1h 51min | PG-13)
Wanderlust (2012)
Wanderlust is a comedy movie directed by David Wain. It stars Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston who played as a couple who found themselves on a commune in Georgia after their sudden unemployment in New York. The movie was filmed in Lawrenceville, Atlanta, Clarkesville, and Monroe, Georgia. Other filming locations include Manhattan, New York City.
(1h 38min | R)
Flight (2012)
The drama-thriller Flight is directed by Robert Zemeckis and starred by Denzel Washington. The movie shows how the airport pilot Whip Whitaker (Washington) miraculously saves almost all his passengers after crash landing the plane due to mechanical failure but the investigation uncovers troubling things. Majority of the movie was filmed in Atlanta, then in Hampton and Covington, Georgia.
(2h 18min | R)
Killing Season (2013)
The action-thriller Killing Season was directed by Mark Steven Johnson and written by Evan Daugherty. It features John Travolta and Robert De Niro who portrayed Bosnian war veterans whose friendship was tested when one of them revealed his true identity and intention. The movie was filmed in various parts across Georgia – Tallulah Falls, Mountain City, and Stone Mountain, and Bulgaria.
(1h 30 min| R)
Hidden Figures (2016)
Hidden Figures is a biographical film directed by Theodore Melfi loosely based on the non-fiction book written by Margot Lee Shetterly. It is about the female African American mathematicians Katherine Johnson (Taraji Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who had significant contributions in the early years of NASA. The whole movie was filmed in Georgia, specifically in East Point, Atlanta, Canton, Monroe, Columbus, Madison, Norcros, and Marietta.
(2h 7min | PG)
Baby Driver (2017)
Starring Ansel Elgort, Baby Driver is an action movie by Edgar Wright. It follows the story of a getaway driver named Baby (Elgort) who seeks freedom from working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey). Also in the movie are Lily James, Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzalez, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal. The majority of the movie was filmed in Georgia – Atlanta, Gainesville, Dunwoody, and Juliette. Then some were shot in New Orleans, Louisiana.
(1h 52min | R)
I, Tonya (2017)
I, Tonya is a biographical sports drama directed by Craig Gillespie. It narrates the story of a figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) as she rises at the US Figure Skating Championships until his ex-husband intervened. The movie was filmed at the Macon Centreplex in Macon, at the Rockridge Forest Preserve and Wildlife Refuge in Marietta, at the Ice Forum in Duluth, at the Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, in Decatur, and in Atlanta, Georgia.
(1h 59min | R)
Venom (2018)
Venom is a Marvel movie produced by Columbia Pictures, distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, and directed by Ruben Fleischer. In this movie, journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) became a host to an alien symbiote that initially planned to invade the Earth. Other stars that appeared in the movie are Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, and Reid Scott. Some scenes in the movie were filmed in Atlanta and at the Taiwan Market, Downtown Rex; while the other scenes were shot around California.
(1h 52min | PG-13)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
The 2019 film Godzilla: King of Monsters is directed by Michael Dougherty. It is a sequel to Godzilla (2014) and the third movie in Legendary’s MonsterVerse. It is also the 35th movie in the entire Godzilla franchise. In this sequel, Godzilla and Mothra teamed up to save the humans from King Ghidora and other god-sized monsters. It was filmed at Blackhall Studios in Atlanta and in Tunnel Hill, Georgia. Other filming locations include Mexico, New York, and Washington, D.C.
(2h 11min | PG-13)
After (2019)
The romantic drama film After directed by Jenny Gage is based on the fiction novel of the same title by Anna Todd. It is about a teenage girl (Josephine Langford) who experiences romance with a guy who has a dark secret (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). The movie was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. (1h 45min | PG-13)
Greenland (2020)
Greenland is a disaster-thriller movie by Ric Roman Waugh. It is a story of a family (Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, and Roger Dale Floyd) trying to survive a violent natural disaster. It was filmed at Robins Air Force Base, Houston County, and in Conyers and Atlanta, Georgia. Other filming locations also include Illinois and New York, USA, and Iceland (for the Greenland scenes).
The release of the movie was delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic until it was finally made available through video-on-demand, then on HBO Max and Amazon Prime.
(1h 59min | PG-13)
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