When watching one of the eight movies below, you might just notice that the backdrop looks suspiciously the same as a familiar locale. That’s because each of these films was wholly or at least in part shot in the Great White North.

1) IT (2017)

Based on a horror novel by Stephen King, It takes place in the fictional Maine town of Derry. The movie, however, was filmed in Port Hope, Ontario. Shots of the town and particularly of its historic downtown are visible throughout the movie. Local moviegoers got to see the Town Hall, Capitol Theatre, Memorial Park, and Queen Street Tattoo on the big screen.

2) Capote (2005)

Capote, which earned Phillip Seymour Hoffman his 2005 Oscar for Best Actor, takes place in the flatlands of Kansas. In reality, the film was largely shot in and around Manitoba, which was a good fit because of the surrounding prairies. Sites such as the Manitoba Legislative Building, Stony Mountain Institution, and Gilbart Funeral Home all made an appearance in the film. Additional scenes were also shot in Selkirk, Manitoba.

3) Total Recall (2012)

The 2012 remake of Total Recall was filmed at various locations throughout Toronto, Ontario. Some of the most conspicuous locations include Roy Thomson Hall, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus. Guelph, Ontario was also the filming location for scenes set in the film’s post-apocalyptic version of London.

4) Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Much of Brokeback Mountain takes place in a beautiful mountainous setting, which many Canadian viewers will recognize as the foothills and mountains of Alberta. The film is set in Wyoming but shot in and around Calgary, Fort Macleod, Cowley, and Kananaskis Country. Brokeback Mountain itself is actually a composite of Fortress Mountain, Moose Mountain, and Mount Lougheed.

5) Titanic (1997)

The closest port to the sinking of the real Titanic in 1912 was Halifax, Nova Scotia, which was also the base for much of the rescue and recovery effort. Roughly one-third of the 1997 James Cameron movie was likewise filmed in the Atlantic waters off the coast of Halifax, aboard the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent.

6) Interstellar (2014)

Though much of the film Interstellar does not take place on earth, the scenes that do were filmed in many areas around Alberta. Filming locations included the towns of Lethbridge, Okotoks, Fort Macleod, Nanton, and Longview. An entire 500-acre cornfield was planted outside of Nanton just so it could be destroyed for the film.

7) The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

Set in Forks, Washington, New Moon was actually filmed in Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland, which provided the perfect rainy and cloudy backdrop for the movie. Vancouver was also considered for the first Twilight movie but had been passed over because the Canadian dollar was stronger than the American dollar at the time. The subsequent sequels were filmed at Vancouver locations as well.

8) The Grey (2011)

The Grey takes place in the cold and unforgiving wilderness of Alaska, which was easily reproduced during filming in Smithers, an outpost in northern British Columbia located between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Principle photography for the film was also carried out in Whistler, a popular ski resort just north of Vancouver.

As you can see, Canada is a go-to destination for Hollywood productions, doubling for both city and wilderness settings. Though it often goes unnoticed, our beautiful country certainly shines on the big screen.