Quinton Aaron and Jae Head in "The Blind Side

Did you know?

Movie and television productions have come to Georgia to film our towns and attractions for many decades. Over that time, we've racked up quite a bit of Georgia film trivia. Check out these did-you-know facts and share them with your fellow film buffs. 

  • Georgia-lensed movies "X-Men: First Class," "Zombieland,” "The Blind Side,” “Hall Pass,” “Fast 5,” “Identity Thief,” “Prisoners,” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” all opened at No. 1 at the box office.
     
  • Four of Tyler Perry’s made-in-Georgia films have opened at No. 1 at the box office: "Madea's Family Reunion," "Why Did I Get Married?,” “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” and "Madea Goes to Jail."
     
  • “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” often used two multiple Georgia venues as one film location, such as The Pullman Yard and The Goat Farm for District 12; service areas of the Georgia World Congress Center and the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quarter Quell chariot parade; and both the state-owned Murphy Avenue warehouses and the interior of the old Norfolk Southern Railroad offices downtown for the Justice Building.
     
  • Cotton fields in Marshallville, Georgia, were shot for the agricultural areas of District 11 in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”
     
  • "Flight" was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2013, including Best Actor (Denzel Washington) and Best Original Screenplay. "The Blind Side" was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2009, including Best Picture and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Sandra Bullock, winner).
     
  • Both “Joyful Noise” and “Crazy Sexy Cool: The TLC Story” filmed pivotal performance scenes at the Atlanta Civic Center.
     
  • “Prisoners” shot largely in Conyers, Lithonia and Stone Mountain, though they moved into East Point for a couple of home interiors and the Fulton Medical Center.
     
  • The primary location in the film adaptation of Nicolas Sparks’ novel "The Last Song," starring Miley Cyrus, was changed to Tybee Island and filmed in and around the local community.
     
  • Wild Adventures amusement park in Valdosta was the location of the climactic zombie fight in "Zombieland."
     
  • The 2005 HBO feature "Warm Springs" garnered 16 Emmy nominations with eight Georgians represented in six categories. It ended up winning five Emmys, including three presented to Georgians. Filming locations included Warm Springs, Gainesville, Atlanta, Madison and Summerville.
     
  • Crawfordville has been host to more than 13 feature films and television movies, including "Get Low," "Sweet Home Alabama," "The Neon Bible," "Stars and Bars" and "The Coward of the County."
     
  • Savannah has been host to dozens of feature film and television projects, including "Forrest Gump," "Glory," "The Last Song," "The Conspirator," "The Legend of Bagger Vance," "The Gift," "Forces of Nature" and "The General’s Daughter."
     
  • "Deliverance" was filmed primarily in Rabun County and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012. The film is credited for giving birth to the whitewater rafting industry in North Georgia.
     
  • Columbus hosted a major car stunt on the Chattahoochee River bridge in “Need For Speed,” as well as "The Fighting Temptations" which filmed at the River Center for the Performing Arts.
     
  • Covington has been home to dozens of feature and television projects, including the hit TV series "The Vampire Diaries" and "In the Heat of the Night."
     
  • Rome hosted "Sweet Home Alabama" as well as "The Mosquito Coast," "Remember the Titans" and "Class of '61."
     
  • Americus was host to the TV movie "To Dance with the White Dog."
     
  • The small town of Juliette was revitalized when "Fried Green Tomatoes" was largely shot in that community. The Whistle Stop Café still functions as a tourist attraction.
     
  • “Sweet Home Alabama” used the rolling hills of the Georgia International Horse Park’s former Olympic Equestrian Eventing area (Bald Rock Meadows) for scenes featuring Civil War re-enactors. The original jumps from the 1996 Olympic Games dot the serene natural landscape, adjacent to the multi-area facility in Conyers. It was also the site of the first ever Olympic mountain biking course—over eight miles long—still open for public riding daily.
     
  • Downtown Conyers was transformed into New Orleans’ French Quarter for several months as “Vampire Diaries” spinoff “The Originals” filmed there. Vacant storefronts were dressed as nightclubs, voodoo shops, and more, no doubt puzzling many tourists.
     
  • In the movie "Flight," Denzel Washington’s character meets with his lawyer, played by Don Cheadle, over breakfast at the St. Regis hotel’s daily executive buffet.
     
  • The lead actor of "The Blind Side," Quinton Aaron, almost lost his home to foreclosure before being told he was cast in the blockbuster film. He was so desperate for work that he gave director John Lee Hancock his card after the audition. Quinton revealed: "I told him, 'I know that I'm probably not going to get this movie. But I do security guard work and if you guys need a security guard on the set, I would love the job. I need the job.”
     
  • Jennifer Aniston became a big fan of Clarkesville, Georgia, after shooting "Wanderlust" on location in the North Georgia mountains. Stated Aniston, "Going to Clarkesville gave me a huge change—it was an eye opener. It was the greatest experience because I felt like I gained my anonymity back. When I got there I felt my body decompress and relax. I was like, 'God, I'm so paranoid and pent up.' The toxic clutter was just alleviated. It was a nice feeling, and I took it home with me.”
     
  • Tim Burton’s remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" used a home in Buford to serve as the home of Violet Beauregard, the gum chewer. 
     
  • The main vampire lair for the hit television series "The Vampire Diaries" was Glenridge Hall in Sandy Springs. Because they used the location so often, they eventually recreated the interior of the home on their sound stages in Decatur.
     
  • The Okefenokee Swamp, one of the oldest and best preserved freshwater systems in America, is the largest swamp in North America. In 1941, French New Wave director Jean Renoir shot his first American film, "Swamp Water," in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia.
     
  • After the 2000 film "The Legend of Baggar Vance" was released, so many patrons visited the Jekyll Island Club to have a drink at the "lobby bar," which had been built and then removed by the film company, that the Club recreated it for patrons to enjoy.
     
  • Three generations of the Zanuck family produced films in Georgia: Darryl Zanuck produced Jean Renoir’s "Swamp Water," his son Richard produced "Driving Miss Daisy" and his grandson Dean produced "Get Low."
     
  • Georgia Tech doubled as the Google headquarters in the Vince Vaughn/Owen Wilson comedy "The Internship," their first film together since the blockbuster hit "The Wedding Crashers."
Published: January 2017
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