Most film buffs fail to notice that a lot of their favorite movies have been filmed in Orange County, California. Since Anaheim is only 20 miles (32.2 kilometers) away from downtown Los Angeles, some of these blockbuster and unpopular movies were shot in Orange County.
Ocean’s Eleven
One of the most popular heist movies of all time is the movie, Ocean’s Eleven. This 2001 crime and thriller movie centers around eleven individuals planning and executing a big heist. Some of the scenes in the movie were filmed at the University of California’s Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility on weekends and late at night.
Catch Me If You Can
The 2002 film, starring award-winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, was the highest-grossing movies when released. Some of the movie’s iconic scenes were filmed in the Old County Courthouse in Santa Ana.
American Sniper
Based on a true autobiography of a Navy S.E.A.L. sniper, the American Sniper is an action-packed film produced in 2014. Some of its scenes, such as in Seal Beach, were filmed around Orange County.
A Scanner Darkly
The 2006 animated film starring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson and Winona Ryder was one film that most people do not know. Some of the movie’s scenes were shot on a freeway along Northbound I-5 in Anaheim.
Gleaming the Cube
Another unpopular film shot around Orange County is Gleaming the Cube, which was a crime movie starring Christian Slater in 1989. Some of the scenes were filmed in the Stovall’s’ Hotel in Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim and Woodbridge High School, Irvine.
Orange County is a popular location for different kinds of movies and a Mecca for film buffs of all ages!
