Movies Filmed or Based in North Carolina

If you’re looking for something to do inside, we’ve compiled a list of movies set and or filmed in North Carolina. You’ll definitely see some landmarks that you’ll recognize, but others you may not even know were filmed in the area. Maybe you can add a few locations of places to visit to your list. 

Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier  - Dating back to 1955, this cinematic look at the American Frontiersman Davy Crockett through the Creek Indian War, through his stand at the Alamo. The movie has scenes filmed on location at the Qualla Indian Reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina. 

Bull Durham  - Check out this 1988 rom-com about a minor league pitcher featuring Kevin Costner and Susan Serandon. Filming includes locations throughout Durham, Raleigh, Greensboro, Burlington as well as the original Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Dirty Dancing  - While not set in North Carolina, did you know that Dirty Dancing was filmed at Lake Lure? There were also locations filmed in Asheville and the Grove Park Inn for some of the more memorable scenes. 

The Color Purple  - A poignant drama recounts the story of a young African American woman who finds her identity after years of abuse, played by Oprah Winfrey. In this film you’ll see scenes filmed in Charlotte, Wadesboro, Salisbury, Lilesville Marshville and Union County, NC.  

Nights in Rodanthe - This may be the most well known movie set and filmed in the outer banks town named in the movie. The film centers around Richard Gere and Diane Lane riding out a storm at an iconic inn. Though the house was damaged in an actual storm and relocated, you can stay in the property and some of the rooms have even been converted to recreate rooms from the movie.

Talladega Nights - A hilarious story of a fictional NASCAR racer played by Will Ferrell is full of belly laughs and one liners. The majority of the movie was shot in North Carolina other than the one week of filming in Talladega filming at the Charlotte Motor Speedway as the location for most of the racing sequences. 

Green Mile - Though the movie is actually set in Tennessee, many of the locations, you will see settings like the Blue Ridge Mountains including a couple spots in Blowing Rock. The movie does have a heavy theme and may not be suitable for all ages. It could lead to some thoughtful post-movie family conversation with forethought.  

Hunger Games - In this dystopian drama, a teenager steps into a televised competition where teens must fight to the death. Check out the locations in the North Carolina mountains including Shelby, Pisgah National Forest, Asheville, Charlotte, Black Mountain and DuPont State Forest among others seen in this sci-fi flick.

I Know What You Did Last Summer - The opening scene in this thriller took place at the Southport Fourth of July Festival and most of the movie took place around Southport with appearances from the Cape Fear River and Duke University in Durham as well. 

A Walk to Remember - A Nicholas Sparks novel turned movie featuring Shane West and Mandy Moore may have been filmed in Wilmington but was set in Beaufort.