Texans won’t deny the #1 and #2 rankings that California and New York hold as the states with the most television and movie projects; that’s where most of the movie companies live, after all. Fortunately for Texans, our state ranks number three and we don’t live in either of those other states.
In 2023, according to IMDb.com, Texas has been the setting for 22,397 movies and shows. Within Texas, the most filmed cities were Austin (5,160), Dallas (3,879), Houston (3,159), San Antonio (1,429), Fort Worth (898), El Paso (423), Arlington (358), Denton (318), Plano (200), and Corpus Christi (197).
WELCOME TO TEXAS
On the business side, there are 170 Film Friendly Certified communities in Texas and the governor’s Film Friendly Texas program is working to add more. The program involves certification and marketing by the Texas Film Commission. Communities in the program receive training and guidance about media industry standards, best practices, and how to effectively accommodate media production in their cities and communities. It is a valuable resource that helps maintain Texas as a premier destination for media production. Close to home, Williamson County has eight certified communities.
For the creatives, nothing compares to the history and romance that set Texas apart in many ways, and none more so than in entertainment. The distinctive scenery and landscapes, colorful history, and unique character of Texans themselves have provided plenty of inspiration and content for filmmakers. More than a setting for classic westerns, Texas provides a full spectrum of angst-filled teens, big city business, and quirky folks who make Texas so “Texas” all over the world.
CLASSICS AND MODERN BLOCKBUSTERS
- Giant (1956): One of the most iconic Texas films ever made, this epic drama starred Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, and Rock Hudson, and was largely shot in Marfa and other locations throughout the state.
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): Filmed in Round Rock, Bastrop, and Leander. The owners of the film’s gas station in Bastrop held a grand reopening in 2016. There are four creepy little cabins on the property where fans can spend a night. There’s a sign out front that says, “We Slaughter Barbecue.”
- Lonesome Dove, The Last Picture Show, Hud: All based on books by Larry McMurtry.
- Urban Cowboy (1980): Set in Houston, showcased the honky-tonk culture, started the modern wave of cowboy fashion, and made Gilley’s bar famous.
- Blood Simple (1984): A Coen brothers’ thriller about a jealous husband, filmed in Pflugerville and Hutto.
- Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985): Hopefully people aren’t still looking for his bike in the Alamo’s basement.
- Dazed and Confused (1993): Matthew McConaughey’s breakout hit. (Alright, alright, alright!)
- What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993): Set in the fictional town of Endora, Iowa, but filming was done in the Manor area. The family house was filmed on Hodde Lane outside of Pflugerville and the famous water town is located on Old US-290.
- Selena (1997): The biographical drama about the life and career of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, the “Queen of Tejano Music,” was filmed largely in Corpus Christi and other Texas locations.
- Office Space (1999): The Initech Office is real, but goes by a different name; filmed in Austin at 4120 Freidrich Lane. The flair-requiring restaurant where Jennifer Aniston works, Chotchkie’s, is now a Chase bank in the Arboretum in Northwest Austin.
- Friday Night Lights (2004): Based on the popular book and TV series, this movie was shot on location in Odessa, Texas, and captured the high stakes and intense pressure of high school football in the state.
- No Country for Old Men (2007): Another Coen Brothers film set and largely shot in West Texas, featuring stunning landscapes and gritty, intense action.
- True Grit (2010): The Coen brothers seem to like Texas. Their remake follows a young girl seeking revenge against the man who killed her father. She hires a past-his-prime lawman to help track the murderer. Along the way, the two team up with a Texas Ranger.
- Boyhood (2014): Boyhood is famous primarily because it was shot over the course of 12 years. The film features the same cast over the years and follows a boy as he works his way through boyhood, enjoying the highs and dealing with the lows. Dialogue scenes were shot at Dart Bowl on 5700 Grover Ave. Two South Congress venues are featured: Continental Club and Magnolia Cafe South.
- Also Starring Austin (2018): This meta-movie is all about lights, camera, Austin. A documentary about the movies made in and around Central Texas. Features filmmakers who share their experiences of working in the city. The film even boasts an appearance from Willie Nelson.
- 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020– ): A New York firefighter relocates to Austin, Texas with his son, where he works to save people’s lives while trying to solve his own personal problems.
TOWNS AROUND
While you may not recognize Georgetown in every movie and TV show, our city has 63 entries in the database, from major motion pictures to shorts. Popular projects include the iconic “Friday Night Lights” television show and, in film, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”, “Johnny B. Goode,” and “Varsity Blues.” While not in Texas’ top 10, it’s worth mentioning that “Bernie,” starring Matthew McConaughey, was filmed here and also featured his mom, Kay, who was a resident of Sun City at the time.
“Temple Grandin” was filmed in Schwertner and Temple herself helped redesign the facility at the ranch where filming took place.
Hutto has been featured on film 20 times, and last February wrapped initial filming for a new Nicole Kidman project for HBO based on the true story about a woman accused of killing her friend with an ax in Wylie, Texas in 1980. Many scenes were filmed at the Historic Williamson County Courthouse in Georgetown.
Known for its late 19th- and early 20th-century architecture, Bartlett was the site for the filming of movies including “The Stars Fell on Henrietta” and “The Newton Boys,” as well as two seasons of the NBC television drama, “Revolution.”
In February 2019, Round Rock had to close a few roads while “Fear the Walking Dead” filmed part of season 4.
Take a trip down memory lane with the Texas Classics Film Trail, highlighting 25 film destinations from some of Texas’ most iconic projects.