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7 Times Michigan Was Featured on The Big Screen

By Nathan Franklin
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 26: Actor Hugh Jackman speaks during a media announcement at the Museum of Contemporary Art on February 26, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

The Great state of Michigan is a wondrous place to live in and be a part of—some of the biggest names in Hollywood and music hail from the mitten state. Celebrities like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Taylor Lautner were born in Grand Rapids. Superstar Hip-Hop artist Eminem and rock legend Kid Rock call Michigan their original home. Not to mention other famous people such as Tim Allen, Kristen Bell, Tom Selleck, David Spade, Kate Upton, Jeff Daniels, and the legendary Madonna.

We love the Great Lakes State, and there are so many things to admire about it. Of course, there’s much star power, but we also have a deep passion for our sports teams. Between the four major professional sports teams (Hockey, Baseball, Football, and Basketball), Detroit has the fifth-most championships of any United States city, with 22.

Detroit Tigers v Baltimore Orioles. Michigan.
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers runs the bases against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 19, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The Pistons have 3 NBA titles, Our Tigers have 4 World Series titles, the Red Wings have 11 Stanley Cups, and, of course, the Lions also have 4 NFL championships. Only Chicago, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles have more sports titles than the Motor City. Michigan is a great place for sports, celebrities, and even vacationing!

Michigan is a Great Place to Be

There are countless amazing spots around the state to go and enjoy a weekend trip. If you live here, then you know about “Up North.” Everyone has a place to go “Up North” in the summer: camping, swimming, hiking, fishing, and everything in between. We truly live in one of the most beautiful states.

Not many people think of Michigan when they think of Hollywood. But plenty of movies and TV shows have used Michigan to film parts of their project. Continue scrolling to see if any surprising movies you never knew were filmed in the mitten state.    

  • Real Steel

    The coolest part of the film “Real Steel” being shot in Michigan is that the movie was almost entirely based in Texas! The Great Lake State features so many unique landscapes for various unique sets to create for a movie like this. For more information on where exactly in Michigan specific scenes were shot in “Reel Steel” click here!

  • Gran Tarino

    It is a movie that sticks to the script and takes place not only in Highland Park, Grosse Pointe Park, Royal Oak, Center Line, and other areas! Check out which scenes took place where here!

  • The Evil Dead (1981)

    They filmed in Marshall and Detroit, Michigan. The original Evil Dead movie is no surprise to me that several scenes were filmed in Michigan!

  • Die Hard 2

    Not many people would have assumed that the smash hit “Die Hard” sequel would have been shot partially in Michigan. Die Hard 2 utilized 3 different cities across Michigan to shoot a handful of scenes!

  • 30 Minutes or less

    Interestingly, “30 minutes or less” was filmed primarily in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jesse Eisenberg’s character works at Vito’s Pizza, which is located on West Fulton Street in Grand Rapids. Fun fact: the Pizza place is 100 percent real!

  • Batman Vs Superman

    Batman vs. Superman featured some heavy filming in the Mitten state. Apparently, over 40 different locations were used in the movie in and around our great state of Michigan. I actually knew that Batman vs. Superman was filmed here when it originally started filming, as my hometown blocked off certain areas of the city when filmmakers were originally using the space for filming. Here is the full story that details every Michigan location used in the movie.

  • Transformers Age of Extinction

    One of the coolest things about the Transformers movie saga is not the amazing robots on display in the ultimate fight to the death. No, it’s the fact that Michigan was used for filming! Check out the exact filming locations for “Transformers Age of Extinction” here. 

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