The Highest-Grossing Movies Set in Each US State

State: Nevada
Year of Release: 1990
Worldwide Gross: $261.3 million*

Science Fiction caper Total Recall was a brilliant vehicle for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s particular brand of action. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, Paul Verhoeven’s movie was a hit for Sony’s TriStar Pictures, raking in $261.3 million. At the time of its release, it was one of the most expensive features ever made. 

Total Recall ©@OriginalTotalRecall/Shutterstock.com

At the time of its release, it was one of the most expensive features ever made.  Now, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which was made in 2011, holds the title for most expensive feature film, with a budget coming in at a whopping $376 million. 

Although the plot unfolds in Mars, it goes without saying that the filming didn’t take place there. Instead, Valley of Fire State Park in Overton, Nevada was used as a perfect double for the planet. The vast majority of the outside scenes were filmed there. 

State: South Dakota
Year of Release: 1990
Worldwide Gross: $424.2 million*

Kevin Costner really believed in making Dances with Wolves into a movie, so much so that he even directed it himself. Set in South Dakota during the Civil War, the movie follows Costner’s First Lieutenant John J. Dunbar, a wounded soldier who forms a solid bond with the Sioux indians. 

Dances with Wolves @hunterrgoddard / Twitter.com

The epic landscapes seen throughout the movie belonged to South Dakota. As much of the filming took place outside, it had to be a location that was both awe inspiring and largely untouched. The New York Times called it a “very emotional and intense epic.” 

With a runtime of 181 minutes, Dances With Wolves is certainly an epic film that was no small feat to make. With sparse dialogue, Costner had to rely heavily on performances from the actors as well as incredible cinematography to tell the story. 

State: Alabama
Year of Release: 1994
Worldwide Gross: $678.2 million*

Forrest Gump was a phenomenal success at the box office, taking in $678.2 million. Tom Hanks was already a popular actor by the time Paramount Pictures distributed the movie in 1994, but his solid performance helped cement his status as a legend. A large part of Forrest’s story is centered around his early life in the sleepy town of Greenbow, Alabama.

Forrest Gump @WealthyGorilla / Twitter.com

A large part of Forrest’s story is centered around his early life in the sleepy town of Greenbow, Alabama. Greenbow is where Forrest grows up and endures hardships alongside his mother, played by iconic actress Sally Field.

Hanks’ thick Southern accent is often what springs to mind when fans think of the movie. The plot follows Forrest from his birth in 1944 to his transition into fatherhood. Forrest Gump scooped multiple awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture.

State: Montana
Year of Release: 1993
Worldwide Gross: $1 billion*

Jurassic Park is one of those iconic films where no one could have predicted the massive success that would ensue. With a simple yet imaginative story, the movie took off like wildfire, inspiring five sequels, a video game, and theme park rides. 

Jurassic Park @JurassicParkOut / Twitter.com

When Steven Spielberg first started working on Jurassic Park in the early ‘90s, he may have already had it planned that it was mainly set on a made up island called Isla Nublar. However, the dig that Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler work on in the beginning of the movie is located in the fictional city of Snakewater, Montana. 

We don’t get to learn much about Snakewater, but we do know that it’s probably close to the Montanian badlands. Fans wanting to get a taste of Jurassic Park can visit Comcast’s Universal Studios Hollywood and go on Jurassic World: The Ride. 

State: Connecticut
Year of Release: 1981
Worldwide Gross: $389.9 million*

By the time Harrison Ford was cast in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, he was already established as a Hollywood icon thanks to his role as Han Solo in the now Disney-owned Star Wars franchise. Ford proved there’s always room for one more career-defining role when he starred as Indiana Jones. 

Raiders of the Lost Ark @jamesmjharrison / Twitter.com

Large parts of the first movie are set in the treacherous jungles of Peru, Cairo, and elsewhere, Jones teaches at Marshall College based in Connecticut. The school provides the backdrop for the beginning of the movie when Jones is approached by the US government to search for the Ark of the Covenant. 

It’s no surprise that the budget for the epic movie was a whopping $20 million, as the producers had to fly out cast and crew to so many different locations around the world. Luckily, the Spielberg film did more than a small return on investment!

State: Utah
Year of Release: 1984
Worldwide Gross: $80 million*

Footloose is a unique movie, based entirely on a premise where dancing is outlawed in a small town. The story focuses on Kevin Bacon’s character, who goes against the arcane rules set in place by the town’s leader, creating a dramatic tale that makes us think about what it is to be human.

Footloose @Melissa Howell / Pinterest.com

Footloose helped turn Kevin Bacon into a bonafide Hollywood star. Set in a fictional town called Bomont, Footloose gave us plenty of show-stopping scenes as well as an epic soundtrack. Although the movie never strictly says what state it’s in other than “Midwest” audiences soon were able to recognize that it was shot in Utah. 

Paramount Pictures hit on another winning recipe with this movie, not least because the music became so popular. When it was released in 1984, Footloose made $80 million against a small budget of just $8 million. It’s now a part of pop culture history that can’t be denied. 

State: Georgia
Year of Release: 1940
Worldwide Gross: $402 million*

There are fewer movies as centered around location as 1940’s Gone With the Wind. The movie, based on the best-selling novel that defined a generation, was one of the first smash-hit blockbusters, making money that would amount to billions of dollars today.

Gone With the Wind @GONE WITH THE WIND / Facebook.com

There are fewer movies as centered around location as 1940’s Gone With the Wind. Southern Belle Scarlett O’Hara adores her home, but the Civil War draws her away from Tara and into turmoil and uncertainty. Production did a phenomenal job of making the audience feel like they were looking at Georgia when it was really shot at Selznick International Studios. 

The reality doesn’t detract from the beautifully enticing story recreated for the screen by MGM. Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh were at the helm of the hit feature, captivating audiences. Leigh went on to star in many remarkable movies, including AT&T’s Warner Bros adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire. 

State: Iowa
Year of Release: 1989
Worldwide Gross: $64 million*

Field of Dreams saw Kevin Costner take on the role of Ray Kinsella. With iconic lines like “If you build it, they will come,” the movie did incredibly well at the box office. Equal parts nostalgic and emotional, Universal Pictures also managed to sneak a healthy amount of product placement in there, including nods to Coke.

Field of Dreams @MachineryPete / Twitter.com

Iowa was such an important part of the story as Kinsella lives on a corn farm there with his wife and son. The studio created an entire baseball field for the movie just outside of Dyersville, Iowa that still stands to this day. 

The set is a popular tourist attraction, with fans of the movie traveling from far and wide to visit the set in remote Iowa. You can even rent out the facility for events, take tours, and buy movie paraphernalia there. 

State: Texas
Year of Release: 1971
Worldwide Gross: $29.1 million*

Based on the movie of the same name by Larry McMurtry, The Last Picture Show wasn’t an expensive movie to make. Coming in with a price tag of just $1 million, the coming of age story was an almost certain hit. Actors Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, and Ellen Burstyn helped make it what it was, but so did the Texan scenery. 

The Last Picture Show ©Michael Ochs Archives / gettyimages.com

The film also featured other big names like Cybill Shepherd, Cloris Leachman, and Ben Johnson. It was directed and partially written by Peter Bogdanovich, who also directed Paper Moon, and even acted in the hit HBO series The Sopranos. 

The plot was set in the small town of Anarene, Texas, but was actually shot in Larry McMurty’s hometown of Archer City in a northern part of the state. The Columbia Pictures feature took $29 million at the box office. 

State: California, Michigan
Year of Release: 1985
Worldwide Gross: $316.4 million*

Eddie Murphy got his big break as a cast member on NBC’s Saturday Night Live before making his way to the big screen. He was a sensation in the ‘80s, thanks in part to the success of Beverly Hills Cop. Murphy stars as Axel Foley, a hardened cop from Detroit thrown into the glamor of Beverly Hills. 

Beverly Hills Cop @T_FUTURIST / Twitter.com

In the movie Murphy stars as Axel Foley, a hardened cop from Detroit thrown into the glamor of Beverly Hills. The movie was so successful, with Murphy receiving critical acclaim, that they went on to make two sequels. 

While the majority of the movie is set in Los Angeles, the early scenes focus on Axel’s life in Detroit and the loss of his partner. Paramount Pictures landed on its feet with this caper which took in $316.4 million against a budget of $13 million. 

State: Colorado
Year of Release: 1969
Worldwide Gross: $31.1 million*

True Grit may have been reimagined in 2010 featuring an impressive cast, but the 1969 original can’t be matched. Starring John Wayne as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, the adaptation of the 1968 novel is truly iconic. 

True Grit ©Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Set in western Arkansas, the caper scored Wayne the only Oscar win of his career. This success prompted the studio to create a sequel in 1975 titled Rooster Cogburn. Despite the story unfolding in Arkansas, the movie itself was shot in Colorado. Wayne would continue making movies and using his star power to sell products like Coors Light until his retirement in 1976.

Wayne would continue making movies and using his star power to sell products like Coors Light until his retirement in 1976. He passed away in 1979 at the age of 72, decades before True Grit would get a modern remake. 

State: Mississippi
Year of Release: 2012
Worldwide Gross: $425 million*

Quentin Tarantino is known for hitting the nail on the head when it comes to emotional action movies with a twist. 2013’s Django Unchained was no different. Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, and Leonardo DiCaprio, the feature took $425 million against a $100 million budget. 

Django Unchained @PalettesCinema / Twitter.com

Sony’s Columbia Pictures welcomed Tarantino’s epic tale of slavery and redemption set in the old South. The feature covers a lot of ground, from Texas to Tennessee, and most significantly, Mississippi. Tarantino took home the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his efforts, as well as several other prominent accolades. 

The violent epic not only made a splash with audiences around the country, but hit home with critics and the Academy as well. Quentin Tarantino took home the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his efforts, as well as several other prominent accolades. 

State: New York
Year of Release: 1977
Worldwide Gross: $29 million*

Woody Allen has been behind some classic movies, including 1977’s Annie Hall starring himself and Diane Keaton in leading roles. The rom-com was based in the Big Apple, with Allen starring as a confused Brooklyn-born comedian Alvy Singer as he tries to understand the failure of his relationship with the titular character. 

Annie Hall @silviopalth / Twitter.com

This movie paved the way for future New York-based love stories to unfold on screen, including the Warner Bros. hit romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail. Many critics hail Annie Hall as one of the finest movies ever made. Overall, the movie made over $34 million in profit. 

Overall, the movie made over $34 million in profit, which is an impressive feat for a smart rom-com, lacking in all of the superhero splendor that usually accompanies a box office hit. The movie also propelled Allen into the canon of iconic directors. 

State: Virginia
Year of Release: 1987
Worldwide Gross: $214.6 million*

Every now and then a movie gets released that sticks in the cultural consciousness. Dirty Dancing pushed the boundaries in 1987, introducing the world to Jennifer Grey and propelling Patrick Swayze’s shining star further forward. The movie was set at a fictional resort in the Catskills, which was actually Mountain Lake Hotel in Virginia. 

Dirty Dancing @Lauren Giambalvo / Pinterest.com

The movie was set at a fictional resort in the Catskills, which was actually shot at Mountain Lake Hotel in Virginia. Dirty Dancing is a unique movie in that the entire plot takes place in one location, at the fictional Catskills resort, which made filming much easier on the cast and crew.

The mountainous backdrop coupled with the beautiful lakes and dense trees provided the perfect spot for Johnny and Baby’s love story to unfold. It was an ideal opportunity for producers to slip in money-making references to Coca Cola and Alfa Romeo.