Utah! America’s Film Set

The Beehive State is a marvelous land with all sorts of interesting landscapes and cityscapes alike.  And while it is plain to see with the number of national parks and monuments here,  it is arguably equally seen in movies a television shows. According to IMDB The state of Utah has nearly 5,000 movie and TV series credits.

A Hundred Years of Film in Utah

Utah has a rich history of Films and Television. Starting with the first two films that were shot in the southwest of the Utah with "The Deadwood Coach" filmed near Bryce Canyon and "The Covered Wagon". Both were released in 1924 and introduced many to the truly amazing natural features that the state has to offer, and since then the film industry has been coming back time and time again.  By 1974 filmmakers have been so inspired to use the natural beauty of the state that the Utah Film Commission was created and Utah earned the title of "America's Film Set".

What Utah Has to Offer

Obviously the natural landscapes are popular for westerns with places like Canyonlands National Park, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon, and Arches,  makes Utah almost the poster child for the American wild west.  And it is not just westerns that are attracted but Science Fiction pictures such as "Galaxy Quest"(1999), "Star Trek"(2009),  and "John Carter"(2012) love to use the strange and bizarre rock formations to bring to life an alien landscape of a far off world.

The diversity of locations does not end there Utah is also home to rustic towns, alpine lodges, homey suburbs, and bustling city streets.  Many will recognize Lehi Mills in "Footloose"(1984),  the Salt Lake City airport in "Dumb and Dumber"(1994) and the Ogden pool in "The Sandlot"(1993).  Also The Bonneville Salt Flats have been used in "Independence Day"(1996) and "The World's Fastest Indian'"(2006) the true story of the land speed record for a motorcycle.

As stated before the list goes on and on with over 4,900 films and series that have made use of this beautiful state.  From "How The West was Won"(1962) to "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers"(1988), "Stagecoach"(1939) to Forrest Gump"(1994) Utah has been inspiring storytellers and filmmakers alike for a very long time and it does not show any signs of stopping.