10 Great Movies Filmed in South Carolina

Curious to see our list of the top movies filmed in South Carolina? We can’t blame you! It’s not a surprise that so many great films were filmed here. From the coastal cities of historic Charleston and Beaufort to the mountainous region of the Appalachian highlands, the state of South Carolina has many versatile locations — urban and rural, historic and modern — for filmmaking.

It is a quintessentially southern state, with numerous pre-Civil War mansions that are available for rental as film locations. It also boasts more contemporary locations as well as endless natural beauty. If you are searching for locations for photoshoots and movies filmed in South Carolina, Peerspace is an excellent resource.

As the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, our platform can connect you to hundreds of different location options across the state. From 3,400-square-foot production studios in downtown Charleston to eclectic waterfront estates on Lake Murray, Peerspace makes it easy to find the diverse settings you need. But enough about us! Let’s explore just a handful of the movies that filmed in beautiful South Carolina.

1. Hit the track and enjoy all the action in Days of Thunder (1990)

Tom Cruise plays race car driver Cole Trickle who meets a businessman (played by Randy Quaid) willing to believe in him and back his entry in the Winston Cup at the Daytona 500. After a terrible crash, Cole meets a doctor (played by Nicole Kidman) who helps him regain his courage to drive race cars again. They filmed the racing scenes in Darlington, South Carolina, at the famous Darlington Raceway.

2. Explore a small town romantic tragi-com with Something To Talk About (1993)

Julia Roberts plays Grace, a married woman who seems to have the perfect life, until one day she spots her husband (played by Dennis Quaid) in a restaurant with a woman she doesn’t recognize. She quickly realizes that her husband Eddie has been unfaithful to her and all hell breaks loose in her small southern town. While this sounds like the setup for a tragedy, the movie turns out to be a very clever comedy. It was filmed in the picturesque towns of Beaufort and Jasper, SC.

3. See the second half of the 20th century through the eyes of Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) has a miraculous life. He falls in love with Jenny (played by Robin Wright) when they are both children. And, despite going off on many adventures on his own, he stays faithful to her throughout his life. Forrest meets presidents and other famous and influential people on his travels, but always remains kind, caring, and grounded, remembering that his mama once told him that “life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.” It is famous as one of the greatest movies filmed in South Carolina since a lot of it was filmed in Beaufort, Colleton, and Hampton counties. 

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4. Head out of Africa with Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)

Jim Carrey plays Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, in this screwball comedy sequel to the first blockbuster Ace Ventura movie. He is on a job and travels to Africa to track down a sacred white bat that is precious to two African tribes. It seems that if he doesn’t find the sacred bat quickly, the two tribes will declare war on each other. Will Ace Ventura prevail?

Even if he doesn’t, you won’t care because Jim Carrey is so ridiculously funny! Interestingly, you’d never know that this is one of the movies filmed in South Carolina since it supposedly takes place in Africa. They filmed the movie in Berkeley, Charleston, and Colleton Counties in South Carolina.

5. Get caught up in the action of Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995)

Bruce Willis plays crime-fighter John McClane in this second Die Hard movie. Along with Samuel L. Jackson as a Harlem store owner, he takes on a German terrorist named Simon who is planning on robbing the New York Federal Reserve.

You’d never really know that this is one of many movies filmed in South Carolina since the movie takes place in Manhattan. However, they filmed some scenes in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties in South Carolina. The subway station crash scenes were shot on a stage built at a former large industrial facility in North Charleston, SC.

6. Get an insider’s look at Navy Seals life when watching G.I. Jane (1997)

G.I. Jane is a war drama directed by Ridley Scott. It stars Demi Moore as Jordan O’Neill, the first woman to be admitted into the training program for an elite military combat unit like the Navy Seals. Of course, she must work harder and be stronger than any of the men in her training program because she is there to prove that a woman can survive training and earn the respect of her fellow combatants. They filmed G.I. Jane in Beaufort, South Carolina which they wanted to resemble the Marine Corps training facility on Parris Island, SC.

7. Feel swept away with Forces of Nature (1999)

Sandra Bullock and Ben Affleck star in this romantic comedy about an engaged man who unexpectedly meets a gorgeous woman on the flight he is taking to his wedding. When the plane suffers a catastrophic accident during takeoff, they find themselves stranded in New York City until someone rents a car and they all pile in for the drive from NYC to Georgia. Along the way, he doubts whether he is making the right decision to marry his fiancee since this fellow traveler is so alluring! They filmed the movie in Beaufort, SC.

8. Hit the links with the transformative The Legend of Bagger Vance (1999)

Based on a book by the same name and directed by Robert Redford, this film stars Will Smith, Matt Damon, and Charlize Theron. Damon plays an unhappy war veteran, Capt. Rannulph Junah who reluctantly agrees to play a game of golf. His caddy, Bagger Vance (played by Will Smith), teaches him a miraculous golf stroke that changes his life. The movie was filmed in and around Beaufort and on the golf course in Kiawah, SC.

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9. Learn about 1860s American rural life during the Civil War with Cold Mountain (2003)

Nicole Kidman plays Ada, a young wife who was left by her Confederate soldier husband to care for their North Carolina farm during the Civil War. Ada struggles piteously until a capable drifter (Renee Zellweger) arrives to help her.

Meanwhile, Ada’s husband (Jude Law) deserts his unit and tries to come home after he is wounded in battle. Critics praised the movie for its naturalistic portrayal of 1860s American rural folk under overwhelming stress during the Civil War. The filmed parts of the movie in Berkeley and Charleston, SC.

10. Gather the family and watch the sweet and spooky The Haunted Mansion (2003)

Eddie Murphy stars in this Disney horror comedy film as real estate agent Jim Evers, who is accused by his wife of working too hard and neglecting their family. They decide to take a family vacation where they visit a haunted mansion and Jim resolves to mend his ways. Along the way, the family encounters thrills and chills that bring them closer together. It was filmed in Beaufort, SC.

Movies filmed in South Carolina: conclusion

These are just a handful of the best movies filmed in South Carolina. To begin your film production journey, remember to check out Peerspace for the perfect film shoot location. We have thousands of production-worthy venues in cities across the Carolinas and beyond that you can book by the hour.

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