Which Films Have Been Shot in Massachusetts?

By Les Masterson (Patch Staff)

We’ve received the same question from many people in town over the past few weeks and we actually had the same question -- Is the Jennifer Lawrence/Bradley Cooper/Robert DeNiro movie that was shot in town the first Hollywood movie ever shot in Wilmington?

The answer seems to be “yes.” No one else, including lifelong residents, don’t ever remember a major film being shot in Wilmington. There was reportedly a scene shot in a small independent movie at Kitty’s, but “Joy” aka “Kay’s Baptism” is the first time Hollywood has come calling on Wilmington.

Massachusetts has become a popular filming location over the past decade. Recent movies like “Ted,” “Ted 2,” “American Hustle” and the two “Grown Ups” movies have been shot in Massachusetts.

The interest from Hollywood is thanks in part to a film industry tax credit. The program may actually soon be on the chopping block as Gov. Charlie Baker looks for ways to reduce the state budget gap.

For now, Hollywood sees the Bay State as an ideal location for movies and it’s not always been that way.

Let’s look back at some of the films shot in Massachusetts, according to the Massachusetts Film Office:

2014 -- Ted 2

2014 -- Black Mass

2013 -- The Judge

2013 -- American Hustle

2012 -- Grown Ups 2

2012 -- Labor Day

2009 -- The Zookeeper

2009 -- Grown Ups

2009 -- The Town

2009 -- The Fighter

2008 -- Paul Blart: Mall Cop

2007 -- Pink Panther 2

2006 -- Gone Baby Gone

2005 -- The Departed

2002 -- Mystic River

2001 -- Shallow Hal

2000 -- Summer Catch

1999 -- The Perfect Storm

1998 -- The Out of Towners

And let’s go back much further. Did you know these were filmed in the Bay State?

1978 -- The Brinks Job

1977 -- Coma

1977 -- Jaws II

1974 -- Jaws

1973 -- The Paper Chase

1973 -- The Friends of Eddie Coyle

1970 -- Love Story

1970 -- Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon

1970 -- The Out-Of-Towners

1969 -- Alice’s Restaurant

1967 -- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

1967 -- The Russian are Coming! The Russians are Coming!

1950 -- Mystery Street (formerly Murder at Harvard)

1937 -- Captains Courageous

1903 -- Rip Van Winkle Series (1896-1903)

Photo caption: Bradley Cooper. Photo credit: Photo by Sam Jones/Bradley Cooper’s Facebook page.