12 Famous Movies You Didn’t Know Were Filmed in Maine

Hollywood might have its stars, but Maine’s got the lighthouses, lobster shacks, and creepy graveyards that movie dreams (and nightmares) are made of. From Oscar-winning dramas to Stephen King chillers, here are 12 movies you might not have realized were filmed right here in the Pine Tree State, most of which were shot in Maine’s midcoast. 

1. Forrest Gump (1994)

📍 Filming Location: Marshall Point Lighthouse, Port Clyde
This one might not come as a big surpriseshat iconic “Run, Forrest, run!” scene where he hits the Atlantic? Yup, that’s our own Marshall Point Lighthouse, holding it down for coastal Maine glory. Forrest may have been running across America, but he definitely paused in Port Clyde.
Source: IMDb

2. Pet Sematary (1989)

📍 Filming Locations: Ellsworth, Bangor, and Hancock
Stephen King’s creepy classic was filmed in King’s backyard — literally. Scenes were shot at Mount Hope Cemetery in Bangor, in the woods near Ellsworth for the actual pet burial ground, and inside Ellsworth Town Hall which pretended to be a hospital. The infamous house? It's at 303 Point Rd in Hancock.
Source: Wikipedia

3. Casper (1995)

📍 Filming Locations: Camden & Rockport
Casper was “friendly,” but his mansion was spooky gorgeous. The exterior shots were filmed in Camden, with a few more around Rockport — and yes, the fictional town was called Friendship, Maine. How fitting.
Source: Film Locations Guide

4. The Cider House Rules (1999)

📍 Filming Locations: Rockport, Camden, Belfast
If you ever wanted to cry while admiring stunning Maine coastline, this movie is your jam. Midcoast towns like Camden and Rockport set the tone for this emotionally heavy Oscar-winner.
Source: IMDb

5. Thinner (1996)

📍 Filming Locations: Belfast & Rockland
Another Stephen King flick? Of course. This one filmed in Belfast and Rockland, because no one does "creepy small town with a gypsy curse" quite like Maine.
Source: IMDb

6. The Man Without a Face (1993)

📍 Locations: Deer Isle, Bradbury Mountain (Pownal), Lincolnville, Rockport, Brunswick, Camden, Bath
Mel Gibson’s directorial debut was shot all over southern and midcoast Maine. Deer Isle was McLeod’s hideout, Bradbury Mountain provided those dramatic overlooks, and Bowdoin College even stood in as a prep school.
Sources: IMDb, Film Locations Guide

7. Jumanji (1995)

📍 Location: North Berwick
Yes, most of the movie was shot in Canada and New Hampshire, but young Alan Parrish’s dad’s shoe factory? That was filmed at the old North Berwick Woolen Mill.
Sources: The Cinemaholic, Wikipedia

8. The Preacher’s Wife (1996)

📍 Location: Deering Oaks Park, Portland
That sweet ice-skating scene with Whitney Houston and Denzel? Shot in Portland’s Deering Oaks Park. Ironically, it was warm out, so they had to truck in fake snow and ice. Only in Maine.
Source: News Center Maine

9. Head Above Water (1996)

📍 Location: Various Coastal Areas
This quirky murder-y comedy with Cameron Diaz was filmed on Maine’s coastline, meant to feel like an isolated island getaway. Exact spots are hush-hush, maybe because they’re private property and the owners don’t want them used as tourist attractions? 

Source: IMDb

10. Message in a Bottle (1999)

📍 Locations: Phippsburg, Bath, Portland, New Harbor
Starring Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, and Paul Newman. This one was set in Cape Cod, but filmed all over Maine. Popham Beach in Phippsburg, waterfront shots in Bath, a house in Portland pretending to be in Chicago, and some New Harbor love too.
Sources: Wikipedia, News Center Maine

11. In the Bedroom (2001)

📍 Locations: Camden, Rockland, Rockport, Owls Head
This intense Oscar-nominated drama was drenched in Maine atmosphere, with many scenes shot along the mid coast in Camden, Rockland, Rockport, and Owls Head.
Source: Wikipedia

12. Shutter Island (2010)

📍 Location: Otter Cliff, Acadia National Park
Most of the mind-bending thriller was shot in Massachusetts, but one key cliffside scene where Leo is literally losing it was filmed on Otter Cliff in Acadia. Hauntingly beautiful.
Source: Film Location Guide