Source: Actor John Travolta poses with Charlie Daniels and his band on set of the Paramount Pictures movie ‘Urban Cowboy” circa 1980. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Texas has long been a favored backdrop for many filmmakers, offering a variety of landscapes ranging from rugged deserts and rolling plains to bustling urban skylines. Houston, in particular, has provided a fantastic cinematic setting with its modern architecture, multicultural neighborhoods and big-city environment.
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Classic productions like Urban Cowboy (1980) showcased the city’s honky-tonk charm, while modern productions like Boyhood (2014) used its suburban streets for heartfelt drama.
Houston’s NASA facilities have appeared in space-themed films such as Apollo 13 (1995), lending authenticity to Hollywood’s depictions of space exploration. Across Texas, cities like Austin, Dallas, and Marfa have hosted productions from indie gems to blockbuster hits, taking advantage of the state’s film-friendly policies and tax incentives. Whether capturing oil booms, cowboy culture or contemporary life, movies filmed in Texas reflect the state’s unique blend of grit, glamour, and Southern spirit.
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Here are 35 movies filmed in Texas, many of which depict the Houston area:
1. ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ (1967)
Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard
Location(s): Crandall, Dallas, Denton, Garland, Lavon, Lemmon Lake, Maypearl, Midlothian, Pilot Point, Ponder, Red Oak, Rowlett, Trinity River, Venus, Waxahachie
About: Most of the locations in the film are set in Texas.
2. ‘Futureworld’ (1976)
Starring: Peter Fonda, Blythe Danner, Arthur Hill
Location(s): Clear Lake, Houston
About: Most of the film was shot in the greater Houston area, and it was the first major film to feature CGI.
3. ‘The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training’ (1977)
Starring: William Devane, Clifton James, Jackie Earle Haley
Location(s): El Paso, Houston
About: Several scenes in the movie were filmed in Houston, which includes the Astrodome.
4. ‘Urban Cowboy’ (1980)
Starring: John Travolta, Debra Winger, Scott Glenn
Location(s): Deer Park, Houston, Huntsville, Pasadena, Wallis
About: The movie that brought fame to Gilley’s Club. The club burned down in 1990.
5. ‘Barbarosa’ (1982)
Starring: Willie Nelson, Gary Busey, Isela Vega
Location(s): Bracketville, Big Bend National Park, Del Rio, El Paso, Fredericksburg, Lajitas, Terlingua
About: Nelson received praise for his screen presence, being considered a pleasant surprise.
6. ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ (1984)
Starring: Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Timothy Busfield
Location(s): Undisclosed
7. ‘RoboCop 2’ (1990)
Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O’Herlihy
Location(s): Houston
About: The movie was filmed almost entirely in Houston.
8. ‘Sidekicks’ (1992)
Starring: Chuck Norris, Beau Bridges, Jonathan Brandis
Location(s): Houston
About: Mattress Mack produced this movie, investing $8 million into it.
9. ‘Dazed and Confused’ (1993)
Starring: Jason London, Rory Cochrane, Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey
Location(s): Austin, Dripping Spring, Georgetown, Seguin, Sunset Valley
About: The film retrospectively features an ensemble cast, with many high-profile actors we know today playing minor and bit roles.
10. ‘Jason’s Lyric’ (1994)
Starring: Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett Smith, Bokeem Woodbine
Location(s): Houston, Rosharon
About: The movie was filmed and is set in Houston’s Third Ward.
11. ‘The Chase’ (1994)
Starring: Charlie Sheen, Christie Swanson, Henry Rollins
Location(s): Galveston, Houston, Kemah
About: The final scene was filmed at Moody Gardens in Galveston.
12. ‘Apollo 13’ (1995)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxon, Gary Sinise
Location(s): Ellington Field, Houston
About: While the Johnson Space Center is featured in the film, director Ron Howard opted to build his own Mission Control Center set instead of using Houston’s.
13. ‘Powder’ (1995)
Starring: Sean Patrick Flanery, Mary Steenburgen, Lance Henriksen, Jeff Goldblum
Location(s): Houston, Montgomery, Needville, Prairie View, Sugar Land, Texas City, Wharton
About: The movie is filmed entirely in Texas, with many locations from the greater Houston area.
14. ‘The Good Old Boys’ (1995)
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Terry Kinney, Frances McDormand
Location(s): Alpine, Brackettville, Del Rio, Fort Davis
About: The made-for-TV movie was filmed entirely in Texas.
15. ‘Bottle Rocket’ (1996)
Starring: Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Ned Dowd
Location(s): Dallas, Farmers Branch, Fort Worth, Hillsboro,
About: The movie was director Wes Anderson’s feature film debut, and the acting debuts of the Wilson brothers.
16. ‘Escape from L.A.’ (1996)
Starring: Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi, Stacy Keach
Location(s): New Braunfels
About: The pipeline surf scene was filmed at Schlitterbahn Waterpark in New Braunfels, with pro skater Tony Hawk serving as a stunt double.
17. ‘Rushmore’ (1998)
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Olivia Williams, Bill Murray, Brian Cox
Location(s): Baytown, Houston
About: The film is almost entirely shot within Houston.
18. ‘Arlington Road’ (1999)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack
Location(s): Fort Bend County, Houston, Pearland
About: Many scenes take place in Houston, including George Washington University, which is really the University of Houston.
19. ‘Cast Away’ (2000)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Helen hunt, Paul Sanchez
Location(s): Arrington Ranch House Lodge, Mobeetie
About: The film begins and ends at the Arrington Ranch, in the Texas Panhandle.
20. ‘Space Cowboys’ (2000)
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, James Garner
Location(s): Houston, Webster
About: The bar fight scene was filmed at Outpost Tavern in Webster, a popular hangout for astronauts. It closed in 2009.
21. ‘Pearl Harbor’ (2001)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Location(s): Corpus Christi, Houston, La Porte
About: Scenes were filmed aboard the USS Lexington and at the San Jacinto Battlefield Memorial.
22. ‘Spy Kids’ (2001)
Starring: Alexa PenaVega, Daryl Sabara, Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino
Location(s): Austin, San Antonio,
About: The boat chase scene was filmed on Lake Travis.
23. ‘The Rookie’ (2002)
Starring: Dennis Quade, JD Evermore, Rachel Griffiths
Location(s): Arlington, Austin, Leander, Round Rock, Taylor, Thorndale, Thrall
About: The film was shot entirely in Texas.
24. ‘Friday Night Lights’ (2004)
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Derek Luke, Jay Hernandez
Location(s): Abilene, Austin, Elgin, Houston, Odessa, Taylor
About: The state championship game was set and filmed at the Astrodome.
25. ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’ (2006)
Starring: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara
Location(s): San Jacinto Monument
About: The shot of the USS Texas is the actual USS Texas, which was docked at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historical Site. It participated at the Battle of Iwo Jima.
26. ‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin
Location(s): Big Bend National Park, Marfa
About: The film is set in 1980 west Texas.
27. ‘Friday the 13th’ (2009)
Starring: Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti, Derek Mears
Location(s): Austin, Bastrop, La Grange, Marshall, Round Rock, Wimberley
About: The movie was filmed entirely in Texas.
28. ‘Crazy Heart’ (2009)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall
Location(s): Undisclosed
29. ‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ (2009)
Starring: Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen
Location(s): Downtown Houston, Galleria
About: Several scenes take place at local Houston buildings, including Wortham Theatre Center.
30. ‘The Open Road’ (2009)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, Kate Mara, Lyle Lovett
Location(s): Corpus Christi, Houston
About: Timberlake’s character, Carlton Garrett, plays for the minor league team, the Corpus Christi Hooks.
31. ‘Predators’ (2010)
Starring: Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace
Location(s): Austin, Bastrop, Canyon Lake, Dripping Springs, Gonzales, Manor
About: 60% of the film was shot in Texas so it would be eligible for a tax benefit.
32. ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ (2011)
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, Tyrese Gibson
Location(s): Johnson Space Center, Houston
About: A flashback scene from the 1960s was filmed at the Johnson Space Center.
33. ‘Tree of Life’ (2011)
Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain
Location(s): Austin, Houston
About: Most of the film is set in Texas during the 1950s.
34. ‘The Lone Ranger’ (2013)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner
Location(s): Undisclosed
35. ‘Boyhood’ (2014)
Starring: Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater, Ethan Hawke
Location(s): Austin, Big Bend Ranch State Park, Houston, Johnson City, San Marcos
About: Boyhood, primarily set in Houston, was shot over a period of 12 years, from 2002 to 2013.
