Where you can go to recreate your favourite movie moments in Toronto, some without even leaving campus!
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) – Ryerson Campus
If you’ve been on campus, you’ve likely seen the Rogers Communications Centre (RCC). And if you look closely in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you may recognize that Harry S. Truman College was filmed there. The RCC acted as the location of the school which Toula attended during the film; the inside of Kerr Hall also makes an appearance as the set of Ian’s classroom.
Built in 1991, the Rogers Communications Centre was named in memory of broadcast pioneer Edward S. Rogers, Sr. The building is home to a few programs within The Creative School, and many other faculties also use it to deliver radio or communication courses. The facility houses four television studios and over one hundred television and video production equipment. It also contains over thirty audio production studios, radio production facilities and state-of-the-art print and audio labs.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding was set in Chicago and shot in both the “Windy City” and Toronto, despite being based on life in Winnipeg’s Greek community. Both Ryerson University and the Greektown area of Toronto are significant locations in the film. In fact, our campus provides the ideal modern university landscape for this movie.
Next time you’re walking into the RCC, picture Toula by your side!
Chicago (2002) – Distillery District
Only a 30-minute walk from campus is Toronto’s historic Distillery District. A substantial number of scenes from the movie-musical Chicago was shot throughout Distillery District. For example, The Fermenting Cellar serves as the Cook County Jail’s exterior and the courtyard where convicts congregated and were sometimes hung. After shooting her husband, Roxie was taken away in a police wagon from Trinity Street—the Distillery’s main street.
Distillery District is also home to Gooderham & Worts, which was once the largest distillery in the world around the year 1871. The buildings date back to the company’s beginnings in the 1860s. Due to competition, whiskey distilling ceased on the site in 1957, causing the original distillery to close by 1990. The complex has since been renovated to become the Distillery District. It is now the largest and best preserved collection of victorian industrial architecture in North America, and currently houses many designer stores, bars and restaurants.
Although the movie’s title itself gives us the illusion that it was filmed in Chicago, the entire production was shot in Toronto. The Distillery District’s victorian architecture allows Chicago to emulate a historical feel and acts as a scenic backdrop for many other films shot in Toronto.
When down in the Distillery District, don’t pass up the opportunity to walk through the courtyard of the Cook County Jail!
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010) – Casa Loma
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is the only movie on this list set in Toronto and utilizes many of the city’s iconic sites throughout. The most notable of these is Casa Loma, which in this case, acts as a battleground for Scott and Lucas Lee, Ramona’s third evil ex. In this scene, Scott is aggressively flung into Casa Loma itself, but thankfully, his quick recovery and smart thinking causes Lee to face his doom skateboarding down the nearby Baldwin Steps only moments later.
Built from 1911 to 1914 as a home for Financier Sir Henry Pellatt at the cost of 3.5 million dollars, Casa Loma was once the largest private residence in Canada. Inside, there are many extravagant rooms and amenities, including a pool, bowling alley, battlements and secret passageways. Due to financial hardship, Pellatt was only able to enjoy the castle for just under 10 years and left in 1923. It now serves as a museum and historical site, as well as a private event venue—and is one of few real castles in North America.
The fact that the movie is set and filmed within Toronto allows Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World to effortlessly capture the charm of our city, whether it be historical sites such as Casa Loma or casual hangout spots like the Second Cup located on Augusta Avenue.
If you ever want to be a tourist in your own city, pretend you’re Ramona and visit the locations featured in the film!
Suicide Squad (2016) – Union Station
If your daily commute happens to include a stop at Union Station, you’re visiting one of Suicide Squad’s most prolific locations, every day. Union Station is home to the gang’s final battle with the Enchantress, in which the station is destroyed. To prepare, the station was quickly ravaged and turned into a front for the climax of the film.
Opened in 1927 and being the largest of the great urban train stations built during the 20th century, Union Station acts as the main terminal of Toronto’s subway network. Before the current structure was built, an earlier version was constructed in 1872 on Front Street, between York and Simcoe street. The modern station of today was made official during a ceremony conducted by the Prince of Wales in 1927 and was compared to a cathedral. It was then declared a national historic site in 1975 and is the country’s paramount classical Beaux-Arts railway station.
Union Station has been a popular filming location since the 1970s. The Beaux-Arts architecture lends itself to the screen and acts as a metropolitan subway backdrop in many films. Multiple other scenes throughout Suicide Squad are also shot in Toronto and many different landmarks can be recognized, including Eaton Centre.
Whether you’re on your daily commute or walking through Dundas Square, keep your eyes peeled for the Batmobile!