You may have seen the Dallas area in more famous movies than you realize. North Texas has doubled for futuristic cities, small towns, football stadiums, and even other states. Filmmakers have used locations across Dallas, Irving, Arlington, Waxahachie, and nearby communities. These 20 movies are among the most famous productions ever filmed around the Dallas area.
20. Primer (2004)
Shane Carruth’s low-budget science-fiction film follows engineers who accidentally invent a form of time travel. The movie was filmed extensively around the northern Dallas suburbs. Richardson and Addison supplied several locations, including the recognizable Richardson Public Library.
19. A Ghost Story (2017)
Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara star in David Lowery’s unusual drama about love, loss, and the passage of time. The central house stood in Irving during production. Additional filming took place around Dallas and Waxahachie before the house was later demolished.
18. Tender Mercies (1983)
Robert Duvall won an Academy Award for playing a troubled country singer rebuilding his life. The quiet Texas landscape was central to the movie’s atmosphere. Production filmed largely around Waxahachie and nearby Palmer, south of Dallas.
17. State Fair (1962)
Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, and Ann-Margret headline this colorful Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Unlike many movies merely pretending to be in Texas, this production used the real State Fair. Extensive filming took place at Fair Park in Dallas.
16. Places in the Heart (1984)
Sally Field stars as a Depression-era widow struggling to save her Texas farm. Much of this Oscar-winning drama was filmed south of Dallas in Waxahachie. The historic Ellis County Courthouse became one of the production’s recognizable local landmarks.
15. Silkwood (1983)
Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, and Cher star in this acclaimed drama inspired by nuclear whistleblower Karen Silkwood. Parts of the production were completed at the Studios at Las Colinas. The studio complex was located in Irving, just northwest of Dallas.
14. Bottle Rocket (1996)
Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, and James Caan star in Wes Anderson’s quirky feature-film debut. Dallas and surrounding communities provided much of the movie’s distinctive Texas backdrop. Dallas locations included St. Mark’s School and buildings along Commerce Street.
13. Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Alexa Vega, and Daryl Sabara returned for the second Spy Kids adventure. One memorable sequence brought the production to the Dallas area. Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington became part of the movie’s fantastical amusement park setting.
12. Problem Child (1990)
John Ritter stars as the overwhelmed adoptive father of an outrageously destructive young boy. Dallas supplied numerous locations for the comedy. Filming included Fair Park, Swiss Avenue homes, and areas near Commerce Street.
11. The Rookie (2002)
Dennis Quaid stars in this Disney sports drama based on the remarkable baseball career of Jim Morris. North Texas appears during scenes involving Major League Baseball. The Ballpark in Arlington provided the movie with an authentic professional stadium.
10. Logan’s Run (1976)
Michael York and Jenny Agutter lead this futuristic adventure about a society where citizens cannot live beyond age 30. Dallas-area architecture helped create the movie’s striking vision of the future. Filming included Dallas Market Center, alongside locations in Fort Worth and Arlington.
9. The Tree of Life (2011)
Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, and Sean Penn star in Terrence Malick’s ambitious meditation on family, memory, and existence. Most production occurred elsewhere in Texas, but Dallas does make an appearance. The Glory Window at Thanks-Giving Square appears briefly onscreen.
8. Any Given Sunday (1999)
Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, and Jamie Foxx headline Oliver Stone’s intense look at professional football. North Texas appears during the fictional Miami Sharks’ game against the Dallas Knights. That sequence used Texas Stadium in Irving, rather than a location inside Dallas.
7. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Tom Cruise stars as Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone’s acclaimed war drama. Dallas played a substantial role in creating the movie’s American settings. The Elmwood neighborhood in Oak Cliff helped stand in for Kovic’s Long Island hometown.
6. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway transformed the Depression-era outlaws into Hollywood legends with this groundbreaking crime film. Production traveled throughout North Texas, including Dallas, Denton, Garland, Rowlett, Pilot Point, and Waxahachie. Pilot Point provided one of the movie’s memorable bank robbery locations.
5. Office Space (1999)
Ron Livingston and Jennifer Aniston star in Mike Judge’s cult comedy about the misery of office life. Most filming occurred around Austin, but Dallas supplied the movie’s memorable opening traffic jam. That sequence was filmed along LBJ Freeway near Central Expressway.
4. Borat (2006)
Sacha Baron Cohen turned a fictional Kazakh journalist’s American journey into one of the decade’s biggest comedy sensations. Dallas appears briefly during Borat’s travels across the country. Filming included the historic Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas.
3. JFK (1991)
Kevin Costner stars in Oliver Stone’s sprawling investigation of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Production returned to Dallas and filmed around Dealey Plaza and the former Texas School Book Depository. Using the actual assassination site gave several scenes an unmistakable sense of place.
2. Armageddon (1998)
Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Liv Tyler lead this blockbuster about astronauts trying to destroy an approaching asteroid. Parts of the production came to North Texas, including locations around Aubrey, Denton, Pilot Point, and Sanger. Those communities sit outside Dallas, but firmly within the broader Dallas-Fort Worth area.
1. RoboCop (1987)
Paul Verhoeven’s science-fiction classic stars Peter Weller as a murdered officer transformed into a powerful cyborg. Dallas extensively doubled for the movie’s futuristic Detroit. Dallas City Hall became the headquarters of Omni Consumer Products, making it one of the film’s most recognizable locations.
Last Updated on August 11, 2026 by F.E.M