Interstellar Alberta filming began in August 2013, and the cameras visited a string of southern Alberta communities including Nanton, Longview, Lethbridge, Okotoks and Fort Macleod. Calgary shows up on the location lists too. Yes, a Christopher Nolan space epic spent real time on prairie roads you can drive.
The Okotoks part is the one to remember. The baseball field sandstorm scene was shot at Seaman Stadium, a small-town ballpark that suddenly had a big-screen moment. Down in Fort Macleod, the dust storm scenes with Matthew McConaughey were filmed, and that dry, wind-bent look suits the foothills country perfectly.
Longview already has movie form. It’s the same stretch of ranchland that gave us Unforgiven and its Western town, and it’s a fair bet you’ll recognize the big skies. Add the Rockies from The Revenant in Kananaskis and you’ve got a surprisingly full day of Alberta film trivia.
There’s a reason crews keep coming back, and our look at Calgary film and TV production gets into it. Open fields, small towns that welcome visitors and a short drive from the city all help.
Here’s your plan. Pick Nanton or Okotoks, take Highway 2 south, and grab lunch. Then watch Interstellar again and see how many of those wide Alberta horizons you can place.
Keep going with Passchendaele Brought a Calgary Love Story to the Big Screen.
Quick answers
Interstellar was filmed in southern Alberta communities including Nanton, Longview, Lethbridge, Okotoks and Fort Macleod. The baseball field sandstorm scene was shot at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, and dust storm scenes with Matthew McConaughey were filmed in Fort Macleod.
Interstellar began filming in Alberta in August 2013. Production took place in fields and small-town stadiums across the southern part of the province, a short drive from Calgary, before the film’s 2014 release, so the fields in those scenes are real Alberta ground.
You can visit the towns where Interstellar was shot, including Nanton, Longview and Okotoks, all south of Calgary, as well as Fort Macleod and Lethbridge. Seaman Stadium in Okotoks is the ballpark used for the sandstorm scene.
Sources: Travel Alberta, 10 Hollywood blockbusters filmed in Alberta, Travel Alberta, movies and TV shows filmed in Alberta.
