While it’s true Jacksonville doesn’t see as much film and television production as our neighbors to the north in Georgia, plenty of memorable pictures have stopped through town to film over the years. We’ve rounded up five of the most noteworthy, unique, or otherwise interesting flicks that shot in the Jacksonville area.

“GI Jane”

Ridley Scott’s 1997 film about the first woman to undergo special operations in the Navy Seals is best remembered, if at all, for the iconic image of star Demi Moore sporting a freshly shaved head on the film’s poster (and every other piece of marketing material). What you might have forgotten is that much of the movie was filmed in Jacksonville, perhaps most notably an extended beach training montage shot at Huguenot Memorial Park. 

“The Devil’s Advocate”

A large portion of filming for the sinister (and kind of silly) thriller Keanu Reeves/Al Pacino two-hander “The Devil’s Advocate” was done on location in Florida. Reeves, sporting a comically inept Southern accent, plays a layer who is slowly tempted by the Devil himself, portrayed by a wackadoo Pacino. Though you’d never tell from his accent, Reeves’ character is a Florida native, with an office outside Jacksonville. In addition to numerous establishing shots in and around the Jacksonville area, including some exteriors in Riverside and Avondale, one memorable scene set in an off-the-beaten-path church was shot true to location, down the road in Gainesville. 

“Cool Hand Luke”

An iconic work of anti-establishment Hollywood filmmaking, “Cool Hand Luke” is set in a Florida prison camp, with shooting locations all over Florida. Though the film features the all-time great Paul Newman in one of his best performances, Newman himself didn’t shoot any scenes in Jacksonville. The closest you’ll come is seeing Newman’s stunt double being chased by a bunch of prison guards with bloodhounds (on loan from the Florida Department of Corrections!) across the rural Florida landscape, in an unforgettable scene filmed, at least partly, near the grounds of the now-closed Callahan Road Prison outside Jacksonville. 

“Revenge of the Creature”

A quickie sequel to the landmark sci-creature feature “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” “Revenge of the Creature” was released just over a year after the wildly successful release of the first film. The film wasn’t very well liked and is mostly forgotten, perhaps only notable for being Clint Eastwood’s screen debut in an uncredited role. Either way, production was based throughout Northeastern Florida, with much of the shooting done at the then-flourishing Marineland of Florida, with many noteworthy shots of the Jacksonville skyline as it was in 1955 peppered throughout the film.

“The Waterboy”

Sure, “The Waterboy” might not hold up as well as Adam Sandler’s other 1990s comedies like “Happy Gilmore,” “Billy Madison” and “The Wedding Singer,” but there’s still plenty of goofy stuff to love there. Plenty of Northeastern and Central Florida features throughout the film, including one major Jacksonville shoutout: a prominently featured exterior shot of TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jaguars 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG_oCfPHHvk