A black vintage car driving on a two-lane road with double yellow lines, heading towards a distant horizon with green hills under a cloudy sky. The road has a white arrow and the word "ONLY" painted on the left lane.

Movies Filmed in Half Moon Bay

Hollywood on the Coast

Half Moon Bay is famous for its local arts scene, landmark mouth-watering restaurants, and five-star hotels, but more recently it has earned a place as a key filming location.

The area is so rich with spellbinding beauty and character that it should come as no surprise that so many movie makers have decided it isn’t just a great vacation spot but also a beautiful area to make a film. Here are some Hollywood highlights filmed (at least in part) in the Half Moon Bay area:

  • Rumored: Sponsor (2026) starring Jason Segel and John C. Reilly is an AppleTV production that’s rumored to have shot scenes around Half Moon Bay and the surrounding area during February 2026. The film would be John C. Reilly’s second acting connection to the area—he also had a role in Out on a Limb, which filmed here in 1992 (see below).
  • Swiss Army Man (2016) starring Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano was partially filmed in Half Moon Bay. During a break in filming Daniel Radcliffe stopped in to Cameron’s Restaurant and Pub for karaoke night and sang for the crowd.

    Two men face each other closely against a dark background. The man on the left has short dark hair and a clean-shaven face, while the man on the right has a beard and longer hair. Both have serious expressions.
    Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano in Swiss Army Man.
  • Live or Die in La Honda (2017) is a low-budget indie thriller directed by Jeff Hammer. It was shot almost entirely in the area south of Half Moon Bay, with La Honda, San Gregorio, and Pescadero all featured prominently. The production even gave a few speaking roles to locals – for example, sometimes the bartender in a scene was from the bar’s actual staff.

    A rustic bar interior with wooden shelves stocked with various bottles and glassware. A man in a brown jacket sits on a wooden bar stool at the counter, facing a woman with long purple hair standing behind the bar. Another woman in casual clothing walks past the bar on the right side. The room features a large arched window letting in natural light, a ceiling fan with lights, and mounted animal heads on the wall. A paper bag labeled "Trash" and a container with straws are visible in the foreground.
    Scene from Live or Die in La Honda shot at the bar in the San Gregorio Store.
  • Chasing Mavericks (2012) starring Gerard Butler and Jonny Weston was largely shot in Half Moon Bay, where the famous Mavericks surf break plays a major role in the film. In addition to many scenes on the water, you’ll also spot Montara State Beach and numerous scenic views of Highway One.

    Still image from Chasing Mavericks film
    Much of Chasing Mavericks was filmed in and around Half Moon Bay, including this scene at Montara State Beach
  • Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010), directed by James Nguyen is a low-budget horror film that Variety said had “all the revered hallmarks of hilariously bad filmmaking”. It was filmed almost entirely in Half Moon Bay, with locations including Main Street Grill (now Johnny’s) and Cameron’s Restaurant and Pub.

    A group of five people stand in front of a red bus with the words "HALF MOON BAY" and various signs, including "PICCADILLY CIRCUS." One person on the left is holding and firing a black rifle, with a visible muzzle flash. The others are looking up or around, with one woman shielding her eyes from the sun. The scene appears tense or dramatic.
    This scene from Birdemic filmed in front of Cameron’s showcases the movie’s ultra-low-budget special effects.
  • Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) starring  Ziyi Zhang and Michelle Yeoh shot footage in the cypress forest at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve.

    A dark, eerie forest with twisted, gnarled tree branches forming a dense canopy. A person is seen riding a small wooden cart along a narrow path that winds through the trees. The scene has a bluish tint, adding to the mysterious and somber atmosphere.
    Scenes from Memoirs of a Geisha were filmed in Moss Beach
  • House of Sand and Fog (2003) starring Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley is fictionally set in Half Moon Bay, though the titular house where many scenes took place is located 400 miles south in Malibu. Some filming did occur locally, mostly establishing shots of the neighborhood and the iconic views of Devil’s Slide.

    A coastal highway winding along steep cliffs with several cars driving in both directions. The cliffs are rocky with patches of greenery, and the ocean waves crash against the base of the cliffs. The sky is overcast.
    Cars drive over the stretch of Highway 1 known as Devil’s Slide in House of Sand and Fog.
  • American Wedding (2003), part of the American Pie franchise, filmed its exterior wedding scenes on the scenic grounds of the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay.

    Scene from American Wedding
    American Wedding filmed exterior wedding scenes at the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay.
  • Bandits (2001) starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett, shot scenes at Point Montara Light Station and on Highways 35 and 92.

    Scene from Bandits
    Point Montara Light was the setting for some scenes from Bandits.
  • Bicentennial Man (1999) starring Robin Williams and Embeth Davidtz filmed beach scenes at Martin’s Beach and San Gregorio State Beach.

    Bicentennial Man Scene
    A scene from Bicentennial Man at Martin’s Beach
  • Dream with the Fishes (1997), an indie dark comedy/drama starring David Arquette and Brad Hunt, uses many Bay Area locations, including the coast south of Half Moon Bay and a number of scenes filmed in Pescadero. Viewers will recognize Pescadero’s downtown buildings, interior shots at Duarte’s Tavern, and the Pescadero Cemetery.

    Two men walking on a dirt path along a grassy cliff overlooking a sandy beach and ocean waves, with hills visible in the background under a cloudy sky.
    Blufftop location south of Half Moon Bay used in Dream with the Fishes
  • Metro (1997) starring Eddie Murphy and Michael Rapaport used many locations in nearby San Francisco. For the romantic ending, set in Tahiti, the beach scenes were actually filmed in Half Moon Bay.

    A woman in a red top and colorful skirt and a man wearing sunglasses, a blue shirt, and a patterned short-sleeve button-up shirt are sitting and relaxing on wooden lounge chairs outdoors, surrounded by greenery and flowers. The woman looks to the side while the man appears to be talking or laughing.
    Eddie Murphy and Carmen Ejogo in “Tahiti”.
  • Jade (1995), a thriller starring David Caruso and Linda Fiorentino, filmed scenes in Moss Beach on the bluffs and at a private home, and also along Highway 1 in Montara.

    Two men are walking up wooden stairs on a coastal path with rocky cliffs and ocean waves in the background. The man in front has gray hair, a mustache, and is wearing a black jacket, blue shirt, and blue jeans. The man behind has red hair and is dressed in dark clothing with a long coat. Green shrubs and grass line the sides of the stairs.
    David Caruso (as Assistant District Attorney David Corelli) and Ken King (as Detective Petey Vasko) climb stairs to a Moss Beach home in Jade.
  • Poetic Justice (1993) starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur filmed scenes on Devil’s Slide and Gray Whale Cove, north of Montara.

    Tupac Shakur and Janet Jackson at Gray Whale Cove, from Poetic Justice
  • Out on a Limb (1992) starring Matthew Broderick shot many scenes just south of Half Moon Bay near San Gregorio, including the San Gregorio General Store and Highway 84.

    A police car is flipped upside down on a street in front of a building with arched windows and green doors. The building has a sign that reads "Peterson and Alsford General Merchandise." In the foreground, a person wearing black leather boots is sitting on a motorcycle.
    Out on a Limb sent a stuntman flying through the windows of the San Gregorio General Store.
  • Final Analysis (1992) with Richard Gere and Kim Basinger shot its dramatic climax at Pigeon Point Lighthouse, though the filmmakers pretended that the lighthouse was next to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

    Still frame from Final Analysis movie
    The dramatic ending of Final Analysis takes place at Pigeon Point Lighthouse.
  • The Right Stuff (1983) filmed the capsule splashdown scene in the waters of the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of Half Moon Bay.

    A partially submerged space capsule floats in the ocean with a helicopter hovering above it against a clear sky. The water is slightly choppy with sunlight reflecting off the surface.
    The capsule splashdown scene in The Right Stuff filmed off the coast of Half Moon Bay.
  • Harold and Maude (1971) starring Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort shot scenes in many Bay Area locations, including Half Moon Bay. Pescadero, and on Highways 1 and 92. The famous car crash scene at the end was filmed a bit further up the coast at Mori Point in Pacifica.

    A black vintage car driving on a two-lane road with double yellow lines, heading towards a distant horizon with green hills under a cloudy sky. The road has a white arrow and the word "ONLY" painted on the left lane.
    Bud Cort’s character, Harold, races north on Highway 1 at Pescadero Creek Road.

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