Famous TV and film spots to look out for in Massachusetts

The ‘Jaws bridge’ is still a popular tourist attraction today, more than four decades after the film premiered. — Martha’s Vineyard Marathon

Think of Massachusetts in the United States as Hollywood Northeast. The state’s scenic, urban and historic settings suit all genres and appeal to filmmakers looking for authenticity, from the choppy waters of Martha’s Vineyard, where Bruce the shark terrorised beachgoers in the 1975 blockbuster thriller Jaws, to downtown Boston’s office buildings, where Ryan Reynolds’ Free Guy (2021) transformed the streetscapes.

“Film tourism is a happy benefit of productions,” says John Alzapiedi, assistant director of the Massachusetts Film Office. Although the film office does not track film tourism per se, and visitors may not initially consider the Bay state primarily as a film tourism destination – in comparison to production hubs like Los Angeles, New York or London – there are enough popular films and the long-running Cheers sitcom to draw attention. The Bull & Finch bar across from the Boston Commons, known universally as the Cheers bar because its facade is featured prominently in the sitcom’s opening credits, buzzes today with fans even though the last original episode of Cheers aired in 1993.