Lights, camera, action! 5 movies filmed in the Springfield area

Plenty of films have been filmed in Illinois. Whether it be the classic "Groundhog Day" filmed in Woodstock, Illinois or "The Breakfast Club," the state has a long history of filmmakers sharing their vision here.

Gov. JB Pritzker wants to ensure that keeps happening and recently announced $10 million in grant funding for local film studio infrastructure projects through the Illinois Soundstage Program.

Here are 5 popular movies that were filmed in Springfield or the central Illinois area, according to IMDB.

5. Scandal Sheet - 1952

Filmed around the Illinois Capitol Building, this movie dating back over 70 years ago brings a murder mystery to Springfield in fiction.

When the editor of a New York exploitation newspaper meets the wife he had abandoned years ago, while using another name, at a Lonely Hearts ball sponsored by his newspaper, commits a murder and assigns his protégé to investigate hoping to divert attention away from himself.

Produced by Motion Picture Investors and distributed by Columbia Pictures, the movie collected $2.4 million in the box office, or $46.2 million today.

4. Call Northside 777 - 1948

Based on a real-life case, a cop is killed in 1932 and Frank Wiecek sentenced to life. Eleven years later, a newspaper ad by Frank's mother leads Chicago reporter P.J. McNeal to look into the case. For some time, McNeal continues to believe Frank guilty. But when he starts to change his mind, he meets increased resistance from authorities unwilling to be proved wrong.

This murder mystery has actually a geographical goof in it, according to IMDB, “Continually throughout the film, McNeal incorrectly refers to Springfield and Joliet as 'up there,' when really these cities are southwest of Chicago. Then, when visiting Springfield, he incorrectly refers to Chicago as 'down there' while Chicago is really to his north.”

Produced by 20th Century Studios, the movie garnered $2.7 million at the box office.

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3. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde - 2003

While it doesn’t show for long, in the second iteration of the Legally Blonde franchise main character Elle Woods sits at the Illinois House Chamber and State Capitol Building while joining the House of Representatives.

Elle Woods, now a young lawyer, journeys to Washington D.C., to work on a ban on animal testing, but is ignored by every politician she encounters and quickly learns that the White House can be even tougher to navigate than the Ivy League. With the help of friends, Woods works on getting her foot in the door of Congress.

Produced by Marc Platt, David Nicksay, Stephen Traxler and distributed by 20th Century Studios, "Legally Blonde 2" made a gross of $125.9 million at the box office.

2. The Informant! - 2009

Starring Matt Damon and Marvin Hamlisch, this award-winning comedy movie was shot all across central Illinois, with the Illini Country Club featuring an action scene.

The U.S. government decides to go after an agro-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president-turned-informant Mark Whitacre.

An FBI crime-thriller, Damon’s character Whitacre cannot stop telling lies as they pile up and start to crumble around him.

Produced and distributed by Warner Bros media and Braunstein Films, the gross earnings for the film are $33.3 million.

1. Bad Teacher - 2011

With six award wins and four nominations under its belt, "Bad Teacher" starring Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake follows the fictional story of a gold digger in central Illinois; most exterior shots of the film are taken in and around Springfield.

Elizabeth Halsey is returning to middle school in the film, when her wealthy fiancé breaks it off. An awful teacher, Halsey sees a new opportunity in the fresh (and rich) teacher down the hall.

Competing for a bonus at the school for the teacher whose class scores highest on the state exam, Halsey cheats her way toward Scott's bed and the money. With the tagline that this teacher won’t give an “F,” the rated R film won the 2012 BMI Film Award, 2011 Teen Choice Award for best actor in comedy, Teen Choice Award best comedy, Teen Choice Award best actress in comedy and 2012 best performance as supporting young actor for Matthew J. Evans.

Distributed by Columbia Pictures and Sony, "Bad Teacher" grossed $100.3 million in North America, with a worldwide total of $216.2 million box office.

Claire Grant reports business with the State Journal-Register: CLGrant@gannett.com; X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: 5 popular movies filmed in the Springfield, Illinois area