Vancouver is one of the most-filmed cities in the world — here are 15 surprising blockbusters that were shot there

20th Century Fox/tdlucas5000/flickr

Vancouver in British Columbia — one of the largest cities in Canada — is best known for its natural beauty. 

But it is also known for another thing: movies.

Vancouver sometimes goes by the nickname "Hollywood North" for the plethora of Hollywood productions that are filmed in it and its surrounds. Film and television productions pump an estimated $1 billion per year into the city's economy. 

Here are some of the biggest movies you'd be surprised to find were actually shot in Canada.

In Tim Burton's "Big Eyes," the Canadian city played San Francisco.

In "The Interview," Vancouver stood in for New York...

...as well as Pyongyang, North Korea.