Emma Wallace New Jersey has long served as the backdrop for iconic films and TV shows, including the award-winning series The Sopranos and the blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises. Now, film buffs can discover these production locations through the New Jersey Film Trail, a new program Governor Mikie Sherrill recently signed into law. The legislation directs state agencies to highlight notable movie and TV filming locations through markers, an interactive map, and tourism resources. Read on to learn more about the New Jersey Film Trail coming soon.
Lights, Camera, New Jersey
The legislation aims to promote New Jersey’s film history and boost local economic activity through this star-studded roadmap. The statute was first introduced on May 7, 2026, with Assemblyman William F. Moen Jr. and Assemblywoman Margie Donlon sponsoring the bill. It was subsequently passed by the New Jersey Legislature and signed by Governor Mikie Sherrill into law on September 9.
Under the law, the Division of Travel and Tourism and the Motion Picture and Television Development Commission will help develop official film trails across the state. These locations are viewable on an interactive website, where visitors can explore the trails and discover what was filmed at each location.
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Rather than one continuous trail, the program will act as a statewide network of filming locations.
How the New Jersey Film Trail Will Work
The trails will have official filming markers at notable movie and TV locations. These inscriptions will identify what was filmed there, the actors involved in the production, when filming took place, and other relevant information.
Some productions also have their own routes, highlighting notable scenes and locations where the movie or TV show was filmed. Currently, the New Jersey Film Trail’s website features a Crystal Lake route that takes visitors from the movie’s eatery scene at Rutt’s Hutt in Clifton to downtown Blairstown. To help visitors make the most of their trip, the website also lists nearby food spots, lodging, activities, and events.
New Jersey’s film history stretches far beyond the Friday the 13th franchise, with the Garden State serving as a backdrop for countless movies and television shows over the years. The program’s website currently features three curated experiences: the Spooky Season Trail, Holiday and Family Feel-Good Trail, and Fall in Love Trail. These themed itineraries group movies by genres and themes, giving visitors different ways to explore New Jersey’s film history.
Among the productions highlighted on the website are Friday the 13th, I Saw the TV Glow, Big, The Preacher’s Wife, Annie, Big Night, and others.
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People can also help the routes take shape by submitting trail ideas and film location recommendations. Private businesses and other non-residential properties can be featured on the trail, but private homes cannot be identified as filming locations.
As the Film Trail continues to take shape, more locations could be added to the map, giving visitors even more ways to explore New Jersey’s on-screen history. The initiative also gives towns and local businesses a chance to benefit from the state’s film legacy by bringing visitors to neighborhoods where their favorite movies and shows were filmed.
The Film Trail comes as New Jersey continues to grow its film industry. Newark is welcoming a 270,000-square-foot film production facility, while construction is underway on Netflix’s new studio at Fort Monmouth.
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