The highest-grossing movies worldwide tend to be those produced in the United States, which are increasingly being filmed in locations outside the US. Movies that are produced in the US are mainly filmed in the Los Angeles or New York City areas, but half of the 50 most popular US movies in 2012 were filmed at least partly in other countries. Canada is one of the most common filming locations for American movies because production costs tend to be lower and there are less-stringent legal requirements. Another reason for filming outside the US might be the popularity of action and adventure movies, which often have some settings outside the US.
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Bollywood, the film industry in India, produces the most films worldwide, and its movies are commonly filmed outside India in locations such as Canada, Switzerland, the US or Thailand.
Shots of Toronto, Canada, are commonly used as a substitute for shots of large American cities such as New York or Chicago.
In 2012, 40 of the 50 US states offered tax incentives for film production there.