High School Where ‘Freaky Friday’ + More Were Filmed Burns Down

An iconic Los Angeles high school famous for welcoming many beloved TV show and movie crews onto its grounds has burned down.

The building perished as a casualty of the ongoing L.A. fires that started in the Pacific Palisades area.

The school, which serves star-studded neighborhoods like the Palisades and Brentwood, caught on fire on Tuesday evening (Jan. 7).

Business Insider reported that the school’s athletic facilities and bungalow structures burned down, but they did not respond to questions about the extent of the overall damage or the state of the main building.

READ MORE: Celebrities Share Their L.A. Fires Updates on Social Media

While the school’s next term had not yet begun, staff and student-athletes were present at the time of the fire and were quickly evacuated safely.

According to the outlet, the main building is still standing and about 70 percent of the campus reportedly survived.

The school has a long list of A-list alumni, including J.J. Abrams, filmmaker and father to singer Gracie Abrams, who once based a character on his PCHS English teacher.

Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker also attended the school and performed in the school’s musical productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Cabaret.

The well-known high school opened its doors in 1961 and has been the set for several popular movies and TV shows.

Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh and Black Eyed Peas rapper-producer Will.i.am also attended the school.

Below, find out which iconic TV shows and movies came to life in the halls of PCHS.

What Movies and TV Shows Were Filmed at Palisades Charter High School?

One of the most famous films to grace the grounds of PCHS was the 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie.

PCHS was one of several schools used to portray the bloody Bates High School in the film.

In 2003, Freaky Friday took over the school to film scenes with Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis and Chad Michael Murray, including the infamous inside-out shirt scene and Anna’s (Lohan) detention run-in with hottie Jake (Murray).

Then, on MTV, seasons three through seven of the hit show Teen Wolf used the school as the backdrop for Beacon Hills High School’s resident werewolves including Tyler Posey and his human bestie Dylan O’Brien.

Plus, the 2012 wild teen comedy Project X also filmed scenes at the school, and in 2021, Olivia Rodrigo used their locker room as part of her “Good 4 U” music video.