The island of Kauai is renowned across the world for its beauty and its many wonderful natural sites, from gorgeous beaches to lush tropical forests and mountains. This makes Kauai a top choice not only for tourists, but also for movies looking to capitalize on those landscapes and surroundings. It doesn’t hurt that the island lays just a quick plane ride off the west coast, and Hollywood itself.
A huge collection of films have been shot on the island, and you’ll learn about some of the biggest and best right here.
Making movies on the island of Kauai isn’t a new trend. It dates back to the early 1930s, when the film White Heat, directed by Lois Weber, was shot on location in Kauai.
Over the decades that passed, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra were amongst notable actors who shot films on Kauai, the 1976 version of King Kong was filmed on Kauai, and the island continued to become a choice destination for top directors, including Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner, and the A-list actors they worked with and the top-flight movies they made.
The most famous film shot on Kauai was 1993’s blockbuster, and still a favorite for many people, Jurassic Park. There was no place around the world that could match Kauai’s mountainous terrains and coasts, tropical jungles, and lush greenery, all of which were integral to the making of that film.
More recently, The Descendents was filmed on the island of Kauai. The movie, which starred George Clooney and was highly acclaimed, was of course set on Kauai, and the movie-makers kept that true to the source by filming on location. Additionally, Just Go With It, with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, was also filmed on Kauai.
Six Days, Seven Nights was filmed on Kauai, so of course Harrison Ford and Anne Heche fell for one another while they spent time along the beautiful Kauai beaches and the romantic surroundings of the island.
The comedy and action farce Tropic Thunder was another big-time movie filmed on Kauai. It starred Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black as actors making a film who actually get stranded in the jungle.
Of course, parts of many other movies have been filmed on Kauai as well. This includes huge hits such as Avatar and Raiders of the Lost Ark, the 1994 film Outbreak starring Dustin Hoffman, and most recently, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Clearly, Kauai is one of the premier destinations around the world to capture beautiful, unique and breathtaking surroundings, and Hollywood isn’t done with the island yet! Plan your next stay with Koloa Landing® Resort and come see all the beautiful places Hollywood movies were filmed in Kauai!