Popular Movies Filmed In Hawaii

Blue Crush

This movie stars Kate Bosworth as Anne Marie who was a once promising surfer who has a bad wipeout and then has to overcome that to get back on her board. Sprinkle in some romance and you have the basic idea what it's about. The main characters worked as maids at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa at Ko'Olina in the Ko Olina Resort which is now the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina. Some of the surfing scenes were also shot at Makaha Beach Park.

Blue Hawaii

This mega-hit follows the life of Chad Gates, played by Elvis Presley, who just got out of the US Army and sets out to make his own way in life. This film grossed over $4.7 million dollars in 1962, making it Elvis's biggest movie hit ever. While there are several Oahu based locations in the movie, it's the Coco Palms Resort that stands out for most people. Why? Because the Coco Palms Resort was destroyed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992 and is only now (in late 2016) being rebuilt!

The Descendants

Many loved the charming, academy award winning film The Descendants. Set in Kauai, this is a movie where even George Clooney has to make way for the scenic backdrop. If this one left you wanting to live the good life in Hawaii then you'd better head over to Hawaii Living: Getting Started right away! There are many shooting locations on Kauai for this film but many took place in the town of Hanalei, so head over to Hanalei Beach Park (Black Pot Beach) to start.

From Here To Eternity

This 1953 film starring Burt Lancaster was a runaway hit with audiences and critics alike. It tells the tale of pre-WWII enlisted men and their less than bright future on the days leading up to Pearl Harbor attack. The film went on to win eight Oscars and many other awards. The passionate kissing scene was filmed in Eternity Beach which is shown in the photo above.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

This franchise takes place in a bleak futuristic time where the main characters must compete against each other in games of life and death. The game are filmed for all of society to watch. It's sort of a new take on The Running Man movie from 1987. Some scenes for the movie were shot at Turtle Bay Beach, Kawela Bay Beach Park, Ke'ehi Beach Park, He'eia State Park, and Manoa Falls Trail.

Jurassic Park

Welcome to Jurassic Park, we've spared no expense! This 1993 classic had a lot of its filming done in Hawaii, mostly on the island of Kauai which includes the famous "waterfall scene" which took place at Manawaiopuna Falls / Jurassic Falls, pictured above. Interestingly, during filming of this movie the cast and crew were hit by Hurricane Iniki which shut things down for a while. There was also some filming done on Oahu, at Kualoa Ranch which you can tour. Jurassic Park 3 also had some filming done Kualoa Ranch.

Just Go With It

Just Go With It is another of the popular movies shot in Hawaii and starred Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. It was filmed on Maui and Kauai with the hotel used being Maui's Grand Wailea A Waldorf Astoria Resort.

Pearl Harbor

If you're going to make a film about Pearl Harbor then you pretty much need to do some onsite filming at the actual Pearl Harbor & USS Arizona Memorial, located on the island of Oahu. If you want to take a tour of a real battleship, then be sure to check out the Battleship Missouri Memorial while you're there. You can also experience life on a WWII submarine at the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park and get your WWII aviation fix at the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor. Fans of the movie will recognize all sorts of backdrops from the movie here.

South Pacific

South Pacific is a popular film from the "olden days", this one from 1958. You may be too young to know this movie, but you probably know the song with the lyrics "going to wash that man right out of my hair". While the film has many Hawaii based filming locations, that particular scene in the movie where Mitzi Gaynor "washed that man right out of her hair" took place at Lumahai Beach.

Tropic Thunder

It's your classic scenario of actors who think they're making a war film that find themselves unknowingly in an actual war. Throw in some Ben Stiller comedy antics and the tropical setting of Kauai and you have this funny film that doesn't take itself very seriously. A lot of the locations on Kauai took place in the jungle / forested areas with some of them shot at the Grove Farm Homestead & Sugar Plantation Museum and even the Kapaa Sands got turned into a Vietnamese Village.