Kong: Skull Island, the latest King Kong reboot starring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman, opens in theaters this weekend. We’ve been curious about this mysterious island in the South Pacific since we saw the trailer, especially because director Jordan Vogt-Roberts has such a good eye for scouting dramatic landscapes. It turns out, Skull Island is comprised of multiple islands. Here are three main filming locations for Kong: Skull Island.
Oahu
This spot may look familiar: Kualoa Ranch has been dubbed Hollywood’s Hawaii backlot, serving as the backdrop of Jurassic Park, Godzilla and the Lost TV show.
Queensland, Australia
Australia’s Gold Coast is known for its sprawling beach resorts and theme parks. But just nearby is the Coombah Lakes Conservation Park, where kangaroos and koalas roam free. They even stopped by the set.
The movie was also filmed in the Tamborine Mountain tropical rainforest, in Queensland’s hinterland, about an hour outside of Brisbane.
Vietnam
Many scenes for Kong: Skull Island were filmed in northern Vietnam. Aerial shots and helicopter chases took place in Ha Long Bay. Filming locations also include UNESCO World Heritage site Tràng An and the Tú Làn Caves System.
The filming locations were so remote that the cast and crew took alternative transportation to get to work, including helicopter and boats.
A local village even had front-row seats to the filming!
Kong: Skull Island opens this weekend. Here’s the trailer: