Add these Hollywood hits filmed in Queensland to your must-watch list

Australia’s film industry has boomed in recent years, and with Queensland’s triple threat of pristine beaches, lush rainforests and the red dirt of the Outback, it’s easy to see why Hollywood is attracted to the beauty of Queensland.

Not only are Queensland's natural landscapes and cities legitimate dupes for many international locations, but throw in world-class production facilities at the Gold Coast’s Village Roadshow Studios (it’s the largest studio lot in the Southern Hemisphere), and there’s a surprising amount of box-office hits on Queensland’s highlight reel.

Looking for a dose of Queensland in your movie watch-list? Grab your popcorn, dim the lights and check out these Hollywood movies shot right here in Queensland.

Movies filmed in south east Queensland

• Elvis: Director Baz Luhrmann took the Gold Coast back in time with Elvis. Starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, most of the filming took place at Village Roadshow Studios. However some locals were lucky to see parts of Burleigh transformed to the rocking 50s and 60s with vintage cars lining the streets.
• Thor: Ragnarok: Brisbane's streets closed down and transformed into New York New for the filming of the latest Thor film, and the rest was filmed at Village Roadshow Studios. Not only did this production shoot give the local economy a much-needed boost, but it prioritised hiring Indigenous Australians as crew. 
• Muriel’s Wedding: This coming of age story about a socially-awkward, ABBA-obsessed teenager trying to fit in with the cool kids was set in the fictitious town of Porpoise Spit. The real-life filming locations were in Coolangatta, Surfers Paradise, and Tugun.  
• Scooby-Doo: Look closely at the kid’s flick  Scooby-Doo and you’ll see that Spooky Island is Queensland's very own Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island.
• Aquaman: Telling the story of Atlantis' missing king, this big-budget film shot many of its scenes on location at Main Beach, Coomera, Southport, and Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
• Romance on the Menu: Filming for this Netflix romantic-comedy film took place in Brisbane's coastal suburb Shornecliffe - you can't miss the historic Shorncliffe Pier shots.
• Nautilus: Disney+ will shot its latest sci-fi adventure series at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast. The 10-part live-action blockbuster also featured  The Old Museum in Brisbane and Queensland Parliament House.
• Joe vs. Carol: After the successful mayhem of Tiger King in 2020, we witnessed more chaos with Joe vs. Carol, a spin-off brought to Queensland as part of a $19.5 million dollar deal between the Federal Government and NBC International. Filming locations included scenes in the Redlands Coast and Brisbane City. 
• The Portable Door: Brisbane city streetscapes, as well as Gold Coast beaches and hinterland, provided the perfect backdrop to realise fantasy adventure feature film The Portable Door, now streaming on Stan.

• Unbroken: Angelina Jolie remodelled Brisbane’s Fort Lytton into a World War II camp for the 2014 Oscar-nominated drama Unbroken. 
• Swimming for Gold: This teen-focused drama about a former elite swimmer showcases some of southeast Queensland’s most recognisable landmarks, including South Bank Parklands and beach, and waterfall scenes near Tallebudgera Creek.
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: As well as shooting at Village Roadshow Studios, exterior shots of the boat of this fantasy-adventure movie were taken at Brisbane's Cleveland Point. 
  
• Kong: Skull Island: When director Jordan Vogt-Roberts saw the golden sand dunes of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), he knew he’d found Kong a scenic backdrop (you can spot them in the opening sequence). 

Movies filmed in The Whitsundays

• Love is in the Air: Australian singer Delta Goodrem stars in the Netflix hit Love is in the Air, following Goodrem’s character as a pilot, as she works to keep her business flying while also sparking up a new love interest. While the movie’s fictional base is Fullerton, look out for similarities with The Whitsundays, including Airlie Beach, Whitsunday Coast Airport, and the region’s scenic islands, blue waters and ocean views.
• Ticket to Paradise: The romantic comedy, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts as bitter exes who reunite to stop their daughter from getting married, was filmed entirely in Queensland. While the flick is set in Bali, the Hollywood heavyweights took over Hamilton Island, filming many moments around the dreamy Bougainvillea Pool, One Tree Hill (known as Nusa Penida in Ticket to Paradise), and Catseye Beach. The cast and crew also headed south to streets of Brisbane and Gold Coast’s pristine beaches and lush hinterland.
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: Eagle-eyed location spotters will know it was Haslewood Island in The Whitsundays that stole the Pirates of the Caribbean scene when young Henry’s love interest washed up on a remote beach, but the cameras also panned the world’s third most photographed beach, Whitehaven Beach.  Look out for location shots on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) and the Gold Coast too.
• Fool's Gold: Who can forget the hype reel of Kate Hudson and Mathew McConaughey  frolicking around Hamilton Island in the romantic comedy Fool’s Gold? In addition to epic island backdrops, the film flirts with Port Douglas too. Look closely as Matthew McConaughey runs down the streets of  “The Bahamas” and you can spot Central Hotel, the town’s popular bar which still stands smack in the middle Macrossan Street.
• Australia:  Typically known for its summer mangoes found in just about every Aussie fruit shop, the town of Bowen hit a high note when the main street was transformed into a 1942 Darwin for the movie Australia. 

Movies filmed in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

• Finding Nemo: The Great Barrier Reef is a world heritage site,  global icon, and a magical underwater source of inspiration to kids all around the world.  
• Nim's Island: As an adventure movie about a girl who's alone on a remote island, it makes sense that shooting took place on Hinchinbrook Island - not only the biggest island on the Great Barrier Reef, but one of its most unspoilt residents. 
• The Island of Dr Moreau: The chosen location for this science fiction movie was among the rainforests south of Cairns. 
• Irreverent: With a fish-out-water story set firmly in Tropical North Queensland, the palm-tree lined winding coastal roads, small-town streetscapes, expansive beaches and rainforest tracks of Mission Beach were the perfect backdrop for the fictional seaside town of ‘Clump’. The 10-part series also headed to Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast as well as inland townships of Tully and Silkwood. 
• Dive Club: The drama television program Dive Club was filmed in Port Douglas. It follows a feisty group of teen divers who race to find their best friend when she disappears after a storm hits their small coastal town. Look out for locations along Macrossan Street, Thala Beach, Wonga Beach and the Great Barrier Reef. 

Upcoming TV shows and movies filmed in Queensland

• Mortal Kombat 2: The sequel to the 2021 hit has been seduced from southern states to start production in Queensland. A huge coup for Queensland, the now in-production film was attracted by government incentives, enviable studios and post-production facilities, and unbeatable locations. Production has commenced at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast. 

Now that your eyes are open to the many Queensland backdrops on your Netflix list, here are 44 things you didn't know you could in Queensland.

Feature image: We Are Gold Coast