We’re always Googling where movies are filmed as we are watching them, especially when it comes to movies filmed in Australia! More recently we’ve noticed quite a few movies filmed in Queensland which you might like to know about.
Many actors fly into Gold Coast to film Hollywood blockbusters at the Village Roadshow Studios, but, filming isn’t limited to inside a studio.
There are so many movies filmed in Queensland, we’re sure you’ll be nodding away realising you may have been to some of these locations!
And, if you haven’t been to them yet, there’s a reason why most of the movies were filmed there – being home to some of the best landscapes and ultimate paradise vibes you need to see for yourself in person.
After writing our popular guide for Hollywood Movies Filmed In Sydney, here’s our guide for the movie set locations in Queensland!
1. Ticket To Paradise
One of the latest movies filmed in Queensland is the romantic comedy called Ticket To Paradise led by Hollywood mega star cast Julia Roberts and George Clooney. Although the movie is based in Bali, the majority of the movie was filmed in Queensland in locations such as Whitsundays, Moreton Island and Mount Tamborine.
Most of the movie was filmed at Palm Bay Resort in Long Island Whitsundays which inspired us to spend our honeymoon here recently. You can read our Palm Bay Resort Review here about how much it cost us and what we thought of it.
It was also filmed at the luxurious resort in Queensland called Qualia in Hamilton Island. If you’re ever lucky to visit this 6-star resort, expect your own infinity pool overlooking The Whitsundays. After watching this movie, it’s definitely on our list to stay there one day and made us realise that we don’t need to travel as far as the Maldives to find paradise.
It was also filmed at Moreton Island which is one of the only sunset over the water spots in Queensland. Make sure you check out our guide for visiting Tangalooma Island Resort at Moreton Island which is where you can feed dolphins.
If you’re wondering where the waterfall scenes were filmed, you can read our Tips For Visiting Curtis Falls guide to see it in person!
2. Elvis
We also recently went to the cinema and saw Elvis which was entirely filmed in Gold Coast. It was quite fascinating seeing some of the outside locations which we could just tell were filmed in Queensland.
I couldn’t help but think back to when they were filming this movie and Tom Hanks arrived in Gold Coast with Corona Virus which was a shock for everyone at the time.
3. Spiderhead
Chris Hemsworth recently starred and produced a Netflix movie called Spiderhead. While we were watching it, we knew we had to look up the set location because it definitely looked like The Whitsundays in parts.
Apparently the prison was filmed in a sports complex that had been shut down due to Covid and the scene at the end which reveals a big lake is the beautiful Hinze Dam in Gold Coast Hinterland. If you’ve not seen it yet, go up to Lower Beechmont to see the views of it. It blows my mind every time we go there because it looks like a view taken from Jurassic Park.
4. Inbetweeners 2
Brits will know about the classic teen show, The Inbetweeners but did you know they filmed the Inbetweeners 2 movie at Wet N Wild in Gold Coast? The hilarious movie was filmed all over Australia, but you can’t miss a trip to the Gold Coast theme parks when you’re in the area.
Make sure you check out our Tips For Visiting Movie World In Gold Coast before you go!
5. The Shallows
Tamborine Mountain is obviously a well known set location for many movies you would have seen thanks to having the oldest national park in Queensland – Tamborine National Park. If you’ve not been there yet, put it on your list. The palm trees are tall and thin and it has rainforest vibes that you’ll wonder why you haven’t been here before.
The Shallows starring Blake Lively is about how she gets stuck in the ocean surrounded by sharks was in fact filmed in Tamborine Mountain and Lord Howe Island. I never picked this up before while watching it so make sure you look out for those palm trees in the movie!
You might like to check out our The Ultimate Things To Do In Tamborine Mountain guide before you head up there which includes the best places to eat, where to stay, and of course our favourite things to do.
6. Crocodile Dundee
Everyone’s favourite Australian movie, Crocodile Dundee was filmed in McKinlay which is 990 miles from Brisbane to represent the famous Walkabout Creek town. The pub in the movie was filmed at The Federal Hotel which was then renamed to Walkabout Creek Hotel because of the global popularity of the film.
7. Fool’s Gold
I remember being in Airlie Beach as a backpacker when the romantic comedy Fool’s Gold was being filmed with Mathew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. Although it was filmed on Hamilton Island and Port Douglas the movie was actually based in the Bahamas.
But you know the reason why I remember this movie being filmed? Apparently there were rumours flying around the backpacker bars at the time that Mathew McConaughey was spotted in them a few days before I was there.
8. Australia
Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Australia’ was filmed all over the country! But, did you know the underrated North Queensland town of Bowen became the set location for the main street in Darwin for the movie?
If you’ve not been to Bowen yet, put it on your list as it’s the quieter neighbour of Airlie Beach. Home to some incredible picture perfect beaches with access to the Great Barrier Reef and popular with families doing the big lap around Australia, it’s no wonder those in the know understand it’s worth more than a stop off to see the big Mango.
9. Muriel’s Wedding
Muriel’s Wedding is one of the best classic Australian movies ever made! Although the movie is mostly based and filmed in Sydney, some of the real-life filming locations were filmed in Surfers Paradise, Collangatta, Tugun and Hamilton Island.
10. Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean must be one of the most famous movies filmed in Queensland! The fifth movie was partly filmed in The Whitsundays at the same location as Ticket To Paradise at a beautiful beach opposite Whitehaven Beach called Katies Cove. Keep that one a secret though, yeah? The movie was also shot on North Stradbroke Island and in the Gold Coast as well!
11. Aquaman
Can we just take a moment to imagine Jason Momoa walking around Gold Coast while filming Aquaman? Oh. My. It’s true though, the movie was filmed in Coomera, Southport and on North Stradbroke Island as well as loads of other locations. Now, when is he coming back to film again??
12. Thor
Australia’s very own Chris Hemsworth filmed the famous Thor movie in Australia, and while most of the movie was filmed at the Village Roadshow Studios, Brisbane’s CBD was transformed into a version of New York for part of the movie. Other locations included an outdoor set built at Oxenford Quarry and scenes filmed in Tamborine Mountain.
13. Scooby-Doo
It’s true – Scooby-Doo was filmed at the beautiful Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island. If you’ve not been to this island yet, put it on your list. It’s honestly the perfect day trip from Brisbane or weekend getaway which you can read our Moreton Island Guide for more information.
14. Dead Calm
Dead Calm is a thriller starring Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane and Sam Neil at sea which was actually filmed in The Whitsundays. Filmed in 1989, this was one of the final movies Nicole Kidman filmed in Australia because she reached global success with Tom Cruise the following year when we starred in Days Of Thunder.
15. Unbroken
I remember Angelina Jolie coming to Sydney to film the movie Unbroken at Cockatoo Island, but she also filmed some of it in Queensland as well. The movie based around World War II was also shot at the Village Roadshow Studios in Gold Coast as well as Mount Tamborine.
Have we missed any movies filmed in Queensland off this list? Let us know in the comments below if we’ve missed any!
15 Hollywood Movies Filmed In Queensland
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