The warm tropical beaches and clear blue lagoons of Fiji look like they are right out of a movie, and for good reason. 74 movies were shot in Fiji in 2017. It is easy to see why Fiji would be such an incredible location for film productions. A large amount of Fiji’s 300 islands and 500 islets are either uninhabited or sparsely inhabited with 87% of the population of Fiji residing on the 2 large islands. This allows motion picture production companies the ability to film their projects on uninhabited islands while still being relatively close to some of the best resorts in the world to house their cast and crew.
Of course, being located in the middle of the South Pacific, the amazing waters around Fiji are a great location to shoot any type of movie that takes place in the “high seas”. You don’t have to travel to far from shore to have an amazing ocean vista in every other direction to use as a back drop. All while still being close to civilization.
Some of the Movies That Shot in Fiji
Speaking of shooting “high seas” adventures just off shore of Fiji, the Hollywood film “Adrift” starring Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin just shot in Fiji. The film is based on the true story of Tami Oldham and her fiancé Richard Sharp who make it through the largest hurricane ever recorded in the Pacific Ocean only to end up with their boat disabled and no means of communication.
The reality TV series “Survivor” has been shooting in the Mamanuca island chain for many years now. “Survivor is aired in over 100 countries around the world and has a viewrship of over 110 million people. The long-standing host of the show, Jeff Probst, said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that Fiji is their home and he hoped that they stay in Fiji forever.
The American show “Wrecked”, from TBS network, also shoots in Fiji. A comedic spoof on shows like “Lost”, “Wrecked shot season 2 mainly in Sigatoka and Nadi.
Fiji Has A Rich Cinematic History
Filming in Fiji is nothing new. The 2000 film “Castaway”, starring Tom Hanks, was shot in the Mamanuca islands on the island of Monuriki. Many visitors to Fiji like to take a day trip to Monuriki to see the sites from the film.
The 1980 film “The Blue Lagoon”, (and The Blue Lagoon 2”) were shot on the actual Blue Lagoon, and Turtle Island (originally called Nanuya Levu) in Fiji’s Yasawa island chain. The film also took advantage of other amazing sites in Yasawa such as the Sawa-i-lau caves.
Come to Fiji and See The Sites
If you are planning to come to Fiji for vacation, and would like to see some of the amazing locations that Cinema has brought into pop culture, the give Turtle Airways a call. Our seaplanes can pick you up from your resort and take you on low flying scenic flights and day trips around Nadi, the Mamanuca and the Yasawa island chains. We will be glad to show you some of the most famous filming locations and Fiji. Bring your camera, and you can make some Hollywood magic of your own!