PHOTO BY DEAN SENSUI (HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER]
Even if this is your first trip to O‘ahu, chances are it’s not your first glance of the island. Numerous movies and TV shows have been set on O‘ahu, and others have used the scenery for filming.
Perhaps the most notable show on airwaves recently, and in years past, is HAWAI‘I FIVE-0. A quick drive downtown will reveal where the recent iteration of the show’s police station is supposedly set — Ali‘iōlani Hale, which is fronted by a statue of King Kamehameha at 417 S. King St. Most of the show’s scenes are filmed on O‘ahu.
Fans of the famed TV show LOST know that the majority of the show was filmed at Kualoa; in fact, the cast made an appearance for a special final season opening episode debut on Waikīkī Beach.
The reboot of MAGNUM P.I. is sure to produce more sights for fans to search for on the island.
But it’s not just TV that loves O‘ahu — plenty of films have been set here as well. Thousands of kama‘āina (locals) did their best to flee from GODZILLA in 2014’s adaptation of the major monster blockbuster. Newer projects in which O‘ahu stars include the notable releases JURASSIC WORLD
2: FALLEN KINGDOM, starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, as well as JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, starring Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black. Other silver screen O‘ahu sightings include KONG: SKULL ISLAND, MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES, JURASSIC WORLD, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 5: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES and SNATCHED.
