Famous movies that were shot in the real tropical paradise Dominican Republic

Luxurious beaches, narrow streets, and incredible landscapes have made the Dominican Republic a favorite destination for famous filmmakers for many years. Not only feature films but also music videos and commercials have been shot here. OBOZREVATEL has collected 5 of the best movies shot in the tropical paradise.

The Godfather 2 (1974)

Of course, there are people who have not watched Francis Ford Coppola's most famous film starring Al Pacino, but there are not a single one who has never heard of this movie. Most of the events in the story take place in Cuba. However, relations between the United States and the Latin American republic were already very tense, so the director decided to move the shooting to the Dominican Republic. More precisely, to its capital, Santo Domingo. Interestingly, the Royal Hideaway Hotel still has the balcony where the movie's most iconic scenes were filmed.

Jurassic Park (1993)

Do you remember how the characters are looking at a stone with a mosquito frozen in it centuries ago in the very first minutes of the movie? Surprisingly, it was this very object that director Steven Spielberg once saw in the Amber Museum in the Dominican Republic and was inspired by to create Jurassic Park. It is not surprising that he chose this country as the location for the movie. The dense forests and stunning landscapes became the perfect background.

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)

Where else to shoot a movie about pirate adventures if not on one of the most beautiful Caribbean islands? Most of the scenes take place on the popular El Rincon beach. Interestingly, from the beginning, the director did not believe in the film's great success, even though Johnny Depp played the main role. It was just a film adaptation of one of the most popular Disneyland attractions. However, in the first days after the premiere, the box office was so high that the studio decided to continue the franchise.

King Kong (2005)

Few people know that Peter Jackson's King Kong is a remake of the 1933 film of the same name. In the story, all the events take place on the tropical island of Skull, where a filmmaker group study the legends about the giant gorilla, which turn out to be true. Most of the scenes were shot on the Dominican Republic's island Saba, which perfectly recreated the atmosphere of the mysterious jungle.

Fast & Furious 4 (2009)

The famous action movie by Justin Lee was almost entirely filmed in the Dominican Republic. However, there were a lot of locations and they were shot in different cities. The movie stars famous actors like Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster. By the way, immediately after the film's release, the drama Bandits appeared, revealing the background of the events in Fast & Furious 4.