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12 Popular Hollywood Movies Filmed in Indonesia

Indonesia is a beautiful country with mesmerizing scenery like no other. Captivated by its landscape, lots of Hollywood filmmakers shoot their films there. Here are some famous Hollywood movies filmed entirely or some of their scenes in Indonesia

1. Lady Dragon (1990)

Cynthia Rothrock Hollywood movies filmed in Indonesia

80s Hong Kong cinema is something else. But before Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock shone in the Hong Kong action movie scene. Delivering several successful movies, Rothrock went to Indonesia to shoot some films, such as Lady Dragon 1 dan 2, and Rage and Honor II (1993)

2. Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)

2003 American life-action and animated comedy combination included big star names Brendan Fraser, Steve Martin, and Timothy Dalton. The premise is about the adventure of the Looney Tunes gang searching for the mythical Blue Monkey diamond.

Director Joe Dante and animator Eric Goldberg consider real-world shooting rather than the blue screen. The film crew traveled from Universal Studios, California, to Cimory Land in Puncak, Bogor, to shoot this movie.

3. Anaconda: The Hunt of Blood Orchid (2004)

Following the positive income of the first movie, Anaconda (1997), which explored Amazon Jungle, director Dwight Little moved the sequel to Borneo. Mainly filmed in Kalimantan, the movie tracked Borneo's jungle, where most of the film takes place.
Andacondas filmed in Indonesia

The film follows the researchers set on an expedition to Southeast Asia, where they encounter a gigantic anaconda. Even though the movie was harshly critiqued for the story and CGI, which could not exceed the reception of the first movie, it was claimed as a financial success.

4. King Kong (2005) 

Before fighting Godzilla, Kong was the creature who ruled Skull Island, located near Singapore. It was the story from 2005 King Kong, directed by Peter Jackson, stating that this island is said to be where King Kong was first discovered by troubled filmmaker Carl Denham, played by Adrien Brody.

Starring Brody, Naomi Watt, and 'the King' Jack Black, the ninth installment of the King Kong franchise released in 2005, was filmed in Mursala Island, North Sumatra. Most of the movie was filmed in New Zealand, and it is one of the most expensive movies ever made.

5. The Fall (2006)

Takes place in the 1920s, The Fall tells a fantastic tale of six heroes in the desert who take on evil rulers. The story is packed with imagination, and the beautiful scenery is viewed from the point of view of a child.

The pleasing picture of The Fall is the result of the different locations where the film was shot. It was filmed in 13 countries, such as India, South Africa, Argentina, Fiji, etc. One of the filming locations is Ubud, Bali, the most famous island in Indonesia. 

5. Amphibious (2010)

Only a few people know about the film Amphibious. Its story revolves around Skyler, a marine biologist, who teams up with Jack Bowman to find traces of prehistoric life forms.

film Amphibious Hollywood movies filmed in Indonesia

Apart from its negative review, this movie is the first action thriller 100% shot in Sumatra waters. It is also the first Dutch 3D production. Brian Yuzna's movie, unfortunately, is a commercial flop.

6. Eat, Pray, Love (2010) 

Ubud's beautiful landscape is the healing zone in Eat, Pray, Love, starring Julia Roberts. The biographical romance was adapted from Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir of the same name.

Based on the novel, Gilbert seeks self-discovery by visiting three countries: Italia, India, and Indonesia. You can see the beauty of Ubud and its therapeutic scenery in the last third of the movie. Eat, Pray, Love received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success. 

7. Savages (2012) 

John Travolta, Blake Lively, and Salma Hayek starred in an action thriller directed by Olive Stone that has been adapted from Don Winslow's novel. The story mainly focuses on the war between drug dealers, receiving lukewarm reviews from critics.

It was shot on Moyo Island, West Nusa Tenggara, 2,5 kilometers from Sumbawa Island. The island promises a beautiful landscape of natural beauty despite being small, along with a blue ocean and a secluded beach.

8. Java Heat (2013)

This buddy-cop movie starring Kellan Lutz and Ario Bayu mostly shot Yogyakarta as its set. It follows the undercover agent and detective who join hands to track down the culprits behind the suicide bombing that targeted a high-profile party in Java.

Some scenes are filmed in famous and legendary landmarks, such as Sewu and Borobudur temple, Tugu monument, and Yogyakarta Sultan's Palace, which mainly become tourist attractions. Other scenes are done in Australia and Thailand.

9. The Philosopher (2013)

Primarily known as After the Dark, the science fiction psychological thriller The Philosophers explores how humans can survive in the post-apocalypse world when the philosophy teacher takes his student to live in a bunker.

The movie is set in Jakarta. Filming began in June 2012 and will continue for almost two months. John Huddles, who directed the film, took several locations to shoot, namely Belitung Island (Sumatera), Bromo, Prambanan, and Sewu Temple in Central Java. 

10. Blackhat (2015) 

Chris Hemsworth once visited Indonesia in his action thriller alongside Tang Wei and Viola Davis. Directed by Michael Mann, Blackhat is built around intense action and complex yet thematic plot using Hindus culture.

Filming is mainly done in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Several locations in Indonesia were set for the filming location, such as Soekarno Hatta Airport and Tanah Abang, and the final shot was at the West Irian Liberation Monument in Lapangan Menteng, Jakarta. 

11. Beyond Skyline (2017) 

Beyond Skyline is written, directed, and co-produced by Liam O'Donnell for his directorial debut. 2017's science fiction alien invasion movie starred Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, and the actor of Captain America: Winter Soldier, Frank Grillo.

The movie was shot in Yogyakarta, Batam, Indonesia, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The script stated that the final scene was in Laos, but O'Donnell moved the shot to the Prambanan temple complex in Indonesia.

12. Monkey Man (2024)

Dev Patel's directorial debut, Monkey Man, received high praise for its complex theme and the use of cultural representation in its plot and intense action about the revenge mission that transcends social class.

This is the latest Hollywood action movie filmed in Batam, Indonesia. It was filmed in Indonesia, which can be regarded as an accident. Patel already planned to shoot the film in India, but as COVID-19 spread, the Indian government stopped filming activity. To continue the movie, Patel moved the crew to Batam.

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