Top 15 Movies Filmed in Arizona by US Box Office

/ Arizona, USA / By

Spread the love!

Lights, Camera, Arizona: Unveiling the Silver Screen Gems!

Lights, camera, action! Get ready for an adrenaline-packed adventure as we take you on a journey through the glitzy reel world of Arizona. Whether you’re a movie buff, seeking some excitement or just plain bored, we’ve got the perfect getaway for you. Say goodbye to mundane and hello to Lights, Camera, Arizona!

Key Takeaways:

  • Explore the magic of the silver screen in Arizona
  • Discover iconic filming locations in the state
  • Immerse yourself in the world of your favorite movies

Now, we know what you’re thinking. Why should I bother visiting movie filming locations? Well, let us tell you why it’s an absolute blast! Picture this: you’re strolling through the very streets where your favorite actors delivered unforgettable performances. Goosebumps, right? It’s like being a part of the action without actually being cast in the movie (because let’s face it, not all of us have that secret Hollywood connection).

The Land of the Grand Canyon has hosted some iconic flicks that make you want to shout, “Action!” Ready for an adventure? Step into the cowboy boots of our favorite dusty gunslinger at Old Tucson. Feel the thrill of being in a spaghetti western as you wander through the exact spots where legends were born. You might just unleash the lone ranger inside you!

But wait, there’s more! Get ready for a touch of movie magic as you venture to the picturesque town of Sedona. Known for its stunning red rock formations on the silver screen, this place offers more than just breathtaking views.

Channel your inner adventurer and embark on a quest to capture the perfect shot of those famous red rocks. And hey, who knows? Perhaps you’ll bump into an A-list celebrity soaking in the awe-inspiring scenery.

Now, let’s zoom into some key takeaways:

  • Grab a slice of Hollywood in Arizona
  • Trace the footsteps of your favorite movie stars
  • Capture Instagram-worthy moments in iconic locations

Ready for the ultimate movie-lover’s experience? Pack your bags, folks! From iconic westerns to thrilling blockbusters, Arizona has it all. Discover the breathtaking landscapes where Hollywood dreams came to life. Soak up the cinematic history, create unforgettable memories, and let the reels weave their magic around you.

Now, head over to our listicle below and start exploring the movies filmed in Arizona. Unveil the secrets, relive the magic, and get ready to be blown away by Lights, Camera, Arizona!

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – US Box Office: USD$402,111,870

Director: Michael Bay

Main Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Ramón Rodríguez, and Kevin Dunn

Release Date:  June 24, 2009

Filming Locations: Luxor, Egypt; Petra, Jordan; Shanghai, China; Tucson International Airport, Tucson, Arizona, USA; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Main Plot: It is revealed that thousands of years ago, there was a race of ancient Transformers who scoured the universe looking for energy sources. Known as the Dynasty of Primes, they used Sun Harvesters to drain stars of their energy to convert it to Energon and power Cybertron’s AllSpark. The Primes agreed that life-bearing worlds would be spared, but in 17,000 BC, one brother, dubbed “The Fallen,” constructed a Sun Harvester on Earth. The remaining brothers thus sacrificed their bodies to hide the Matrix of Leadership, the key that activates the Sun Harvester from The Fallen, who swore to seek revenge upon Earth. Two years after the events of the previous movie, in the present, Optimus Prime is seen commanding NEST. A military force made up of human soldiers and his own Autobot team was created to eliminate the last of the Decepticons on Earth.

Famous quotes:

Sam Witwicky: “Maybe we can help each other. You know things I don’t know, I know things you don’t know.”

Leo Spitz: “I don’t think he knows what we know.”

Sam Witwicky: “I could do this all day. It comes in waves, these vivid symbols. They’re symbols, but they’re in my mind. You see, all this is in my mind, and Megatron wants what’s in my mind, him and someone called the Fallen.”

Jetfire: “The Fallen? I know him. He left me here to rust! The original Decepticon! He’s terrible to work for, it’s always apocalypse, chaos, crisis.”

Jetfire: “These transcriptions, they were part of my mission! The Fallen’s search… I remember now!… for the Dagger’s Tip, a-and the Key!”

Sequel: Transformers; Transformers: Dark of the Moon; Transformers: Age of Extinction; Transformers: The Last Knight; Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Fun Facts about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen:

  • In terms of paid product placements, this movie has 47, which is the most as of 2011.
  • Filming started the day after Transformers (2007) won the MTV Movie Award for Best Picture.
  • The Transformers were made using a combination of computer graphics, imagery, and props. Such as a life-scale model of Bumblebee, a life-scale model of Optimus Prime, a life-scale puppet of Wheelie in robot mode, a model of the Matrix of Leadership, and Jetfire’s landing gear/cane.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope – US Box Office: USD$332,740,000

Director: George Lucas

Main Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, Anthony Daniels, and Kenny Baker

Release Date: May 25, 1977

Filming Locations: Campeche, Mexico; Mexico; Guatemala; California, USA; Arizona, USA

Main Plot: Luke Skywalker resides on a farm on Tatooine with his aunt and uncle. His uncle needs him for the upcoming harvest, despite his desperation to leave this planet and attend the Academy like his friends. In the meantime, a malicious emperor seized control of the galaxy. He built a powerful “Death Star” capable of obliterating entire planets. Princess Leia, a well-known resistance fighter, acquires the Death Star’s blueprints. Who then gives them to the droid R2-D2, telling it to search for Obi-wan Kenobi. R2-D2 and his friend C-3PO wind up on the Skywalkers’ farm before he is discovered. Luke follows R2-D2 into the desert, where they eventually come across Obi-wan. Will Luke, Obi-wan, and the two droids be able to destroy the Death Star, or will the Emperor maintain his position of power indefinitely?

Famous quotes:

Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi: “You must learn the ways of the Force, if you’re to come with me to Alderaan.”

Luke Skywalker: “Alderaan? I’m not going to Alderaan, I’ve gotta get *home*, it’s late, I’m in for it as it is!”

Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi: “I need your help, Luke. She needs your help. I’m getting too old for this sort of thing.”

Luke Skywalker: “Look, I can’t get involved. I’ve got work to do. It’s not that I like the Empire; I hate it, but there’s nothing I can do about it right now… It’s all such a long way from here.”

Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi: “That’s your uncle talking.”

Sequel: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes; Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi; Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith; Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens; Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi; Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of

Fun Facts about Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope:

  • Although their respective characters despise each other, Carrie Fisher found Peter Cushing charming, polite, and humorous on set. In fact, they received along so well that it was difficult for Fisher to pretend to despise him.
  • The first movie to make over $300 million at the domestic box office. Its release was also the first movie to cross $500 million worldwide.
  • For so long during the scene involving the trash compactor, Mark Hamill held his breath, rupturing a blood vessel in his face. Only one side is used for the next shots.

Forrest Gump – US Box Office: USD$330,455,270

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Main Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field

Release Date: 6 July 1994

Filming Locations: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA; Monument Valley, Arizona, USA; Pemaquid, Maine, USA; Savannah, Georgia, USA; Beaufort, South Carolina, USA

Main Plot: Forrest Gump is a simple man with a low IQ and straightforwardness. As they navigate childhood, he plays with Jenny, his one and only buddy. He is taught the fundamentals of life by his mother, who then hands him to fate. Forrest enlists in the military and serves in Vietnam. He makes new pals named Dan and Bubba, gets medals, establishes a renowned shrimp fishing fleet, incites people to run, popularizes ping-pong, invents the smiley, writes songs and bumper stickers, and sees the president multiple times. However, Forrest is unconcerned with this because he is thinking about Jenny Curran, his childhood sweetheart who has wrecked her life. But ultimately, he wants to show that love is a universal force.

Famous quotes:

Jenny Curran: “Do you ever dream, Forrest, about who you’re gonna be?”

Forrest Gump: “I ran for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours.”

Young Man Running: “Quiet, quiet! He’s gonna say something!”

Lieutenant Daniel Taylor: “Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?”

Forrest Gump: “I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.”

Fun Facts about Forrest Gump:

  • The Paramount film with the highest box office performance to cross the $100 million, $150 million, and $200 million marks (as of February 2008).
  • The Green Mile (1999) and Apollo 13 are the other two movies with Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise (1995). Only Forrest Gump took home the Best Picture Oscar out of the three nominated films.
  • Tom Hanks’ mother is portrayed by Sally Field, who is only ten years older, describes Tom Hanks’ mother.

Transformers – US Box Office: USD$319,246,193

Director: Michael Bay

Main Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Anthony Anderson, and Jon Voight

Release Date: July 3, 2007

Filming Locations: Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada Border, USA; Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada Border, USA; 2182 W 24th St, Los Angeles, California, USA; Holloman Air Force Base, Alamogordo, New Mexico, USA; Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles, California, USA

Main Plot: Sam Witwicky persuades his teacher to give him a+ Grade. Enabling him to buy his first car, a used Camaro. Sam’s car decides to drive itself to a deserted junkyard, where it transforms into the Autobot Bumblebee, intending to defend Sam. In the interim, a Decepticon destroys a US military base in Qatar. In response to the attempt to steal certain data, the staff sergeant cuts all computer hardlines. Only a small number of soldiers who survive are taken for a debriefing. Sam learns about the Allspark from the Autobots when they land on Earth and show off their capacity to create and give life to new worlds. Sam finds the glasses his great-great-grandfather wore with the cube’s location written on them. Who will unleash the Allspark’s limitless power as the Autobots and Decepticons fight for it?

Famous quotes:

Maggie Madsen: “Sir, they hacked your firewall in ten seconds! Even a supercomputer, with a brute force attack, would take ten years to do that.”

Admiral Brigham: “Maybe you can explain why our enemies are doubling their armed forces.”

Maggie Madsen: “Maybe it’s a precaution, because isn’t that what we’re doing? The signal pattern is learning, it’s EVOLVING on its own, and you need to move past Fourier transforms and start thinking about quantum mechanics.”

Admiral Brigham: “There is nothing on Earth that complex!”

Maggie Madsen: “How about an organism, a living organism? Or some sort of DNA-based computer? I know that sounds crazy, but.”

Sequel: Transformers: Dark of the Moon; Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen; Transformers: Age of Extinction; Transformers: The Last Knight; Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Fun Facts about Transformers:

  • Due to the immense richness and intricacy of The Transformers, it takes the ILM artists 38 hours to accomplish only one shot.
  • Megan Fox put on ten pounds of weight for her Mikaela Banes role to make her more suitable for the action scenes.
  • The fastest-selling DVD was released in 2007.

Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi – US Box Office: USD$309,306,177

Director: Richard Marquand

Main Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Sebastian Shaw

Release Date: May 25, 1983

Filming Locations: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona, USA; Hopi Indian Reservation, Arizona, USA; Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park, Carlotta, California, USA; Carlotta, California, USA; Morrison Creek Road, Smith River, California, USA

Main Plot: A new Death Star that is almost twice as big but more than twice as powerful is almost halfway complete, thanks to the Empire. When everything is said and done, Luke Skywalker and the rebels are certain to pass away. Princess Leia soon finds herself in Jabba the Hutt’s custody while Han Solo is held, prisoner. With the help of C-3PO and R2-D2, Luke Skywalker enters Jabba’s palace to secure the release of his friends. However, Jabba tries to carry out all of them without such plans. They regroup with the rebel fleet as it prepares to launch an attack against the new satellite battle station at Endor after escaping from Jabba and the sands of Tatooine. Han commands soldiers to destroy the shield generator guarding the Death Star. At the same time, Lando Calrissian is called upon to lead the rebel fighter attack.

Famous quotes:

Luke: “Your thoughts betray you, Father. I feel the good in you, the conflict.”

Darth Vader: “There is no conflict.”

Luke: “You couldn’t bring yourself to kill me before and I don’t believe you’ll destroy me now.”

Darth Vader: “You underestimate the power of the Dark Side. If you will not fight, then you will meet your destiny.”

Luke: Never. “I’ll never turn to the Dark Side. You’ve failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”

Sequel: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes; Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope; Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith; Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace; Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens; Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi; Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker

Fun Facts about Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi:

  • There are several Tagalog (Filipino)-language Ewok lines. However, most Ewok lines were influenced by the Kalmyk language, used by Buddhist tribes in Southern Russia.
  • About 460% more space was taken up by the second Death Star than the first.
  • Joseph Williams, the lead singer of the pop/rock group TOTO, worked on a portion of the score and contributed lyrics for the songs featuring the Ewoks.

Independence Day – US Box Office: USD$306,169,268

Director: Roland Emmerich

Main Cast: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, and Randy Quaid

Release Date: July 3, 1996

Filming Locations: Mojave Desert, Arizona, USA; Quartzsite, Arizona, USA; White Sands, New Mexico, USA; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Quartzsite, Arizona, USA

Main Plot: A bizarre air interference disrupts communications networks worldwide. The army rapidly discovers that some enormous objects are traveling directly toward Earth. Initially believed to be meteorites, they are eventually found to be large spaceships driven by unknown extraterrestrial species. David Levinson, an ex-scientist turned cable technician, learns that the aliens plan to assault significant locations worldwide. In much less than one day, interaction with them is unsuccessful. The aliens virtually destroyed New York, Los Angeles, and Washington on July 3, in addition to Paris, London, Houston, and Moscow. The refugees move in convoys toward Area 51. A top-secret test site where there are whispers that the military may own its own alien spacecraft that has been abducted. To stop the aliens’ captivity, the survivors devise a plan. Humanity decided to battle for its freedom on July 4, National Day.

Famous quotes:

Area 51 Guard: “I’m sorry, Captain. This is a restricted area. I can’t let you pass without clearance.”

Captain Steven Hiller: “Okay. Come here. You wanna see my clearance?”

Captain Steven Hiller: “Maybe I’ll just leave this here with you.”

Area 51 Guard: “Let them pass! Let them pass!”

Captain Steven Hiller: “Get the hell out of the way!”

Sequel: Independence Day: Resurgence

Fun Facts about Independence Day :

  • The movie forced Hezbollah to be prohibited in Lebanon because it featured moments in which the Israeli and Iraqi military worked together in the montage. 
  • It took 72 days to film the movie, which is unusually little time for such a big-budget blockbuster movie. Filming started on July 28 and ended on October 8, 1995.
  • The creators contacted the Israeli Air Force to obtain footage. They wanted to locate real-life footage that showed how a small but elite air force could contend with overwhelming force (like the extraterrestrial armada).

Gravity – US Box Office: USD$274,092,705

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Main Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen, Phaldut Sharma, Amy Warren, and Basher Savage

Release Date: October 4, 2013

Filming Locations: Lake Powell, Arizona, USA; Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK; B Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK; B Stage, Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK; Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Main Plot: On the STS-157 mission, the Space Shuttle Explorer’s crew is at work. Flight engineer Shariff Dasari, medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone, and mission commander Matt Kowalski are on a spacewalk. When they receive word from Houston control that a Russian satellite has just exploded. This is Dr. Stone’s first time in space. Before the crew can react, the explosion debris hurtles toward Explorer, causing irreparable damage to the shuttle and station. All the staff, except for Kowalski and Stone are killed instantly. Additionally, the explosion debris cuts off at least incoming communication with Houston control. However, the crew is still determining if there is also outgoing communication. The two are in a precarious situation because Stone is untethered and rapidly depletes oxygen in her person. Kowalski must quickly retrieve Stone if she is to have any chance of surviving.

Famous quotes:

Ryan Stone: “Not anymore than usual, Houston. Diagnostics are green. Link to communications card ready for data reception. If this works, when we touch down tomorrow, I’m buying all you guys a round of drinks.”

Mission Control: “That’s a date, Doctor. Just remember, Houston’s partial to margaritas.”

Ryan Stone: “Booting comms card now. Please confirm the link.”

Mission Control: “That’s a negative. We’re not receiving any data.”

Ryan Stone: “Standby, Houston, I’m gonna reboot the comms card.”

Fun Facts about Gravity:

  • The only Best Picture Oscar candidate that year also received a Best Visual Effects nomination.
  • The 2013 film Gravity cost more than Mangalyaan, the actual Indian Mars Orbiter Mission.
  • The twelve-minute opening scene was initially rotated 180 degrees because there is no up or down in space.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark – US Box Office: USD$248,159,971

Director: Steven Spielberg

Main Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, Ronald Lacey, Denholm Elliott, and Alfred Molina

Release Date: June 12, 1981

Filming Locations: Yuma, Arizona, USA; Palm Canyon Trail, Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona, USA; Tozeur, Tunisia; San Francisco, California, USA; Sousse, Tunisia

Main Plot: The U.S. government enlists the aid of American archaeologists, University professor, and adventurer Indiana Jones. Because it is rumored that Adolf Hitler’s Nazis have discovered the location of the mythical Ark of the Covenant, the holy object that contains the Ten Commandments. Indiana journeys to the perilous mountains of Nepal and then to mysterious Cairo, where he teams up with his ex-girlfriend Marion and his friend Sallah. Both cities are thought to be home to an unfathomable destructive force. But this is a frustrating race against the clock. The desired artifact is accessible thru Dr. René Belloq, Indy’s cunning arch-rival, and Major Toht’s ruthless Gestapo army. 

Famous quotes:

Belloq: “Not a very private place for a murder.”

Indiana: “Well, these guys don’t care if we kill each other. They’re not going to interfere in our business.”

Belloq: “It was not I who brought the girl into this business. Please, sit down before you fall down. We can at least behave like civilized people.”

Belloq: “I see your taste in friends remains consistent. How odd that it should end this way for us, after so many stimulating encounters. I almost regret it. Where shall I find a new adversary so close to my own level?”

Indiana: “Try the local sewer.”

Sequel: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom

Fun Facts about Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark:

  • Live tarantulas were on Alfred Molina in the opening sequence. But they did not move until a female tarantula appeared.
  • First role in a film with credit for Alfred Molina. On the first day of filming, he was covered in tarantulas for his opening scene.
  • The kangaroo-hide bullwhip used by Indiana Jones was sold in December 1999 for $43,000 at Christie’s in London. The Smithsonian has his hat and jacket on display.

Transformers: Age of Extinction – US Box Office: USD$245,439,076

Director: Michael Bay

Main Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Jack Reynor, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Titus Welliver, and Sophia Myles

Release Date: June 27, 2014  

Filming Locations: Kayenta, Arizona, USA; Moab, Utah, USA; Hong Kong, China; Pontiac, Michigan, USA; Austin, Texas, USA

Main Plot: Humanity perceives all extraterrestrial robots as threats due to the conflict between the Autobots and Decepticons that destroyed Chicago. So CIA agent Harold Attinger creates a unit whose primary mission is to find every single one. However, it turns out that they have assistance from a different extraterrestrial robot that is looking for Optimus Prime. An old truck is purchased by “robotics expert” Cade Yeager, who upon closer inspection, believes it to be a Transformer. He discovers it is Optimus Prime when he turns it on. Later, men from the unit appear in the area searching for Optimus. The hunter is after them as they assist Yeager and his daughter Tessa in escaping.

Famous quotes:

Lockdown: “Welcome back to the Knights Terminus, Prime.”

Optimus Prime: “You have disgraced it…”

Lockdown: “Join your fellow rebels, fugitive scum! It’s for the rarest of specimens, the worst of the worst. It’s taken centuries, but I’ve collected all the Knights, but you. The Creators want to sweep their chessboard clean.”

Optimus Prime: “I am slave to no one.”

Lockdown: “All this species mixing with species, it upsets the cosmic balance. The Creators, they don’t like it. They built you to do what you were told.”

Sequel: Transformers: The Last Knight; Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen; Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Fun Facts about Transformers: Age of Extinction:

  • Dwayne Johnson was offered Cade Yeager, but he declined due to time limitations with Hercules (2014).
  • In this movie, there are about 18 new robot characters.
  • Bumblebee’s alternate method is a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS automobile for some of the film, accompanied by a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro concept. 

Mission: Impossible II – US Box Office: USD$215,409,889

Director: John Woo

Main Cast: Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandiwe Newton, Richard Roxburgh, and John Polson

Release Date: May 24, 2000   

Filming Locations: Monument Valley, Arizona, USA; Ashton Park, Mosman, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Moab, Utah, USA

Main Plot: A terrible death will result from the deadly Chimera virus unless you receive the cure. A disgraced I.M.F. agent named Sean Ambrose kills the developer of Chimera and takes the antidote (Dougray Scott). The Impossible Mission Force (I.M.F.) recruits Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), a skilled and endearing man. Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton) is a stunning woman who has shared experiences with Ambrose. They must breach a guarded lab by jumping off buildings and dodging bullets to send Hall if they take the task. It’s not feasible to try and learn what she can for Hunter to take down Chimera.

Famous quotes:

Sean Ambrose: “Darling, you won!”

Nyah Nordoff-Hall: “I suppose I did.”

Sean Ambrose: “What made you pick her? That old nag’s never won a thing.”

Nyah Nordoff-Hall: [holds up racing form] “A Thief in the Night.”

Sean Ambrose: “Ha! Say no more.”

Sequel: Mission: Impossible; Mission: Impossible III; Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol; Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation; Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Fun Facts about Mission: Impossible II:

  • John Woo was filming a Nike commercial in Brazil when he received a call from Tom Cruise, wanting to meet about directing this film.
  • Except for John Woo, every director in the brand has been asked to return the remake of their films.
  • According to Robert Towne, much of his screenplay was based on action scenes that John Woo expressed an interest in directing in the film.

Fast Five – US Box Office: USD$209,837,675

Director: Justin Lin

Main Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and Matt Schulze

Release Date: April 29, 2011 

Filming Locations: California, USA; Middle Georgia Regional Airport – 1000 Terminal Drive, Macon, Georgia, USA; Macon, Georgia, USA; Georgia, USA; Arizona, USA

Main Plot: Former law enforcement officers Brian O’Conner and Dom Toretto team up on the other side of the law. Since freeing Dom from custody, Brian and Mia Toretto have fled across many borders to avoid capture. Now trapped in Rio de Janeiro, they must complete one last job to win their freedom. The unlikely allies know that their only chance of successfully escaping requires them to take on the crooked businessman. He wants them dead as they put together their elite team of top racers. However, he only represents one person who is after them. A tough federal agent, Luke Hobbs always hits the mark. He and his strike team launch a full-scale assault to capture Dom and Brian after being tasked with finding them. However, Hobbs discovers he can’t tell the good guys from the bad as his men ravage Brazil. To corner his prey, he should always rely on gut reaction before being run over by another person.

Famous quotes:

Gisele: “You don’t need to send a man to do a woman’s job.”

Roman Pearce: “Come on, man. Hook a brother up, please?”

White Cop: “No. And you’re not my brother.”

Roman Pearce: “Brother from another mother. Have you ever heard that phrase?”

Roman Pearce: “You say what? This shit just went from mission: impossible to mission: in freaking sanity! Whatever man. I ain’t scared, I’m just letting you all know: going into that building it’s crazy!”

Sequel: Fast & Furious 6; Fast & Furious; The Fast and the Furious; The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift; Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs; Fast & Furious 6: Take Control

Fun Facts about Fast Five:

  • The production used 13,145 extras and 236 technicians during the Puerto Rico shoot, occupying 16,824 hotel room nights. 
  • The “Fast and Furious” movie ran for more than two hours.
  • To look intimidating in his role as a bounty hunter, Dwayne Johnson engaged in a rigorous daily workout regimen to bulk up his body.

Pearl Harbor – US Box Office: USD$198,542,554

Director: Michael Bay

Main Cast: Ben Affleck, Rafe McCawley, Josh Hartnett, Danny Walker, Kate Beckinsale, Evelyn Stewart, and Cuba Gooding Jr.

Release Date: May 25, 2001

Filming Locations: USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, O’ahu, Hawaii, USA; Corpus Christi, Texas, USA; Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, O’ahu, Hawaii, USA; Linda Vista Hospital – 610 S. St. Louis Street, Los Angeles, California, USA; Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Main Plot: Best pals Rafe and Danny are both pilots. Rafe and Danny enlist in the Army Air Corps after America decides not to participate in World War II when it breaks out in Europe. Rafe develops feelings for a nurse named Evelyn, but he seizes the chance to enlist in the British Air Corps. Shortly after departing, he is reported dead after being shot down. In Pearl Harbor, Danny and Evelyn cling to one another after hearing this terrible news. Rafe unexpectedly reappears, and when he discovers them, he freaks out and runs after Danny. Pearl Harbor is suddenly attacked, and they shoot some of the assailants’ planes down.

Famous quotes:

Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle: “There’s nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.”

Admiral Yamamoto: “I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant.”

Rafe: “Danny, you can’t die. You can’t die. Do you know why? ‘Cause, you’re gonna be a father. You’re gonna be a daddy. I wasn’t supposed to tell you. You’re gonna be a father.”

President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States Of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Naval and Air Forces of the Empire of Japan. ”

President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American military forces. I regret to tell you that over three thousand American lives have been lost. “

Sequel:  Black Hawk Down; The Patriot

Fun facts about Pearl Harbor:

  • The spending on production and advertising combined roughly matched the harm done during the attack.
  • Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay decided to forgo $4 million in salary in exchange for a share of the box office receipts to reduce the budget.
  • Michael Fassbender claims that this was his first audition for a movie. One of the leads was pursued by him.

The Revenant – US Box Office: USD$183,637,894

Director:  Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Main Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, Domhnall Gleeson, Forrest Goodluck, Paul Anderson, and Kristoffer Joner

Release Date: January 8, 2016 

Filming Locations: San Francisco Peaks, Arizona, USA; Drumheller, Alberta, Canada; Morley Indian Reserve, Morley, Alberta, Canada; Drumheller, Alberta, Canada; White Mountains, Arizona, USA

Main Plot: In the wild and harsh wilderness of midwinter snow-capped Missouri, veteran nineteenth-century tracker Hugh Glass and his son Hawk lead a hunting and trapping expedition in the uncharted territory of the vicious Indian tribe, Arikara. A swift and devastating attack by a powerful grizzly bear leaves a brutally mauled Glass on the verge of death. Double-crossed and abandoned by his men as the trappers struggle to find their way back to the far-off Fort Kiowa. Only Hugh’s rabid desire to survive can give him the strength to drag his unrecognizable carcass and exact his revenge. While staying in the piercing cold and the serious dangers in one of the world’s most hostile environments. Will the man who has returned from the dead experience the sweet fruit of justice?

Famous quotes:

Hugh Glass: “I need a horse and a gun.”

Andrew Henry: “No, you need rest and something to eat. I’m going after him.”

Hugh Glass: “No You’ll never find him without me.”

Andrew Henry: “Wait till morning, he’ll have a day’s head start and get away.”

Hugh Glass: “No he won’t. He’s afraid. He knows how far I came for him. Same as that elk, when they get afraid they run deep into the woods. I got him trapped, he just, He doesn’t know it yet.”

Fun Facts about The Revenant:

  • This was Arthur RedCloud’s first film role, played by Hikuc. He was a Texas-born truck driver who made a living by moving oil.
  • When Steve Jobs (2015) was first offered a role, Leonardo DiCaprio declined to take it in favor of this one.
  • It was revealed in July 2015 that the movie’s budget had increased from $60 million to $95 million. The fact that they had to move the production from Canada to Argentina contributed significantly to the final cost reaching $135 million.

 Planet of the Apes – US Box Office: USD$180,011,740

Director: Tim Burton

Main Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, Estella Warren, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Release Date: July 27, 2001

Filming Locations: Page, Arizona, USA; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Lake Powell, Arizona, USA; Kanab, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Center Studios – 450 S. Bixel Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Main Plot: Leo Davidson, an astronomer, boards a spaceflight pod cruiser in 2029 for a mission of emergency and retrieval. After taking a brief detour through subspace in space-time, he arrives on a strange planet where talking apes rule over the human race with the help of an activist chimpanzee named Ari. Leo leads the effort to evade the advancing Gorilla Army led by General Thade and his most dependable warrior Attar. It’s now a competition against time to reach a revered temple in the planet’s Forbidden Zone to discover the startling truths about humanity’s past and find a cure for its problems.

Famous quotes:

Lt. Col.Grace Alexander: “What? Was the Homo sapien mean to you again? We all know its just rocket envy, don’t we?”

Captain Leo Davidson: “Ever consider an actual boyfriend?”

Lt. Col.Grace Alexander: “You mean do I enjoy being miserable? No thanks, I’ll stick with my chimps.”

Limbo: “Apes in cages… right!”

Krull: “Monkeys are further down the evolutionary ladder”

Sequel: Rise of the Planet of the Apes; Dawn of the Planet of the Apes; War for the Planet of the Apes; Battle for the Planet of the Apes; Escape from the Planet of the Apes; Beneath the Planet of the Apes; Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

Fun Facts about Planet of the Apes:

  • Mark Wahlberg joined the film after meeting Tim Burton for only five minutes. He consented to take on any role because he was eager to collaborate with Burton.
  • Charlton Heston and Linda Harrison are the only actors in this film and Planet of the Apes (1968).
  • The humans had lost their verbal communication ability in the 1968 original Planet of the Apes. The creators of this movie dropped the notion.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – US Box Office: USD$179,870,271

Director: Steven Spielberg

Main Cast: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Philip Stone, and Roy Chiao

Release Date: May 23, 1984 

Filming Locations: Coal Mine Canyon, Tuba City, Arizona, USA; Grand Falls, Navajo Nation, Arizona, USA; Page, Arizona, USA; Blue Canyon, Hopi Indian Reservation, Arizona, USA; Novato, California, USA

Main Plot: Professor of archaeology Dr. Indiana Jones survived a near-death experience in Hong Kong in 1935 and now finds himself in distant India. They eventually land in an Indian village where the residents believe that evil spirits have abducted all of their children after a priceless stone was stolen from a temple. They also learn about the tremendous mysterious terror surrounding the Temple of Doom, a booby-trapped temple. With the belief that they can rule the entire world thanks to the power of the five Sankara stones, Thuggee is making his second attempt to ascend. It’s up to Indiana to end the Thuggee campaign, find the missing children, win the girl, and take down the Temple of Doom.

Famous quotes:

Indiana Jones: “Yes, well you know I think there were other events before the mutiny going back a century – back to the time of Clive that are more interesting.”

Chattar Lal: “And what events are those Dr Jones?”

Indiana Jones: “Well, if memory serves me correctly this area, this province was the center eventuity of the Thuggee”

Chattar Lal: “Dr Jones, you know perfectly well that the Thuggee cult has been dead for nearly a century.”

Captain Blumburtt: “Yes, of course. The Thuggee was an obscenity that worshiped Kali with human sacrifices. The British Army Knights did away with them.”

Sequel: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; Untitled Indiana Jones Project

Fun Facts about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom:

  • The Disneyland roller coasters were used to record the sound of the mine car rolling along the tracks during the chase scene without music or sound effects.
  • A motorcycle chase scene across the Great Wall of China was originally intended for the story’s first draft. The Chinese government, however, rejected the request for filming.
  • A scene involving Kate Capshaw and an enormous snake had to be cut because Capshaw had panic attacks just thinking about it.

Spread the love!

Must Read

Scroll to Top