Groundhog Day was filmed in Illinois and not in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. American Wedding was filmed at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay in California and not at a Lake Michigan resort. Jurassic Park was filmed in Hawaii and not some uninhabited island off Colombia.
So, are the movies ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ and ‘Just Go With It’ actually filmed in Hawaii and not at some Caribbean resort like, say, Playa Pesquero in Cuba? Yes, it turns out. On different islands in the Hawaiian chain, but both movies are indeed filmed right there in Hawaii. However, in ‘Just Go With It’, the waterfall scene is filmed on the not so nearby island of Kauai and not within walking distance of the resort, as in the movie.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
This movie was released in 2008 and is filmed at Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku on the island of Oahu. An hour’s drive from Honolulu, on the opposite side of the island, Turtle Bay is located in the famous ‘North Shore’ region.
Turtle Bay Resort was originally built by Casino man and former owner of the New York Yankees, Del Webb, in 1972. Webb was attempting to bring the first casino to Hawaii but after the resort was built, legalized gambling legislation did not pass. The first headlining entertainer at Turtle Bay was Bob Hope.
Hilton took over the resort in 1983. Just like in the movie, there are golf courses, hiking and mountain bike trails and a surfing school. However, Paul Rudd is not a surf instructor in real time. There is an amazing five miles of beachfront at the resort on Kawela Bay and Turtle Bay.
Turtle Bay Resort cherishes its movie and television past. There are have over 150 movies or television shows connected to the resort. Among the movies are Blue Crush, Along Cam Polly and Soul Surfer. Television shows filmed at the resort include Magnum P.I. and The Amazing Race. The resort’s official website has a page dedicated to their inclusion on the big and small screen: Turtle Bay Resort Film Experience.
Haven’t seen the movie? Forgetting Sarah Marshall stars Jason Segel as Peter Bretter. Bretter is dumped by girlfriend Sarah Marshall, played by Kristen Bell. After a breakdown, Peter retreats to Hawaii for a vacation. Upon trying to check in at Turtle Bay, he realized that Sarah Marshall is already a guest, along were her new boyfriend Aldous Snow, played by Russell Brand. With both staying at the resort, Peter falls for resort employee Rachel Jansen, played by Mila Kunis. The rest is formulaic… Also appearing in the movie are Bill Hader, Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd.
Can you afford it? We took a look at two Tuesday night, one night stays in 2014. The first is January 14, 2014. Prices for that night range from $215 to $399. Then, we looked at June 24, 2014. Prices increase in the summertime, rangin from $260 to $520.
The prices above are out of date. Why not take a look at what a room at this hotel will cost today? Check it out on Travelocity: Turtle Bay Resort Pricing.
Just Go With It
This movie was released in 2011, starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman. Just Go With It is filmed at the Grand Wailea Resort on the Hawaiian island of Maui. This is another Hilton property, under the Waldorf Astoria Hotel label.
40 acres of property makes it quite easy to pull off a movie shoot while still operating as a resort. The usual can be found at Grand Wailea, including golf courses, along with fitness and wellness facilities up the wahzoo.
If you haven’t seen Just Go With It, the movie features Adam Sandler as single plastic surgeon Danny MacCabee. MacCabee is looking to marry up with super hot and super young Palmer, played by Brooklyn Decker. Jennister Aniston plays Katherine Murphy, Danny’s assistant and pretend ex-wife. Nicole Kidman plays Devlin Adams, a high school friend of Katherine’s that shows up at the resort. They all end up at Grand Wailea together and Danny realizes he’s actually in love with Murphy. As it’s a Sandler movie, it’s hard to explain – just go with it!
Grand Wailea Resort is a tad more expensive to stay at than Turtle Bay. Looking at the same two one night stays, January 14 costs anywhere from $499 up to $1,200. Unlike Turtle Bay, Grand Wailea actually seems to be cheaper in the summer, but not by much. A one night stay on June 24 ranges in price from $369 to $1,000.
Take a look at the Grand Wailea Resort official website for more details. Check out Hotels.com for the latest pricing: Grand Wailea Pricing.
