20 Things You Somehow Missed In Raiders Of The Lost Ark

5. The Peruvian Jungle

Raiders of the Lost Ark Harrison Ford
Paramount Pictures

The sinister opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark, in which Indiana Jones is introduced searching for the lost idol of the Hovitos, is arguably the most famous part of the film. It has been the subject of both homage and parody (who can forget that time when The Simpsons copied it virtually scene for scene as Bart stole Homer's money?).

Still, the sequence is meant to be set in a South American jungle with all indications pointing to it being in Peru.

This is not the case at all. Indeed, other than the interior temple scenes, the sequence was filmed on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Indeed, the mountain that appears in the very first shot of the film is the western side of Kalalea Mountain in Anahola.

Spielberg was so struck by the location that both Jurassic Park and Jurassic World would film there as well. Indiana Jones would also return to Hawaii (this time in Hilo) to shoot sequences set in the Amazon rainforest in 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.