Next month, Vietnam will once again prepare for its Hollywood close-up, as filming for Kong: Skull Island is set to begin.
The movie, which stars Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson and John Goodman, will primarily feature northern Vietnam's landscapes. Location scouting and authorization were completed last year, when director Jordan Charles Vogt-Roberts surveyed some of the country's more dramatic scenery. Son Doong, the world's largest cave, will be featured as the giant ape's lair along with other scenic highlights, including Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh.
In addition to Vietnam, King Kong will also film in Hawaii and Australia.
Thanks to its surreal landscapes, northern Vietnam has recently appeared in several Hollywood blockbusters. The 2015 adventure-fantasy flick Pan, starring Hugh Jackman, was also shot in Hang En, Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh. This growing attention from foreign filmmakers is viewed as a good opportunity for both Vietnamese tourism and the local film industry.
Kong: Skull Island is expected to reach theaters in March 2017.