3 Blockbuster Movies You Forgot Were Filmed in Arizona

Arizona can be a breathtaking backdrop, and the folks in Hollywood have tapped our state for its cinematic charisma for decades.

Filming westerns, especially anything with the word Tombstone in the title, is obvious. Raising Arizona and the 2007 remake of The Magnificent Seven were also shot here.

But did you know that these three blockbuster films were at least partially filmed in the Grand Canyon State?

Here's a little refresher to round out your cinema trivia.

1. Planet of the Apes, released in 1968

Before CGI dominated sci-fi, filmmakers relied on real landscapes, and Arizona delivered. The movie starred Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, and Kim Hunter.

According to RVing With Rex, the original Planet of the Apes used the strange landscape around Page, Glen Canyon, and Lake Powell to represent the desolate, post-apocalyptic world. The reddish sandstone buttes were the perfect backdrop for the movie's unsettling tone.

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Here are some CREEPY movies that were filmed in Arizona: From Campy to Creepy: The Top 11 Horror Movies Filmed in Arizona

2. Three Kings from 1999

Three Kings (1999) is a Gulf War drama starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube. Filmmakers needed a convincing stand-in for Iraq.

Director David O. Russell chose the deserts near Casa Grande, where they found the flat, barren landscape, which created a convincing backdrop to portray the war-torn Middle East.

Read: Is it Legal to Own a Capybara in Arizona?

3. Edge of Eternity from 1959

Edge of Eternity is a suspenseful crime drama from 1959 that's set around the Grand Canyon. The high point of the story is centered around a miner’s bucket, that is suspended above the canyon floor.

Filming for the movie took place in Kingman, Oatman, and the Grand Canyon.