<P> At the same time of the announcement of Vogt - Roberts as director, the studio also announced that Tom Hiddleston would play the lead role . For a time both, JK Simmons and Michael Keaton were attached to roles however both left due to scheduling difficulties . On July 23, 2015, Brie Larson was cast in the film to play the female lead . On August 5, 2015, it was announced that Corey Hawkins was cast in the film to play a supporting role . On August 6, 2015, Deadline.com reported that the studio was in early talks with Samuel L. Jackson to replace the role which Simmons vacated, while John C. Reilly was being eyed for Keaton's role, but not offered it yet . Tom Wilkinson was also offered a role in the film . </P> <P> On August 20, 2015, Toby Kebbell joined the cast of the film, while Jackson and Reilly were confirmed for roles . On August 25, 2015, Jason Mitchell joined the cast, to play a pilot . On September 25, 2015, John Goodman was cast to play Randa, a government official and leader of an expedition, and Thomas Mann was also cast . On October 1, 2015, John Ortiz and Shea Whigham were added to the cast in unspecified roles . On October 13, 2015, Eugene Cordero joined the film, and on November 2, 2015, it was announced Will Brittain had joined the cast, portraying a pilot, in one of the last key leads in the film . In May 2016, Toby Kebbell revealed that Terry Notary would portray Kong through motion capture, and that Kebbell provided some guidance for Kong's motion capture sequences . </P> <P> Principal photography on the film began on October 19, 2015, and concluded on March 18, 2016 . Filming took place in the northern portion of Vietnam, including Tràng An, Vân Long and Tam Cốc (Ninh Bình Province), Hạ Long Bay (Quảng Ninh Province), and at the entrance of Tú Làn Caves System (Tân Hoá, Trung Hoá Village, Minh Hoá District Quảng Bình Province), the island of Oahu in Hawaii, and Australia's Gold Coast . Locations included Honolulu's Chinatown, and at the Kualoa Ranch and Waikane Valley (Ohulehule Forest Conservancy) on Oahu . In mid-January 2016, filming started in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia . </P> <P> Vogt - Roberts has cited a number of films that inspired Kong: Skull Island, stating, "If I were going to break it down for people, I'd say you obviously have Apocalypse Now and just the era of' 70s filmmaking, with films like The Conversation, too . Also Platoon was an inspiration, and the South Korean film The Host as well . The entire Neon Genesis Evangelion series was a big influence ." Vogt - Roberts also cited Princess Mononoke as an influence on the approach and design of the monsters . He cited Sachiel from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Cubone from Pokémon, No - Face from Spirited Away, and a creature from the 1933 King Kong as inspirations for the Skullcrawlers . </P>

Where was the movie kong skull island filmed at
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