Naman Shrestha
From the Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard, ‘Eden’ is a historical psychological thriller movie based on an incredible true story of a group of European settlers who arrive on a secluded island for a fresh start. The narrative revolves around a group of outsiders who leave behind their modern lifestyle in order to start anew, closer to nature. As they begin settling on the isolated Floreana Island, in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, they realize that the extreme climate and the surrounding wilderness are the least of their concerns as they discover that they are each other’s greatest threats.
Their dreams of a utopian world gradually turn into a chaotic nightmare filled with desperation, survival, tension, betrayal, violence, and tragic deaths. Starring some of the popular names in the industry like Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, Daniel Brühl, Felix Kammerer, Toby Wallace, and Richard Roxburgh, the story of the survival of the group of settlers unfolds in the middle of the wilderness of the Galápagos Islands, which serves as an additional character in itself that tests the bond between the outsiders.
Eden Filming Locations
Although ‘Eden’ is set in the Galápagos Islands, a majority of the shooting was conducted primarily in Australia, especially in Queensland and New South Wales. A minor portion was shot on location on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. According to reports, principal photography for the period drama got underway in November 2023, with a gross budget of $55 million. Due to the Australian tax incentives, the budget was brought down to a net of $35 million. After three months of intense shooting, the production was wrapped up in February 2024. The filmmaker, Ron Howard, stated, “It was a challenging one, but our tremendous cast and crew made it a gratifying and even thrilling creative journey.”
Queensland, Australia
A significant chunk of ‘Eden’ was lensed in Queensland, situated in northeastern Australia. The natural landscapes of the Gold Coast were transformed into film sets as it doubled for the Galápagos Islands, thanks to the area’s similar rugged terrain, dense rainforests, and beautiful coastlines. The cast and crew members were also spotted taping pivotal sequences in the swamp area of the Coombabah Wetlands, which also provided apt backdrops for the wilderness. Several beach scenes set in the imagined paradise were shot in and around the coastal suburb of Main Beach in the City of Gold Coast.
The portions featuring the Galápagos lava fields were reportedly filmed on Miami Beach, which contains volcanic-like rock formations. The Village Roadshow Studios on Entertainment Road in Gold Coast’s Oxenford suburb also served as a primary production location for the thriller film. Home to nine soundproofed and well-equipped sound stages, the film studio also consists of three water tanks, construction workshops, production offices, wardrobe and laundry facilities, a purpose-built catering shed, and more. All these amenities make it an ideal filming destination for all kinds of projects.
The director, Ron Howard, elaborated on Queensland as a shooting site during a conversation with AusFilm, stating, “Choosing a location to shoot a film in is of the utmost importance, and Queensland is a premier international production location, with its creatively adept talent and crews, supportive filming community, and beautiful exterior locations.” One of the producers, Karen Lunder, also said, “It is pretty singular, the talent and the beauty and the variety of options that exist here in Queensland. You won’t find better crews, better locations, better work ethic. Everybody who works in the industry in Queensland has a level of dedication and creativity that they bring to everything they do every day. It’s a joy to work here and I would come back in a heartbeat.”
New South Wales, Australia
‘Eden’ was also filmed in the state of New South Wales, which is located on the east coast of Australia. To be specific, the scenes involving the Black Beach were reportedly taped in the town of Cabarita Beach, situated in northeastern New South Wales. In an interview with Motion Pictures, Ron Howards was asked about his decision to film in Australia. He stated, “I did scout the Galápagos, but we couldn’t film there because it’s a nature reserve. It’s tremendously limited, and it would be wildly expensive.” After scouting various sites in Australia, they came across the landscape they were looking for. “With a bit of set dressing and some set extensions achievable through shooting plates in the Galápagos, it looked right. Combine that with a great tax incentive and an infrastructure of talented people, and we could make our movie there efficiently and effectively,” he said.
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Since ‘Eden’ is set on the Galápagos Islands, a small portion was actually shot on location. The small unit of the production team traveled all the way to the archipelago in Ecuador and lensed several exterior and establishing shots. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the rugged landscape and wilderness of the islands feature in multiple scenes.
Read More: Where Was Anaconda (2025) Filmed? All Shooting Locations
