As if Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert wasn’t famous enough because of its beautiful daytime landscapes, incredible sunrises and sunsets, and magnificent star-gazing at night, the protected national park in southwestern Jordan continues to build on another of its enviable resume entries – Hollywood star.
The area recently landed a role as the desert backdrop of Disney’s recent live-action remake of their classic film Aladdin. Studio scenes for the movie were shot at a location just outside of London.
Production of Aladdin brought its stars to Jordan, who in addition to filming in Wadi Rum also took time to tour Amman. Mena Massoud, who played Aladdin, Naomi Scott, who played Princess Jasmine, and Will Smith, who played the Genie, can all be seen in social media posts in Jordan enjoying the country’s scenery and hospitality during the filming.
Wadi Rum, which is located two hours south of Petra and one hour east of Aqaba, has also served as the setting for many other famous Hollywood films, including Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Red Planet (2000), Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Prometheus (2012), and The Martian (2015).
