FILM · 1980 · USA
The Blue Lagoon
33 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (33)
- #001
Herpetologist John Gibbons of the University of the South Pacific noticed while watching the film that the iguanas seen in it were a different species that had not previously been seen or documented by experts in the field. He later visited Nanuya Levu, the Fijian island where the film was shot, and named the species the Fiji crested iguana.
- #002
When Brooke Shields's original nude stand-in broke her back, the producers asked Kathy Troutt, whom they had hired to catch and train the dolphins, whether she would be willing to do it since she had the same body type as Shields. Troutt agreed and had no problems with the nude swimming scenes.
- #003
A stand-in also appears in most of the nude scenes depicting Emmeline Lestrange. In her other scenes, the underage Brooke Shields's hair always had to be stuck to her breasts.
- #004
Leo McKern put a live crab in his mouth, waited a few minutes and opened his mouth after hearing "Action!" The crab then crawled out. There were no special effects or trick photography.
- #005
The shark was actually two divers inside a hollow rubber frame.
- #006
The music and dance performed by the cannibals was a real Fijian dance performed by the locals playing the cannibals.
- #007
The original novel on which the film is based contained far more nudity and sex than earlier adaptations (such as The Blue Lagoon (1949)) were allowed to depict. Director Randal Kleiser had always admired the book, so his original concept was for the two adult characters to play the entire film nude, which frightened off many actors and actresses. With shooting due to begin in a few days, the desperate director agreed to let Brooke Shields do the film mostly clothed and to hire a stand-in for the nude scenes. Once that problem was solved, the casting director went back to the thousands of audition tapes they had made over a year and decided it would be fine to let Christopher Atkins grow his hair out to look wilder.
- #008
Christopher Atkins's stunt double was originally one of the seaplane pilots who flew cast and crew from the Fijian mainland to the island where the film was shot. He performed most of the nude scenes and several small appearances with Brooke Shields's double.
- #009
The shots of the baby swimming underwater were done in an indoor pool using various babies. Some of the shots of Richard and Emmeline swimming with the baby were filmed with a puppet.
- #010
Jennifer Jason Leigh was the first choice for the female lead and had no problem with being nude. However, she turned down the lead because her father did not want her to do nudity.
- #011
In the United States the film was given an R rating, and in the United Kingdom it received an AA rating before being given a 15 certificate after its VHS release because of graphic nudity and sexual content. In New Zealand, however, it was given an R13 rating on its premiere, and this was changed to PG when it premiered on VHS. It was also given a PG rating in Australia.
- #012
Ten actresses auditioned for the role of Emmeline Lestrange: Rosanna Arquette (19), Linda Blair (20), Jodie Foster (16), Daryl Hannah (18), Tatum O'Neal (15), Michelle Pfeiffer (21), Kelly Preston (16), Molly Ringwald (11), Kathleen Turner (24) and Sean Young (19). Twenty-one actresses were considered for the role of Emmeline Lestrange: Isabelle Adjani (23), Melissa Sue Anderson (16), Kim Basinger (25), Ellen Barkin (24), Justine Bateman (13), Delta Burke (22), Jamie Lee Curtis (20), Bridget Fonda (25), Carrie Fisher (22), Melanie Griffith (21), Mariel Hemingway (17), Anjelica Huston (27), Amy Irving (25), Jennifer Jason Leigh (17), Kay Lenz (26), Lori Loughlin (14), Kristy McNichol (15), Sarah Jessica Parker (14), Dana Plato (14), Jill Schoelen (16) and Ally Sheedy (17). Sylvester Stallone, John Belushi, Mark Hamill, Christopher Reeve and John Travolta were considered for the role of Richard Lestrange. Sean Penn lost the role to Christopher Atkins on the last day of auditions. Robby Benson (23) and Lou Diamond Phillips (17) also auditioned for the role. Matt Dillon (16) turned the role down because of the on-screen nudity.
- #013
There is absolutely no evidence that the novel on which the film is based was inspired by Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's classic French novel "Paul et Virginie" (1788). Paul et Virginie is about children corrupted not by the absence but by the presence of the French upper class on the populated island of Mauritius.
- #014
Lou Diamond Phillips (17) and Molly Ringwald (11) auditioned for the two lead roles and even tested numerous scenes together, which are included as a bonus feature on the film's Blu-ray release.
- #015
The film is a loose adaptation of the book published in 1908. It includes a few scenes from the book, greatly reduces the nudity and sexual content, and completely rewrites the dialogue.
- #016
Christopher Atkins would later play Mr. Christiansen in Blue Lagoon: The Awakening (2012).
- #017
Willie Aames was the first choice for the role of Richard Lestrange but could not take the opportunity because of the required nudity. He would later make a similar love story about two castaways, Paradise (1982), in which he starred opposite Phoebe Cates and which, oddly, contained more nudity than The Blue Lagoon. Cates was also among the actresses considered for the role of Emmeline Lestrange in this film.
- #018
The producers offered the film to Diane Lane and Willie Aames after screen-testing them together in Mexico, where Lane was shooting a Western. However, after the crew left, the two discussed the nudity together and called a few days later to say they would not do the film. Ironically, two years later Aames would appear fully nude in a similar film, Paradise (1982).
- #019
The film appears on Roger Ebert's "Most Hated" list.
- #020
There are derogatory remarks about "hoochie coochie girls," an old term that has since been lost on recent audiences. The words "hoochie coochie" refer to a sexually provocative dance that involves grinding the hips.
- #021
Elva Josephson played her actual age as young Emmeline: seven years old.
- #022
Apart from two scenes (the squid fight and the scene in which Richard releases the dolphins), everything was shot on location.
- #023
Matt Dillon and Helen Hunt were originally planned for the lead roles, but both turned the roles down after some deliberation over several risky scenes.
- #024
In 2023, Brooke Shields released the Pretty Baby documentary, in which she critically reflected on her youth in the film industry. Shortly after the documentary's release, director Randal Kleiser tried to contact Brooke Shields to clarify a few things. However, Brooke ignored it in order not to reopen the subject.
- #025
It was included in Siskel and Ebert's list of the worst films of 1980.
- #026
The ship Richard's father uses at the end of the film to search for the missing people was portrayed by the Golden Plover.
- #027
The film was shot 100% on location (that is, not in studios) in Jamaica, Vanuatu and Nanuya Levu.
- #028
The film ship Northumberland was also used for other films such as Nate and Hayes, Tai-Pan and White Squall.
- #029
The ship named Northumberland was launched in 1911 under the name Friedrich and originally came from Germany.
- #030
Gus Mercurio, the only actor to appear in both the first and second parts of The Blue Lagoon, is dubbed in German by Walter Reichelt. In the first part, Walter Reichelt dubbed Paddy Button.
- #031
Elva Josephson (young Emmanuelle) was 6 years old during filming * Glenn Kohan (young Richard) was 9 years old * Brooke Shields was 14 years old * Christopher Atkins (Richard Lestrange) was 18 years old * William Daniels (Arthur LeStrange) was 52 years old.
- #032
The name of the ship on which the fire breaks out and everyone has to flee: Northumberland.
- #033
Gus Mercurio also had a role in Return to the Blue Lagoon.
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