Since the early 20th century, Hollywood celebrities have chosen Acapulco, the heart of the Mexican Riviera, for vacations, honeymoons, and the setting for major motion pictures and music videos.
Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack used to be regulars. Elizabeth Taylor came with Richard Burton, one of her most famous husbands over the years. Taylor loved getting married, and in 1957 she and third husband Mike Todd chose the glamorous resort for both their wedding nuptials and honeymoon, setting in motion the trend for the city as one of the world’s most important destination wedding and honeymoon hotspots.
Today, Acapulco still proves popular among Hollywood stars.
The latest production to find its way to the Mexican Riviera resort is Welcome to Acapulco, which was filmed in the destination in October 2016 under the direction of Cuban actor, writer, director and producer Guillermo Iván.
The film’s stars include Mike Kingsbaker, known for his work in The Dark Knight Rises; William Baldwin from Gossip Girl and Backdraft; Brooklyn-born Paul Sorvino, from the box office hits Goodfellas and Romeo + Juliet; and Michael Madsen from The Walking Dead, Season II and Call of Duty and Black Ops II.
The movie comes on the heels of another exciting production shot in Acapulco. Actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, along with the creative duo Wisin and Yandel, used the resort’s beauty as more than just a background in her 2012 music video Follow the Leader. The video for the fun, upbeat song is a sexy chase full of hardcore stunts and tumbles through the streets, beaches, houses and hills of the resort.
JLo is not the only current young artist to produce hit music the city. Ricky Martin recently hosted a sold out concert at Forum Imperial. The glamour and excitement continued in leisurely visits by Halle Berry, Madonna, Naomi Campbell, Bono, Maria Sharapova, and Mexico’s own modern-day It girl, Salma Hayek, who hops between Acapulco and Hollywood like predecessor Dolores Del Rio did decades ago.
Whether on vacation or working in their latest production, Hollywood’s stars have long known that few destinations match Acapulco for glamour, adventure, romance and fun.
