Home / Explore places / United States / Hawaii

Stories Set in Hawaii

Stories Set in Hawaii — top stories

Beyond the postcard beaches lie aloha noir, surf odysseys and Pacific-war memory. Hawaii's stories blend island myth with Honolulu crime and volcanic drama.

StoryTerraOpen Hawaii on the StoryTerra map
Opens live on the interactive map

10 famous stories set in Hawaii

Live snapshot of the top 10 most popular catalogue items (2026-09-04). Click any card to open this entry on the live map.

Browse 66 books, 134 movies, 11 TV shows and 20 games set in Hawaii.

Lilo & Stitch

Lilo & Stitch

Walt Disney Pictures-Walt Disney Feature Animation
movie

As Stitch a runaway genetic experiment from a faraway planet wreaks havoc on the Hawaiian Islands he becomes the mischievous adopted alien "puppy" of an independent little girl named Lilo and learns about loyalty…

Setting: Hawaii, USATime Period: 2002
Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Touchstone Pictures-Jerry Bruckheimer Films
movie

The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry…

Setting: Hawaii, USATime Period: 1941
50 First Dates

50 First Dates

Columbia Pictures-Anonymous Content-Flower Films-Happy Madison Productions
movie

Henry is a player skilled at seducing women. But when this veterinarian meets Lucy a girl with a quirky problem when it comes to total recall he realizes it's possible to fall in love all over again…and again and again.…

Setting: Hawaii, USATime Period: 2000s
Just Go with It

Just Go with It

Columbia Pictures-Happy Madison Productions
movie

A plastic surgeon romancing a much younger schoolteacher enlists his loyal assistant to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife in order to cover up a careless lie. When more lies backfire the assistant's kids become…

Setting: Hawaii, USATime Period: 2011
Scooby-Doo! and the Sea Monsters

Scooby-Doo! and the Sea Monsters

Warner Bros. Animation-Dongwoo A&E
movie

The scares start in Hawaii where Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are scarfing down the surf-and-turf menu until a giant serpent tries to swallow them faster than you can say She Sees Sea Monsters by the Seashore. In Uncle Scooby…

Setting: Hawaii, USA; Antarctica; Great Barrier Reef, AustraliaTime Period: 2012
Hawaii Five-0

Hawaii Five-0

Roberto Orci,Peter M. Lenkov
tvshow

Steve McGarrett returns home to Oahu, in order to find his father's killer. The governor offers him the chance to run his own task force (Five-0). Steve's team is joined by Chin Ho Kelly, Danny "Danno" Williams, and…

Setting: Oahu, Hawaii, USATime Period: 2010
The Descendants

The Descendants

Dune Entertainment-Fox Searchlight Pictures-Ad Hominem Enterprises
movie

With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident Hawaiian land baron Matt King takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront a young real estate broker who was having an affair with…

Setting: Oahu, Hawaii, USA; Kauai, Hawaii, USATime Period: 2011
Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Universal Pictures-Apatow Productions
movie

When Sarah Marshall dumps aspiring musician Peter Bretter for rock star Aldous Snow Peter's world comes crashing down. His best friend suggests that Peter should get away from everything and to fly off to Hawaii to…

Setting: Hawaii, USATime Period: 2008
Battleship

Battleship

Universal Pictures-Hasbro-Bluegrass Films-Film 44
movie

When mankind beams a radio signal into space a reply comes from ‘Planet G’ in the form of several alien crafts that splash down in the waters off Hawaii. Lieutenant Alex Hopper is a weapons officer assigned to the USS…

Setting: Hawaii, USA; Pacific OceanTime Period: 2012
Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer

TriStar Pictures-Brookwell-McNamara Entertainment-Mandalay Vision-FilmDistrict-Island Film Group-Enticing Entertainment-Life's a Beach Entertainment
movie

The true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.

Setting: Hawaii, USATime Period: 2000s

The 10 stories above are just a sample of the 231 in the catalogue for this entry. For the full live catalogue with trailers and time filters, open Hawaii in the StoryTerra app. On the live map you can also filter by the exact time the stories take place — any year, decade or century, from BCE to the future.

Keep exploring

Stories set in the United States · Stories set in Alaska · Stories set in California · Stories set in Washington · All places