For years the North East was the country’s best-kept secret, with its expanse of beautiful coastline, countryside, castles and cityscapes a complete mystery to those who rarely ventured north of Manchester. But not anymore.
From the wilds of Northumberland through the buzz of Newcastle to the stately grandeur of landmarks such as Durham Cathedral, the region has become hugely attractive to TV crews and filmmakers who can find everything they need in one spot. When Ken Loach shot the Bafta-winning I, Daniel Blake around Newcastle – the first of his three North East-made films, the production team waxed lyrical about the Georgian architecture they had discovered in the city. Read here what the famous director himself said about filming in the region.
Its settings are rich and varied and have been proved to fit the bill for a wide range of films. The wild beauty of Northumberland that was laid bare in long-running ITV series Vera – creating a tourism boost dubbed the ‘Vera effect’ as viewers flocked to see the locations for themselves – also drew Danny Boyle and his team here in May to film the Oscar-winning director’s new feature film sequel 28 Years Later.
They told Chroniclelive that the settings found were “really working for the subject” and crew members loved the area so much that some have already returned followed the lengthy shoot to spend leisure time in the area. As previously reported, it now has been announced that the virus ‘zombie’ chiller, starring Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and Charlie Hunnam, will be out in cinemas next June.
Here we revive memories of some of the North East’s other roles in the film spotlight over the years – and no, not just crime classic Brit flick Get Carter. In addition, read here about work on some major Hollywood blockbusters.
And there is potential for a bright filming future too. Find out more here about The Northern Studio – the region’s only big-scale film and TV studio complex – and its aspirations.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/gallery/north-east-movie-magic-look-30348301
