The United Kingdom has quickly become a favored filming destination for many major Hollywood productions. Its lush topographies and colonial infrastructures stunningly recreate influences from other major cities all over the world. Glasgow’s city center turned into Philadelphia for “World War Z.” In the meantime, Liverpool’s early 20th-century streetscapes are filling in quite nicely as New York. The UK is really rewriting the rules on cinematic vistas!
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ” starring Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Enchantingly shot partly in Scotland, the film turns Glasgow’s city center into a breathtaking portrayal of 1960s New York. The movie captures Glasgow’s distinct architectural flair. This decision time-capsules an entire historical period, turning the city into a dream stomping ground for film industry makers.
Perhaps no other city has shown itself to be as flexible as Liverpool, famous for its deep cultural roots. The city’s vintage architecture gave it the ability to pull off being a lot of different places. For instance, Liverpool was transformed into 1920s New York for “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” showcasing its adaptability to different time periods. What’s more, “The Batman” took advantage of not just Liverpool and Glasgow, but London as well to fashion the murky and gloomy alternate-reality Gotham City.
Matt Reeves, director of “The Batman,” laid out his vision for the dark film, saying,
“I wanted this to feel like a Gothic American city, but one that you’d never been to.”
That ambition was realised by imaginatively using a range of outdoor and indoor locations throughout the UK. They even turned the Liver Building’s iconic clock tower into the Gotham City Police headquarters. Even the giant Liver Bird was edited out in post-production to make the relief seem more dramatic.
The increase in filming in the UK isn’t just a trend among these high-profile productions. Warner Bros.’ Leavesden studio in Hertfordshire has become a bustling hub for numerous Hollywood blockbusters such as “Barbie,” “Mickey 17,” “Venom: The Last Dance,” and “Beetlejuice.” The studio’s convent facilities lure filmmakers to the area looking for high-quality, strategic, production-ready environments.
Plenty of picturesque spots around the UK have doubled for exterior scenes too. A dramatic quarry in the Lake District made for the stunning backdrop of one movie. At the same time, a Pembrokeshire beach and Burnham nature reserve set stunning scenes as locations for numerous other productions. These unique environments combine to lend a spectacular, cinematic quality to each production shot in the area.
The main reason for Hollywood’s keenness on UK locations lies with the money – god, how they love money. Universal Pictures notably saved £89 million by filming parts of “Jurassic World: Dominion” in the UK. This fiscal factor is part of a larger trend in which budgetary considerations have served as an expanding force on filmmakers’ location choices. Brian Cox, a well-known actor, articulated this sentiment:
“The reality is films go where they can afford.”
Disney also capitalized on the UK’s offerings when filming “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. This site has since become a household name thanks to the supercharged profile brought by high-profile projects, cementing the UK’s status as a world-leading filming location.
Netflix has since joined the ranks of the elite studios that milk the UK’s breathtaking scenery. Its latest thriller “Havoc,” starring Tom Hardy, takes full advantage of the stunning landscape of Wales. That positive momentum paves the way for many more upcoming productions to follow in search of vibrant, colorful, culturally rich, and beautiful locales.
Robert Pattinson, who starred in “The Batman,” remarked on Glasgow’s unexpected role as Gotham City:
“It looks great as Gotham; who would’ve thought of all the cities in the world, Glasgow as Gotham?”
Either way, this evolution is a big deal. Cities outside of the Hollywood bubble are stepping up, proving that great stories can come from anywhere in the world.
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