A Spy Among Friends (2022)

Damian Lewis as Nicholas Elliott and Guy Pearce as Kim Philby dressed in black suits and ties sit on a beige sofa. Both look at the camera. Lewis on the left wears wire-rimmed glasses and Pearce on the right sits with his legs firmly crossed.

Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce in A Spy Among Friends (2022) © ITV

Director: Nick Murphy
Writer:
Alexander Cary
Starring:
Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce, Adrian Edmondson, Anna Maxwell Martin
Production Companies: BritBox, ITV Studios, Sony Pictures Television, Spectrum, Veritas Entertainment Group
Kent Locations Used:
The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Based on the best-selling book by Ben Macintyre, A Spy Among Friends (2022) details the defection of notorious Soviet double agent Kim Philby and his complex relationship with MI6 colleague Nicholas Elliott.

Adapted for the screen by Alexander Cary (Homeland, Taken), the mini-series stars Guy Pearce (Genius (2016), Mare of Easttown) as Kim Philby, Damian Lewis (Wolf Hall (2015), The Sweeney (2012)) as Nicholas Elliott, Adrian Edmondson (Back to Life (2019-2021), The Rizen (2017)) and Anna Maxwell Martin (Bleak House (2005), Line of Duty).

Anchor Wharf and HMS Cavalier at The Historic Dockyard Chatham feature in Episodes 1 & 2 of the series, doubling as a Russian ship and dock.

Chatham Dockyard is a historic 17th Century Dockyard which spans over 80 acres and contains over 100 buildings dating from the Georgian and Victorian periods. It is one of Kent’s most popular filming locations, with high-profile productions such as Sherlock Holmes (2009), Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019), and Operation Mincemeat (2022) making use of the site.

A Spy Among Friends will be available to stream on the brand new ITVX on Thursday 8th December 2022.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


The Rizen (2017) and The Rizen: Possession (2020)

Hand holding open book of arcane symbols

The Rizen © Lost Eye Films Ltd

Written and directed by: Matt Mitchell

Starring: Sally Phillips, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Tom Goodman-Hill, Adrian Edmondson

Production Company: Lost Eye Films

Kent Locations Used: Manor Way Business Park in Swanscombe, Old Town Hall Gravesend, Powerhub in Maidstone, Northfleet Industrial Estate

The Rizen (2017) and The Rizen: Possession (2020) is a horror story set in 1955, an era when both NATO and the Allied Forces were supposedly conducting secret, occult experiments in a bid to win the Arms Race.

What if they had succeeded and what the Army unleashed threatens to tear the world apart?

Man standing side-on looking at the Suited Women (Sally Phillips) who is looking forward.

The Rizen © Lost Eye Films Ltd

The Rizen was written and directed by Matt Mitchell (Gangsters, Guns & Zombies, It Never Sleeps). The film stars Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Decoy Bride), Julian Rhind-Tutt (Lucy, Rush), Tom Goodman-Hill (Mr Selfridge, Everest) and Adrian Edmondson (War and Peace, Bottom).

The production was largely based in Kent and the Manor Way Business Park in Swanscombe was used as their studio. Production filmed the endless, dark corridors in the Powerhub in Maidstone and ‘laboratory’ and ‘radio room’ scenes at Northfleet Industrial Estate with both locations doubling as an ex-military base. Filming also took place at Gravesend Old Town Hall which featured as a Grand Hall for an ‘academy’.

Manor Way Business Park is an industrial area with offices and warehouses located in Swanscombe, famous for its spectacular finds of Early Man. The site has excellent transport links and previously featured in Gangsters, Guns & Zombies (2012) and Doctor Strange  (2016).

The Gravesend Old Town Hall was once the seat of the local Magistrates Courts and has now been restored to serve as cultural and community venue. Other productions that have filmed in the Gravesend area include Canterbury Tales – The Seacaptain’s Tale (2003), The Interceptor (2015) and Great British Railway Journeys (2014).

Lieutenant Conner Taylor (Lee Latchford-Evans) pointing rifle towards figure in the foreground.

The Rizen © Lost Eye Films Ltd

The Powerhub in Maidstone is a five storey, listed, industrial building with a 1900’s art deco exterior. Inside the building there are a selection of studios, offices, showrooms and amazing studios. Past productions that have filmed in Maidstone include Missing (2009), Children in Need – The Rickshaw Challenge (2015) and Couples Come Dine With Me (2014).

Northfleet Industrial Estate is an estate in two halves, having been cut in half by the high speed railway and each half has its own tone. The location was used for filming a car crash scene in Doctor Strange  (2016).

The Rizen (2017) was chosen to headline and close the London Sci-fi Film Festival 2017 on Saturday 6th May 2017 with its World Premiere and The Rizen: Possession (2020) closed the London Sci-Fi film festival on 22nd May 2019.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.