Ben Mendelsohn

Secret Invasion (2023)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury stands in front of a large diamond-shaped doorway with white light beaming through it. He wears a black trench coat and an eyepatch over one eye, which he has lifted to reveal several scars and a purple eye.

Secret Invasion (2023) © Disney

Creator: Kyle Bradstreet
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Cobie Smulders
Production Company: Marvel Studios
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Secret Invasion (2023) is a new Marvel mini-series based on the comic of the same name. The series follows Nick Fury and Talos as they try to stop the Skrulls, a faction of shapeshifting aliens who have infiltrated planet Earth.

Created by Kyle Bradstreet (Mr. Robot, Copper), who also serves as head writer, the series has an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson (Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Pulp Fiction) as Nick Fury, Ben Mendelsohn (Darkest Hour (2018), Una (2017)) as Talos, Emilia Clarke (Dom Hemingway (2013), Game of Thrones) as G’iah, Olivia Colman (Empire of Light (2023), The Crown (2016-2022)) as Special Agent Sonya Falsworth and Cobie Smulders (Avengers Assemble, How I Met Your Mother) as Maria Hill.

In July 2022, production visited The Historic Dockyard Chatham and used a wide range of the site, including Anchor Wharf, the Ropery streets and the rear of the Officer’s Terrace which doubles for the streets of Moscow in Episodes 1 and 2 of the series.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a 17th Century Dockyard which spans over 80 acres, containing over 100 buildings dating from the Georgian and Victorian periods. It is the most popular filming location in Kent, having recently played host to Enola Holmes 2 (2022), Operation Mincemeat (2022) and Bridgerton (2020).

Secret Invasion was released on Disney+ on Wednesday 21st June 2023.

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

Darkest Hour (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Gary Oldman in his role as Chrurchill giving the Victory sign in parliament in the film the Darkest Hour (2017)

Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour (2017) Photo by Jack English © 2017 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Writer: Anthony McCarten
Director: Joe Wright
Starring: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup, Samuel West
Production Company: Wanda Pictures and Working Title Films
Kent Locations Used: Fort Amherst, Chartwell House

Darkest Hour (2018) is a war drama that follows Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) as he becomes Prime Minister at the start of the Second World War. Churchill is faced with a tough decision: negotiate with Adolf Hitler, who rages war across Europe, or fight and risk many British lives.

Darkest Hour is written by Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything) and directed by Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice (2005)). The film stars Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), Lily James (Cinderella), Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One), Kristin Scott Thomas (Only God Forgives), Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones), Ronald Pickup (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Samuel West (Suffragette (2015)) and many others.

Several scenes from the production were filmed at Fort Amherst which itself was used during World War II as an Air Raid Warning command post. Fort Amherst has tunnels that have featured in many films, such as Jekyll and Hyde (2015).

Other scenes were filmed in the grounds of Chartwell House, Churchill’s former home. Set in delightful gardens, Chartwell is a National Trust property in Westerham and the rooms remain much as they were when Churchill lived there. Chartwell has previously been used as a film location by productions such as The Gathering Storm (2002).

Darkest Hour (2018) was released in the UK on Friday 12th January 2018.

 

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

Una (2017)

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Una (Rooney Mara) standing in warehouse looking forward

Una (C) WestEnd Films

Writer: David Harrower

Director: Benedict Andrews

Starring: Rooney Mara, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Tobias Menzies, Indira Varma, Tara Fitzgerald

Production Company: Bron Studios, Film4 Productions, Jean Doumanian Productions, WestEnd Films

Kent Locations Used: Dungeness, Greatstone, Lydd

Looking to resolve her past, Una (Rooney Mara) confronts Ray (Ben Mendelsohn ), her former neighbour, at his work place, seeking answers. As buried secrets and forbidden desires start to surface, they begin to threaten the stability they have found in their new lives.

Una (Rooney Mara) and Ray (Ben Mendelsohn) staring at each other

Una (C) WestEnd Films

The film is based on the play “Blackbird” that was written by David Harrower. Benedict Andrews (National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire) directed and Rooney Mara (A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Social Network) takes the lead role alongside  Riz Ahmed (Jason Bourne, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises, Bloodline) Tobias Menzies (Casino Royale, Atonement), Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Hunted) and Tara Fitzgerald (Legend, Brassed Off).

The production chose to film in Kent in June 2015, using Dungeness, Greatstone and Lydd which feature as a remote hideaway location.

The Dungeness, Greatstone and Lydd coastal area boasts a unique and large expanse of sandy beach backed by dunes and the largest shingle desert in Europe. Ginger and Rosa (2012), The Poison Tree (2012) and Parade’s End (2012) have previously used the area for filming.

Una is released in cinemas from Friday 1st September 2017.

 

 

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

Black Sea (2014)

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Jude Law sitting at a table with bars of gold in front of him.

Jude Law as submarine Captain Robinson © Universal, Alex Bailey, Focus Features.

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Writer: Dennis Kelly

Starring: Jude Law, Jodie Whittaker, Michael Smiley, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn

Production company: Film4 Productions, Cowboy Films, Etalon Film

Kent locations: Black Widow Submarine, River Medway

Black Sea is an adventure thriller about a rogue submarine captain who brings together a misfit crew to seek out a sunken treasure rumoured to be lost in the depths of the Black Sea.

The film was written by Dennis Kelly (Utopia, Pulling), directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void) and stars a number of acting talents including Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes, Cold Mountain), Scoot McNairy (Argo, 12 Years a Slave), Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises, Killing Them Softly), Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch, One Day) and Michael Smiley (The World’s End, The Other Boleyn Girl).

The Black Sea production team visited the Black Widow Submarine, which is moored in Strood on the River Medway in August 2013 to film submarine interiors.

The Black Widow is an ex Russian Foxtrot Submarine which was built in 1967 and was in active service until 1994. The submarine was also used in 2013 for the shooting of The Fitzroy, a black comedy about a leaky submarine hotel.

Strood is in the Medway towns and productions that have previously filmed in the area include Mr Turner (2014), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012) and The Golden Compass (2007).

Black Sea is released in cinemas on Friday 5th December 2014.

 

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