Starring: Aure Atika, Abena Ayivor, Martin Bassindale
Production Company: Drama Republic BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Drama Republic
Kent Locations Used: Sevenoaks
Black Earth Rising is an upcoming television drama series written and directed by Hugo Blick , who has written and directed this poignant new drama, tackling issues such as the relationship between contemporary Africa and the West and the prosecution of international war crimes.
Starring Aure Atika (In and Night, The night manager) as Sophie Barre, Abena Ayivor (Machine Gun Preacher, The dinosaur Project) as Bibi Mundanzi, Martin Bassindale (Holmes and Watson, Endeavour) as Peter.
The production visited a private residence in Sevenoaks whose swimming pool doubled for a Spa hotel in Paris. Sevenoaks has been a popular filming location and previously featured in BBC’s popular ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ in 2014, the latest series of Vanity Fair in 2018, and Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year in 2017.
The six part series will air on Monday 10th September 2018 at 9pm on BBC Two.
Starring: Olivia Cooke, Suranne Jones, Martin Clunes
Production Company: Mammoth Screen
Kent Locations Used: Deal, Dover, Sevenoaks and Medway
This new ITV series is an adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray’s classic Victorian novel Vanity Fair. Set in the time of the Napoleonic wars, it follows the life of a beautiful and determined woman named Becky Sharp (Olivia Cooke) as she attempts to claw her way out of poverty and climb straight to the top of 19th century English Society.
Starring Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One, Bates Motel) as the antihero Becky Sharp, Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster, Scott and Bailey) as Miss Pinkerton, Martin Clunes (Doc Martin, Men Behaving Badly) as Sir Pitt Crawley, Michael Palin (Monty Python, Remember Me) as Thackeray, Tom Bateman (Snatched, Into The Dark) as Captain Rawdon Crawley.
A cottage on Chevening House Estate was used for filming and featured as Rawdons’ (Tom Bateman) Cottage. This location is situated at the foot of the North Downs in Sevenoaks with extensive parkland surrounding it. It is set aside for official Government business.
A scene on the promenade, featuring soldiers and horses was filmed outside the Royal Hotel in Deal. The town is situated on the South Coast of Kent and has a longstanding naval history as one of the major Cinque Ports and many period features remain.
Squerryes Court in Sevenoaks was also used for filming Miss Pinkertons’ (Suranne Jones) school interiors. This location is a beautiful 17th century manor house which has been in the residence of the Warde family since 1731. It is surrounded with 20 acres of attractive and historic gardens which includes a lake and 18th century dovecote. Previous films that have used this location are The Hollow Crown: Henry V (2012) and The Boat that Rocked (2009).
The Historic Chatham Dockyard was also used. Production filmed various London street scenes outside the Ropery, as well as Anchor Wharf for an embarkation to France and the interior of Commissioners House. The Historic Chatham Dockyard built many ships for the Royal Navy over the last 400 years, including HMS Victory, and it is the home of the Royal Rope Makers, having produced ropes since 1618. It is a popular filming location which offers many period locations, authentic cobbled streets and three historic warships. The Dockyard has previously been featured in films such as Suffragette (2015) and Mr Turner (2014).
Vanity Fair begins on 2nd September 2018 at 9pm on ITV, with episode two airing the next day, on Monday (3rd September 2018). It will then continue for 5 Sunday nights at 9pm.
Starring: Ewan McGregor Jim Cummings Hayley Atwell Chris O’Dowd Brad Garrett Toby Jones Nick Mohammed Peter Capaldi Sophie Okonedo.
Production Company: Walt Disney Pictures.
Kent Locations Used: Port of Dover Cruise Terminal One (Dover Marine Station), Shakespeare beach.
In this feature by Disney Studios, AA Milne’s Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor), is a working man with a wife and family, who is helped by his childhood friends, Pooh (Jim Cummings) and Co. to rediscover the joy of living. Over a period of four weeks, production transformed the entire historic Grade II Listed Dover Marine Station, an old Victorian railway station at the Dover Cruise Terminal into a London railway station, including running trains. A short film for the end credits was also shot on Shakespeare Beach in Dover.
Starring Ewan McGregor (Moulin Rouge, Trainspotting) as Christopher Robin, Jim Cummings (Princess and the Frog, Shrek) as the voices of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Hayley Atwell (Captain America, Cinderella) as Robin’s wife Evelyn Brad Garrett as Eeyore, Toby Jones (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Mist) as Owl, Nick Mohammed (The Martian, Bridget Jones’s Baby) voices Piglet, Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who, World War Z) as Rabbit and Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda, Dirty Pretty Things) as Kanga.
The Railway Station at Dover Western Docks was first opened in January 1915, to receive wounded soldiers during WWI via the newly built Dover Harbour in 1909 and dispatched them to hospitals across the UK with best possible speed. The Unknown Warrior was returned to Britain here before being laid to rest in Westminster Abbey. From 1919, the station served the civilian population wishing to take the Express Boat Train to the Continent, though during WWII, it once again served the military. After its closure in 1994, it has served as Dover Cruise Terminal 1 which opened in 1996.
Production for Christopher Robin in Dover started in September 2017 and the listed and fully intact station building of Cruise Terminal 1, was transformed back into a railway station, complete with trains, shops and almost 400 local extras providing the background of a busy London terminal for a few days. Cruise passengers were diverted to Terminal 2, which gave production unusual, sole use of a large station set.
Port of Dover PR & Media Relations Officer, Justine Wingate said: “Dover Marine Station here at the Port of Dover, is a unique and versatile location. Not just because it is a beautiful example of a Victorian railway station but it is situated in a large secure area with little public access and plenty of space for unit bases and equipment.
The team from Disney spotted its potential as a featured location straight away and did an outstanding job in bringing it to life for Christopher Robin.”
Kent Film Officer, Gabrielle Lindemann said: “Once the location was secured, the biggest challenge was to accommodate the sometimes additional two to three hundred crew and cast. Local businesses stepped up to provide additional unit support and Kent accommodation providers across the whole of East Kent hosted our visitors.
Christopher Robin presented Kent Film Office with a great opportunity to show the sector that the county can successfully host and manage large scale productions.”
Dover houses Europe’s busiest ferry port, connecting the UK with the European mainland. Dover Castle towers above the town, signalling Dover’s strategic importance in the defence of the country and the White Cliffs are one of the most recognised landmarks in Britain. Some other feature films shot around Dover are ‘King Lear’, ‘Avengers’, ‘Into the Woods’, and ‘The Ones Below’.
The film will be released in the UK on 17th August 2018.
Writer: Eke Chukwu Director: Eke Chukwu Starring: Kirsten Foster, Ian Reddington, Lisa Moorish, Max Scully Production Company: Independent Film Kent Locations Used: Tankerton Beach, Whitstable
A gripping combination of romance and sci-fi, Zoe and the Astronaut tells the heart-warming story of a Leukaemia patient, who sees a space pod crash in a field near her home and inside is a young astronaut. She uses her last days showing him the beauty of life on Earth.
Filming took place on Tankerton Beach for the final sequence of the film. Tankerton Beach is a shingle beach with wooden beach huts along the coastline, as well as the grassy slopes that run alongside the shingles. There is a sailing club, and a skate park facing the beach, as well as phenomenal views. At a low tide, a walkway known as ‘The Street’ is revealed going out towards the sea. Productions to have filmed at Tankerton Beach include Britain at Low Tide – Series 3 (2019) and Kathy Burke’s All Woman (2019).
Zoe and the Astronaut was released on the 4th May 2018.
Starring: Simona Brown, Tallulah Rose Haddon, Misha Butler, Matthew Aubrey, Haruka Abe
Production Company: Balloon Entertainment and Balloon
Kent Locations Used: Shellness, Leysdown
Based upon Lottie Moggach’s young adult novel of the same name, Kiss Me First is about Leila, a lonely girl who finds solace in the online game Agora. She befriends fellow player Tess, a cool and confident party girl. When Tess suddenly disappears, Leila assumes her friend’s identity.
Starring Simona Brown (The Night Manager) as Tess and Tallulah Rose Haddon (Taboo) as Leila, the series was adapted by and produced by Bryan Elsley (Skins) through his production company Balloon.
The Shellness Road Car Park was used in a sequence in which one character uses a pipe bomb to blow up his abusive carers. A further scene was filmed on Leysdown Promenade showing the arrival by one of the leads on a bus. Isle of Sheppey is a coastal town on the Isle of Sheppey, where previously, Channel 4 show The End of the F***ing World (2017-) and the film adaptation of the Sweeny (2012) we also shot.
Kiss Me First is expected to air on Channel 4 on Monday 02 April 2018 at 9pm.
Writer: Mark Schwahn, Michelle Ray, Scarlett Lacey
Director: Mark Schwahn, Les Butler, James Lafferty
Starring: Elizabeth Hurley, Alexandra Park, William Moseley, Jake Maskall, Tom Austen
Production Company: StudioCanal
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard – Chatham, Chapel Place – Tunbridge Wells
American drama series about a fictional British royal family set in modern day London, that deals with the family’s drama and scandals whilst in the public eye.
Starring Elizabeth Hurley (Austin Powers, gossip girl), Alexandra Park (Home and Away, The Elephant Princess), William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia, Carrie pilby), Jake Maskall (EastEnders, Centurion) and Tom Austen (Unforgotten, Grantchester). The series was created by Mark Schwahn (one tree hill) who also wrote and directed along with Michelle ray, Scarlett Lacey, Les Butler and James lafferty.
The Historic Dockyard Chatham was used for filming scenes set onboard the HMS Cavalier as well as external street scenes filmed around the Ropery. Interior scenes were shot in the Tarred Yarn Store, while Commissioner’s House gardens were also filmed. Chapel Place in Tunbridge Wells featured as part of a Royal Wedding.
Writer: Stephen Lowenstein and Greer Ellison Director: Stephen Lowenstein Starring: Miles Richardson, Jordan Long, Karen Lewis Production Company: Blue Shadows Films, I Spy Films Kent Locations Used: Hartlip Place in Sittingbourne, Barrows Antiques in Faversham, Queendown Warren in Sittingbourne
Queen of Spain is a coming of age story set in the world of butterfly collectors on the eve of the First World War. A thirteen-year-old boy spots one of the rarest butterfly species ever to be seen on the British Isles.
Various scenes for Queen of Spain were filmed around Kent; Georgian house Hartlip Place in Sittingbourne was used to shoot its mature garden as well as a private residence in the area for some interior scenes. Barrows Antiques in Faversham features in a small yet poignant scene where a confrontation takes place between the protagonist and the local butcher boy, who has “abducted” his butterfly. Queen Down Warren in Sittingbourne was chosen for its beautiful woods and wild flower meadow paths, which feature with the protagonist hunting butterflies.
Faversham is a beautiful historic market town in the Swale Borough of Kent. The historic town boasts over 500 listed buildings and there are many beautiful walks the picturesque countryside has to offer. Previous productions in the town include Hetty Feather Series 3 (2017) and Walks With My Dog (2017).
The film tells the true story of Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth), a yachtsman who went missing during his attempt to win the 1968 Golden Globe Race when he decided to turn his attempt into a disastrous attempt of travelling the world alone by sea.
Directed by James Marsh (The Theory of Everything, Shadow Dancer) and written by Scott Z. Burns (Contagion, The Bourne Ultimatum). The film stars Colin Firth (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Rachel Weisz (The Mummy, Oz the Great and Powerful), David Thewlis (Wonder Woman, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,) and Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Sherlock).
Some scenes were filmed at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, where the HMS Gannet was used as the port where the wives of the competition sailors posed for the press. As well as filming at Bewl Water reservoir in Kent, which features as the Teignmouth inlet where Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth) sails locally alone and with his family. The Historic Dockyard with its Victorian and Georgian architecture has featured in films such as Victoria and Abdul (2017) and Guy Ritchies’ Mr Holmes (2015). Bewl Water is the largest body of inland water in the South East and situated within the High Weald, an area of outstanding natural beauty.
The Mercy will be in theatres in the UK from the9th February 2018.
Starring: Tamzin Outhwaite, Adam Woodyatt, Nitin Ganatra, Gillian Taylforth
Production Company: BBC
Popular BBC One soap Eastenders is set in East London and chronicles the lives of the residents of Albert Square. In the upcoming episodes Mel Owen (Tamzin Outhwaite) returns to the Square after nearly 16 years away. Tamzin made her first appearance in October 1998 and was dubbed the show sweetheart.
Last seen in April 2002, Mel fled Walford when everything started to fall apart. If losing her beloved husband, Steve Owen was not enough heartbreak for Mel, his web of deceit and lies were soon uncovered and Mel found herself facing a long stretch in prison as she was unknowingly implicated in her late husband’s drug dealing. Mel took desperate measures and she fled the country.
EastEnders’ Creative Director John Yorke admitted: “Tamzin is one of EastEnders’ biggest stars, so it’s particularly exciting to welcome her back to Walford for an incredible storyline – one that will awaken a lot of old ghosts, some great memories, and a whole new series of adventures too.”
Filming took place over 3 days at the Cruise Terminal in the Port of Dover at Passport control, a security office and a DFDS Ferry to France as Tamzin’s character appears in yet another gripping plotline.
The show has been running since 1985 and now airs four times a week with an average of more than 8 million viewers per episode.
Kent Locations Used: Oakdene Cafe, London Road, Wrotham
ITV’s new drama series Next Of Kin follows whip-smart GP Mona Shirani who lives in London with political lobbyist husband Guy Harcourt. Family life is shattered when Mona’s brother is brutally murdered whilst working for a medical charity abroad. In the wake of the murder, Mona’s family comes under suspicion and is drawn deep into a tangle of betrayal and conspiracy as they try to protect their loved ones and careers.
The six-part series was written and created by husband and wife team Paul Rutman (Indian Summers, Vera) and Natasha Narayan. Emmy Award winner and Golden Globe nominee, Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife, The Fall), and renowned actor, Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean, Smash), star in Mammoth Screen’s fast-paced family thriller, Next Of Kin.
Oakdene Cafe, London Road in Wrotham Kent features in Episode 4 where filming took place in June 2017. Wrotham is a village on the Pilgrims’ Way in Kent, at the foot of the North Downs. It is one mile north of Borough Green and approximately five miles east Sevenoaks, a historic market town which has attracted several large productions in 2017 including Judwaa 2 (2017) and The Big Family Cooking Showdown (2017).
