Family Film

The Amazing Mr Blunden (2021)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Simon Callow, as Mr Blunden, stands in the centre of the frame. Either side of him, peering over some large decorative ornaments, are two children Jamie, played by Jason Rennie, on the left, and Lucy, played by Tsion Habte, on the right. They are inside of a historic looking room with dark orange walls. On either side are windows covered by lace net curtains, and large drawn open grey curtains. Jamie has short curly black hair and wears a black unzipped hoodie with a red t-shirt. Only Lucy’s head is visible, and she has long curly black hair. Mr Blunden has receding white hair and a full grey beard. He wears a long brown woollen coat, with a brown waistcoat underneath and a large red woollen scarf wrapped around his neck. All three characters look nervously off-screen.

The Amazing Mr Blunden © Sky

Writer: Mark Gatiss
Director: Mark Gatiss
Starring: Simon Callow, Tamsin Greig, Mark Gatiss, Tsion Habte, Jason Rennie, India Fowler, Xavier Wilkins
Production Company: Adorable Media
Kent Locations Used: Finchcocks

Based on the 1972 family film of the same name, The Amazing Mr Blunden (2021) tells the story of modern teenagers Lucy and Jamie, whose encounter with a mysterious old man called Mr Blunden leads to them becoming caretakers of an old country home. They soon discover that the home is haunted by the spirits of two young children, Sara and Georgie, and with the help of Mr Blunden, the two teens must travel back in time to save the children’s lives.

Written and directed by Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Doctor Who), The Amazing Mr Blunden stars renowned actor Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral, A Room with a View (1985)) as Mr. Blunden, Tamsin Greig (Episodes, Friday Night Dinner) as Mrs. Wickens and Mark Gatiss as Mr. Wickens, as well as newcomers Tsion Habte (Liar (2017-2020), Sex Education (2021)) as Lucy, Jason Rennie as Jamie, India Fowler (Safe) as Sara and Xavier Wilkins as Georgie.

The production team visited Kent for their shoot, using Finchcocks in Goudhurst as Langley Park, the house the two teenagers are tasked with looking after. Built in 1725, Finchcocks is a fine early Georgian Manor set in 13 acres of parkland and gardens, with extensive views over the Kentish landscape. It is noted for its brickwork, with a dramatic baroque front elevation. For many years, the Manor played host to a Musical Museum, which housed around 115 period keyboard instruments, many of which have featured in TV and film themselves. Now operating as both a family home and a piano workshop retreat, Finchcocks has previously been used as the setting for a Pride and Prejudice sketch in the BBC show French and Saunders (1996).

The Amazing Mr Blunden aired on Sky and NowTV on Friday 24th December 2021.

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

Christopher Robin (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Christoper Robin Movie Poster of Christoper robin in a suit and coat carrying a briefcase and umbrella. Winnie the pooh, piglet, tigger and eeyore surround him. Disney Christopher Robin is written in gold with Ewan McGregor written in green on top. Sooner or later, your past catches up to you is underneath in black.

Christoper Robin Movie Poster ©The Walt Disney Studios

 

Writers: Alex Ross Perry and Allison Schroeder

Director: Marc Forster

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.

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