Son of Rambow (2008)

Posted on February 4, 2008 by Kent Film Office

Will Pouter and Bill Milner standing in front of a lake in uniform, both with moody looks on their faces

Will Pouter as Lee Carter and Bill Milner as Will © Optimum Releasing

Director and Writer: Garth Jennings

Production Company: Hammer & Tongs, Celluloid Dreams, Good Film Productions, Arte France Cinéma, Network Movie Film-und Fernsehproduktion, Reason Pictures, Soficinéma 2, Soficinéma 3, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Kent Filming Locations: Richborough Power Station, Sandwich

Set during a long English summer in the 80’s, two boys, Will (Bill Milner) and Lee Carter (Will Poulter) watch a pirate copy of Rambo: First Blood and set about making their own version.

Bill Milner crouched on the ground of a forest staring away from the camera

Bill Milner as Will Proudfoot in Son of Rambow © Optimum Releasing

Will’s religious upbringing means that he has never been allowed to watch TV, listen to music or mix with the outside world, whilst Lee is the school’s trouble maker, known for his crazy home videos. After his first film viewing Will is persuade to partake in some death defying stunts; all in the name of Lee’s next filming project.

Will’s imaginative mind is not only given the chance to flourish in the world of film making, but also called upon to to dream up elaborate schemes to keep his new friendship a secret from his family.

The disused power station at Richborough, near Sandwich, provided the perfect backdrop for the kids to perform their crazy stunts and run wild. Abandoned in the mid 90’s, the power station has now been demolished.

Sandwich is a medieval town situated on the River Stour and boasts golf clubs, eateries and B&B’s as well a museum, windmill and Roman Fort. The nearby Discovery Park has been used used for filming projects such as The Tunnel (2013) and World War Z (2013).

The film was released in cinemas in April 2008 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

Posted on February 4, 2008 by Kent Film Office

Scarlett Johansson standing behind Natalie Portman, both looking out of the window in front of them

Director: Justin Chadwick

Writer: Peter Morgan

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Eric Bana, Kristin Scott Thomas, David Morrissey, Benedict Cumberbatch

Production Company: Columbia Pictures, Focus Features, BBC Films, Relativity Media, Ruby Films, Scott Rudin Productions

Kent Filming Locations: Knole House, Dover Castle, Penshurst Place


The screen adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best selling novel The Other Boleyn Girl is a dramatic story of love, passion and ambition set in the cut-throat court of Henry VIII. Mary (Scarlett Johansson), considered the more beautiful sister, gains the young king’s (Eric Bana) attention and, though married, becomes his mistress. When it becomes politically adventageous, Mary is cast aside for her dazzling young sister Anne (Natalie Portman) and can only watch as Anne’s ruthless pursuit of the crown propels her towards her doom.

The Boleyn family had extensive connections with Kent; the family lived in Hever Castle while Henry VIII adored Knole. With this connection in mind, filming took place at three fantastic locations across Kent.

Filming in Kent began at Knole in Sevenoaks, a grand house set in a deer park that Henry VIII was so impressed with; he demanded that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer give it to him. In the film, Knole was the setting for many of the film’s London night scenes and the inner courtyard doubles for the entrance of Whitehall Palace where the grand arrivals and departures were staged.

Filming of The Other Boleyn Girl at Knole © Photo Credit : Alex Bailey © 2006 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) in the Grounds of Penshurst Place © Photo Credit : Alex Bailey © 2006 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Behind the scenes at Dover Castle © Dover Castle Behind the scenes at Penshurst Place © Penshurst Place

Production then moved to Penshurst Place near Tonbridge, which was also once owned by Henry VIII and where the unspoiled estate and gardens still bring the Tudor era to life. The Baron’s Hall was transformed into the interiors of Whitehall Palace to film the scenes of Henry’s extravagant feast. The Tudor Gardens were also used for the scene where Anne (Natalie Portman) and the King (Eric Bana) talk about their relationship.

As England’s oldest fortress at the shortest sea crossing to Continental Europe, Dover Castle was a vital strategic centre in the Tudor era and able to provide the ideal setting for the final and climatic scenes in The Other Boleyn Girl. Dover Castle was transformed into the Tower of London for the execution scenes of George Boleyn (Jim Sturgess) and Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman).

Knole Park is nestled in a medieval deer-park . The area has welcomed filming from productions such as Rush (2013) and Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides (2011).

Historic house Knole is set in a medieval deer-park in Sevenoaks. Now a National Trust property, it is over 500 years old and was once the palace of archbishops and royal property of the Tudor dynasty. Knole has previously featured in productions such as Great British Railway Journeys – Series 7 (2016), Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (2011) and Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides (2011).

Medieval and Tudor style manor house, Penshurst Place is set in gorgeous parkland and boasts period rooms and formal Elizabethan gardens. Penshurst Place is a popular film location, having previously welcomed productions such as Wolf Hall (2015), The Great Fire (2014) and The Hollow Crown – Henry V (2012)

Situated on the White Cliffs of Dover, overlooking the English Channel is the stunning medieval fortress – Dover Castle. A popular film location, Dover Castle has featured in Into the Woods (2015), Poirot “The Clocks” (2009) and Hamlet (1990).

To celebrate the cinematic release and the locations that were used in the film, the Kent Film Office and Kent Tourism Alliance in association with Universal, National Trust, English Heritage, Penshurst Place, Hever Castle and the Heart of Kent released a movie map in 2011 to highlight the Kent locations to the world! You can download your own The Other Boleyn Girl movie map and to find out more about the Kent Campaign at: https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/kent-movie-map/austens-in-kent/

The Other Boleyn Girl features in the Kent Film Office Tudor(ish) Trail, released in May 2016, celebrating Kent’s Tudor history and film connections.

The film was released on 7^th March 2008 and is now available on DVD.

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

The Good Night (2008)

Posted on January 2, 2008 by Kent Film Office

The Good Night Film Poster- Four character faces in a grid, all with sleep masks over their eyes. The Good night is written in the middle

The Good Night Film Poster © Momentum Pictures

Director/Writer: Jake Paltrow

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Martin Freeman, Penélope Cruz, Danny DeVito, Simon Pegg

Production Company: Good Night Productions, Inferno Distribution, Destination Films, Grosvenor Park Media, MHF Zweite Academy Film, Tempesta Films

Kent Filming Locations: Capel Manor House, Horsmonden

This romantic comedy, is the first movie written and directed by Jake Paltrow (Young Ones Boardwalk Empire) ,and is an adaptation of 2006 French film “La science des rêves”. The movie is set in London and New York, where a former pop star who now writes commercial jingles for a living, experiences a mid-life crisis.

The film stars the director’s sister Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man Series, Se7en) , as well as Penélope Cruz (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Vanilla Sky) Martin Freeman (Sherlock, The Hobbit), Danny DeVito (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, L.A. Confidential) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz).

The dream sequences were filmed at Capel Manor House in Horsmonden, Kent. The house was built in 1970, on the site of the old Capel Manor, which had been well known as a residence of Jane Austen.

The Good Night was released in cinemas in January 2008 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

The Riddle (2007)

Posted on September 22, 2007 by Kent Film Office

The Riddle Movieposter- Three cast members standing in a row with buildings faintly shown in the background. The Riddle is written in white on a black strip underneath.

The Riddle Movieposter © Image Entertainment

Director and writer: Brendan Foley

Starring: Vinnie Jones, Julie Cox, Jason Flemyng, Derek Jacobi, P.H. Moriarty, Vanessa Redgrave

Production Company: Grosvenor Park Productions, Manuscript Productions, Riddle Productions

Kent Filming Locations: Sittingbourne Greyhounds Racing Track

Journalist Mike Sullivan (Vinnie Jones) investigates a series of murders that occur after the discovery of an unpublished Charles Dickens’ manuscript. As Sullivan grows obsessive over the novel and its connection to his investigation, he seeks the help of police officer Kate (Julie Cox) and a beach-combing tramp (Derek Jocobi) who together unravel a century-old crime hidden within the manuscript which enables them to solve the modern-day crime.

Brendan Foley’s latest project stars Vinnie Jones (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels), Derek Jacobi (Gladiator), Vanessa Redgrave (Atonement) Julie Cox (David Copperfield) and Jason Flemyng (Snatch)

The Riddle production team visited Sittingbourne Greyhounds Racing Track to shoot the opening sequence of the film where sports tabloid journalist Mike Sullivan (Vinnie Jones) is reporting on a dog race. What fans may not know is that Jones has been known to race his own greyhound, Smoking Bullet, at the stadium!

Sittingbourne falls under the district of Swale and The Riddle isn’t the only filming project to visit the district. Brogdale Farm in Faversham saw The Hairy Bikers visit in 2009 and the Shepherd Neame Brewery featured in The Darling Buds of May series.

Another location to feature was the Chislehurst Caves in Bromley as they were the perfect location to act as the home to Derek Jacobi’s beach combing tramp. Chislehurst Caves has over 200 miles of caverns dug over a period of 8000 years and three distinct sections, Druid, Roman and Saxon and has also been used in filming for Doctor Who in 1976 and more recently for BBC’s Merlin.

The film was released in cinemas in September 2007 and is now available on DVD.

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

Amazing Grace (2007)

Posted on February 4, 2007 by Kent Film Office

Wooden court room with cast members sat on wooden benches, a man is reading from a long scroll that rolls along the floor

Amazing Grace © Roadside Attractions

Director: Michael Apted

Writer: Steven Knight

Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Romola Garai and Rufus Sewell.

Production Company: Walden Media, Ingenious Film Partners, Bristol Bay Productions,Ingenious Film Partners

Kent Filming Locations: Historic Dockyard Chatham

Amazing Grace follows the journey of idealist William Wilberforce as he manoeuvres his way through Parliament, endeavouring to end the British transatlantic slave trade.

Directed by Michael Apted (Chasing Mavericks, The World is Not Enough) from an original screenplay written by Academy Award nominee Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Dirty Pretty Things). Ioan Gruffudd (Titanic, Fantastic Four) leads a cast including Michael Gambon (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Good Shepherd), Albert Finney (Ocean’s Twelve, Big Fish) and Rufus Sewell (Hercules, The Illusionist).

The film portrays how Wilberforce, supported by his confidant John Newton (Albert Finney) and William Pitt the Younger (Benedict Cumberbatch), England’s youngest ever Prime Minister, spoke out against slavery and fought for the freedom of others.

Dockyard Church transformed into House of Commons set- wooden courtroom with stall either side of judges table

Dockyard Church transformed into House of Commons set © Chatham Dockyard

Amazing Grace House of Commons- wooden courtroom full with politicians.

The church at the Historic Dockyard Chatham was transformed for the film to recreate the 18th century House of Commons.

The Historic Dockyard in Chatham is set over 80 acres and contains over 100 Georgian and Victorian buildings. It has previously been used as a film location for productions such as Call the Midwife (2012-2014), Amazing Grace (2007) and Sherlock Holmes – Game of Shadows (2011).

Amazing Grace was released on 23rd March 2007 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery and is now available on DVD.

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

Venus (2007)

Posted on February 4, 2007 by Kent Film Office

Peter O Toole and Jodie Whittaker staring at each other in front of a painting of Venus

Peter O Toole and Jodie Whittaker in front of a painting of Venus © Buena Vista International Photo Credit Nicola Dove Eyebox

Writer: Hanif Kureishi

Director: Roger Michell

Starring: Peter O’Toole, Leslie Phillips, Beatrice Savoretti, Jodie Whittaker

Production Company: Miramax, FilmFour, UK Film Council, Free Range Films

Kent Filming Locations: Whitstable and The Old Neptune Pub

From the director of Notting Hill (Roger Mitchell), Venus marks the return of Peter O’Toole and Leslie Phillips (Maurice and Ian respectively) to the big screen and is the tale of two aging thespians who never quite hit the big time. When not working, they spend their days bickering until their lives are disrupted by Ian’s grand-niece Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) coming to stay.

Whilst she annoys Ian, Maurice is completely captivated by Jessie and proceeds to show her London’s sights. Spending time together, both learn valuable lessons from the other. Maurice soon realises that despite his age and experience he knows very little of the world and worldly wise Jessie learns the value of respect for herself and others.

A Kentish seaside town provided the location for Maurice’s last trip. After an accident, Maurice realises how frail he is and decides to return to his childhood haunts. Accompanied by Jessie, he is able to dip his toes one last time into the sea at Whitstable.

Landlord of The Old Neptune Pub Dixie Flynn said: ‘We had a great time when they filmed here last year – one of the locals was asked to sit in on one of the scenes. I expect all of us at the pub will go and see it and have a few more drinks. I heard Peter OToole on the radio saying he doesn’t care about an Oscar nomination, but he wants an Oscar. We all hope he gets it.’

The film has won numerous accolades and Peter O’Toole gained a “Best performance by an actor in a leading role” Oscar nomination for his role in the film. O’Toole and Leslie Philips were both nominated for Baftas, for Best Actor in a leading role and best actor in a supporting role respectively.

Whitstable is a seaside town near Canterbury, famous for its annual Oyster Festival as well as the delightful harbour, shingle beach, busy high street and strong arts and culture scene. Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip (2015) and Tipping the Velvet (2002) have previously chosen to film in Whitstable.

Venus was released in cinemas in 2007 and is now available to purchase on DVD.

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

Half Broken Things (2007)

Posted on February 4, 2007 by Kent Film Office

Penelope Wilton standing on the driveway at Boughton Monchelsea Place with grass and benches behind

Penelope Wilton standing on the driveway at Boughton Monchelsea Place © ITV

Production Company: Festival Film & Television, Festival Films, ITV

Kent Locations: Boughton Monchelsea Place, Herne Bay, Teston, Teston Bridge Country Park

Part of ITV’s autumn drama schedule Half Broken Things, starring Penelope Wilton (Calendar Girls, Doctor Who, Ever Increasing Circles), is a psychological thriller set against the idyllic backdrop of the Kent Weald.

The drama is an adaptation of the award winning novel of the same name by Morag Joss. Penelope Wilton plays Jean, a sixty-something house sitter, who is looking after Walden Manor. The house is full of mysteries and locked doors. When Jean isinformed that this will be her last job, she decides to defy all the rules and live the life she has always wanted.
Soon she is joined by Michael (Daniel Mays), a thief, and Steph (Sinnead Matthews), a pregnant girl on the run from her abusive boyfriend.

Over a blissful summer, these three live in an idyll that is soon to shattered when their past begins to catch up with them and events take a dangerous and sinister turn.

Filming with views over the Weald, swimming pool in the left hand corner

Filming with views over the Weald © ITV

Boughton Monchelsea Place exterior and garden

Boughton Monchelsea Place © Kent Film Office

The programme was shot on location throughout Kent, with the main location being Boughton Monchelsea Place, which doubled as Walden Manor. A stunning 16^th Century manor house, Boughton Monchelsea Place has an ancient deer park and has unrivalled views across the Kent Weald.

The house is no stranger to filming. In addition to the many fashion shoots that it has hosted, last year it played host to reality TV series Australian Princess which sees young Australians going through lessons in ‘royal deportment’, the winner being ‘crowned’ Princess. The house itself is not open to the public. However they are open for events, weddings and of course filming.

The programme also filmed on location in Teston village and Country Park as well as Herne Bay.

Herne Bay has a shingle beach, bandstand and seafront gardens as well as many shops and eateries, amusement arcades, and a windmill. Previous productions which have filmed in Herne Bay include Boomers (2014) and Big Bad World (2013).

Teston is a rural village on the outskirts of Maidstone and is home to Teston Bridge Country Park which has 32 acres of grazed meadow, river walks, a children’s play area and the picturesque 14th century Teston Bridge which was used for filming of feature film Dunkirk (1958).

The novel written by Morag Joss won a CWA Silver Dagger Award in 2003. She has recently completed her fifth novel Puccini’s Ghosts.

Half Broken Things was shown on ITV on Sunday 28th October 2007 at 21.00

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

The Golden Compass (2007)

Posted on February 4, 2007 by Kent Film Office

Nicole Kidman bending down with her hand underneath Dekota Blue Richards's chin. Both staring at each other.

Director: Chris Weitz

Writer: Philip Pullman (novel), Chris Weitz (screenplay)

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Ian McKellen

Production Company: New Line Cinema, Ingenious Film Partners, Scholastic Productions, Depth of Field

Kent Locations: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Adapted from the novel Northern Lights, first in Philip Pullmann’s best-selling His Dark Materials trilogy, The Golden Compass is about orphaned tomboy Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) lives with her uncle Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) in a world where people’s souls manifesrt as animal companions called daemons.

When Lyra’s friend, Roger, is kidnapped by Gobblers, she vows to rescue him. Help comes in the shape of an offer from the enigmatic Mrs Coulter (Nicole Kidman) and the priceless gift of an alethiometer, a golden compass. This device answers truthfully to any question it is asked, but first Lyra must learn how to decipher its mysterious symbols.

Behind the scenes image at The Historic Dockyard, Chatham- prop crates and barrels up against the building,

Behind the scenes image at The Historic Dockyard, Chatham with props barrels and crates

Dakota Blue Richards walking up a wooden ship plank towards the camera.

Daniel Craig staring at the camera in a suit with men sat around a table behind him

The sequence The Landing of Lyra and the Gyptians at the fictional Norwegian port of Trollesund was filmed at the Historic Dockyard Chatham . When Lyra first disembarks at the town of Trollesund, she did, in fact, step straight into the dockyard, where the Mast Houses and Mould Loft were dressed to look like the town’s harbour. CGI mountains were added to the background to create the illusion that the town has a fjord setting.

The meeting between Lyra and Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliot) was set in the impressive Slip 3, a great domed space built in 1838 which at the time of its construction was the largest timber structure in Europe.

Philip Pullman’s trilogy was first published in 1995 and won critical acclaim in the form of the coveted Carnegie Medal for Children’s fiction. The novels draw their inspiration from Milton’s Paradise Lost and like Harry Potter; have attracted their fair share of controversy.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham boasts a variety of buildings with period features ranging from Georgian to Victorian, right up to modern day and is becoming a popular film location and has been used by productions such as Sherlock Holmes (2009), Oliver Twist (2007) and Children of Men (2006).

The location is in the care of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, an independent charity whose task is to restore and preserve this important part of Britain’s national heritage.

The Golden Compass was released in cinemas in 2007 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

Exodus (2007)

Posted on February 4, 2007 by Kent Film Office

cast and crew talking in front of a graffiti wall

Writer/Director: Penny Woolcock

Starring: Bernard Hill, Ger Ryan, Daniel Percival, Clare-Hope Ashitey

Production Company: Artangel Media, Arts Council of England, Channel 4 Television Corporation

Kent Filming Locations: Margate and surrounding areas.

Produced and commissioned by Artangel in collaboration with Channel 4 and the Arts Council UK, EXODUS is a retelling of the Old Testament story of Moses’ search of the Promised Land in a contemporary setting. Filmed entirely in Thanet, the feature length drama is directed by Penny Woolcock, featuring artwork by Anthony Gormley (Angel of the North).

The film stars Bernard Hill (Lord of the Rings, Titanic) as the Pharaoh and Ger Ryan (Queer as Folk, Fat Friends) as his wife. Moses is played by Daniel Percival (Vital Signs) and Zipporah by Clare-Hope Ashitey (Children of Men). All other characters, as well as the supporting cast, were played by people from Margate and the Isle of Thanet who also assisted behind the scenes.

A highlight of the film is ‘Exodus Day’ which culminated in the burning of ‘Waste Man’ a 25 metre structure made of unwanted rubbish by artist Anthony Gormley. It also featured a performance at Margate’s Winter Gardens by local musicians, performing songs written exclusively for Exodus by artists like Rufus Wainwright, Laurie Anderson, The Tiger Lillies and Imogen Heap. The theme for he music were the ten Biblical plagues: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Death of ivestock, Boils, Hailstones, Locusts, Darkness and death of the first born

The entire project revolved around the involvement of the local community including students and staff from Margate Adult Education Centre. The students took on speaking roles and helped to make the props and sets for the film in their classes. Programme manager, Viv Smith, even abseiled Anthony Gormley’s Waste Man to help in its creation.

The crew of Exodus were delighted at the help they received and gave their thanks in the credits of the film for KAES, the students in the film and the tutors who help build the sets and worked on textiles.

Margate is a delightful seaside town with a sandy beach, harbour, arcades, and period housing. The area has been used for filming by projects including True Love (2012).

Exodus premiered at the 64th Venice Film Festival and will be screened in Cinemas and on Channel 4 on Monday 19th November 2007 at 10pm.

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

Pierrepoint (2006)

Posted on April 19, 2006 by Kent Film Office

The Last Hangman movieposter- Close up of a mans face looking scared, a rope noose to the right. Pierrepoint The Last Hang Man is written in yellow against a black background

Writer: Bob Mills, Jeff Pope

Director: Adrian Shergold

Cast: Timothy Spall, Juliet Stevenson, Eddie Marsan, James Cordon

Production Company: UK Film Council, National Lottery through UK Film Council, Granada Television, Capitol Films, Masterpiece Theatre

Kent Filming Locations: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Pierrepoint is a feature film inspired by true events and is the story of Britain’s most famous hangman, Albert Pierrepoint (Timothy Spall).

The film charts Pierrepoint’s meteoric rise to becoming Britain’s most famous hangman. Pierrepoint was present at the Nuremberg executions and the legendary hanging of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be given the death penalty in England.

Directed by Adrian Shergold (Persuasion, Dirty Filthy Love) and written by Bob Mills (Christmas Lights, Bob Martin) and Jeff Pope (Philomena). Starring Timothy Spall (Harry Potter Series, Sweeney Todd), Juliet Stevenson (Mona Lisa Smile, Bend it like Beckham), Eddie Marsan (Hancock, The Illusionist) and James Corden (The Wrong Mans, One Chance).

The Historic Dockyard Chatham was used to film a hanging scene and towards the end of the film, where Pierrepoint has to face an angry mob as public opinion towards capital punishment begins to change. One of the most popular filming locations in Kent, The Historic Dockyard Chatham has been used for Sherlock Holmes (2009), The Bank Job (2008) and The Golden Compass (2007).

Pierrepoint was released in cinemas in April 2006 and is now available to buy on DVD.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPHSw2X22Eg

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

Kent's Premier Film Commission