feature film

Jellyfish (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Jellyfish Poster- A woman riding a bike in a coat along the seafront at night is at the bottom of the poster with the jellyfish text at the top.

Jellyfish (2019) © Jellyfish Feature Film LTD

Writers: James Gardner, Simon Lord
Director: James Gardner
Starring: Liv Hill, Sinead Matthews, Cyril Nri
Production Company: Nik Holttum Productions
Kent Locations Used: Margate, Thanet

Jellyfish (2019) is a drama about a teenage carer discovering an unlikely talent for stand-up comedy. Fifteen-year-old Sarah Taylor (Liv Hill) struggles to care for twin siblings and a bed-ridden, manic depressive mother (Sinead Matthews) as well as bullying from her school peers. Jellyfish tells the story of how stand-up comedy becomes an unlikely outlet for Sarah’s frustration and quick-tempered wit.

Jellyfish is a feature film directed by James Gardner, who co-wrote the piece with film producer Simon Lord. Gardner has won six awards for Jellyfish, including three for Best Film, and is known for directing other works such as Barry Glitter and Ferris and the Fancy Pigeon, for which he won the Royal Television Society (RTS) Award for Best Post-Graduate Drama. Simon Lord has worked with Gardner on previous projects including Barry Glitter, and wrote the screenplay for the 2020 film Above The Clouds.

Jellyfish, starring Liv Hill (The Little Stranger, Three Girls), Sinead Matthews (Pride & Prejudice (2005), The Boat That Rocked) and Cyril Nri (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, This Life) premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in April 2018 and had its International premiere shortly after at Edinburgh International Film Festival, where it won the Michael Powell Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film.

Liv Hill stands on a deserted beach wearing a coat looking out at the pink sunset over the low tide.

Liv Hill in Jellyfish © Jellyfish Feature Film LTD 2017

Mostly filmed in Margate, a seaside town in Thanet in Kent, production shot on the seafront, Margate train station, Dreamland and Cedar Close as Sarah’s home and the Theatre Royal. The film also features landmarks such as The Lido, Arlington House and the Main Sands as its backdrop. Margate offers amusement, culture and luxury, and is part of the district of Thanet, a popular film location. Recent productions to film in Margate include Above The Clouds (2020) and Top Boy – Series 3 (2019).

Jellyfish was released on Friday 15th February 2019 in UK cinemas and is available to watch on Amazon Prime.

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

Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Margot Robbie in Mary Queen of Scots seen standing in the dark in a long grey dress, with a maid at each side dressed in the same grey colour.

Margot Robbie in Mary Queen of Scots ©Universal Pictures

Writer: Beau Willimon
Director: Josie Rourke
Starring: Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie
Production Company: Universal Pictures International
Kent Locations Used: Penshurst Place

Historical drama Mary Queen of Scots is based on John Guy’s book ‘Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart’ and tells the story of Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan), Queen of France, who becomes widowed at 18, defies pressures to remarry and instead, returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her throne. However, when Mary’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England (Margot Robbie), fails, she is condemned to years of imprisonment before finally facing execution.

The film was directed by Josie Rourke and written by Beau Willimon and  stars Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Brooklyn) and Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street, The Legend of Tarzan).

Filming took place at Penshurst Place in Sevenoaks, with lead actress Saoirse Ronan featuring in scenes set in the Baron’s Hall and the Inner Courtyard. The medieval Baron’s Hall also features at the start of the official trailer as a backdrop for Mary’s execution. The solemn procession of spectators waiting to witness Queen Mary’s execution was staged in the Inner Courtyard.

Penshurst Place is a 14th Century Manor House with preserved interiors, including the unique medieval Baron’s Hall as well as eleven acres of Elizabethan walled gardens. Previous productions using this location were The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (2016), Wolf Hall (2015), and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).

Mary Queen of Scots will be released in UK Cinemas on Friday 18th January 2019.

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

The Favourite (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in The Favourite. Side view of Olivia wearing a cloak and crown staring into the distance.

Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in The Favourite ©Fox Searchlight

Writer: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz
Production Company: Element Pictures, Scarlet Films, Film4, Waypoint Entertainment
Kent locations Used: Knole

The Favourite (2019) had its world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival in August 2018 where it won two awards. The film is a historical comedy-drama and is set in early 18th Century England. The story follows the life of dysfunctional monarch, Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) and Anne’s close friend and lover, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), who effectively rules the country. However, her efforts to control Anne are undermined when Sarah’s impoverished younger cousin Abigail (Emma Stone) comes to work for Anne as a maid and the two women vie for Queen Anne’s favour.

Emma Stone as Abigail in The Favourite. Emma laying on a bed in a large black and white dress staring at the camera with a fire on in the background.

Emma Stone as Abigail in The Favourite ©Fox Searchlight

The film was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) and written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara. Starring are Olivia Colman  (The Crown), Emma Stone (La La land), Rachel Weisz, and Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road).

Knole Park was used as the exterior of Westminster Place in a carriage scene that sees our protagonists abused by the peasantry. Sadly, we think this scene may have ended up on the cutting room floor, but do let us know if you spotted it!

Knole in Sevenoaks is the last medieval deer park in Kent surrounding a 600-year-old estate which has previously doubled for The Palace of Westminster during Tudor Times. Other features that filmed at Knole included The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), Burke and Hare (2010) and Sherlock Holmes – A Game of Shadows (2011).

The Favourite was be released in UK cinemas on Tuesday 1st January 2019.

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

Holmes & Watson (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Movie poster of Holmes and Watson (Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly). Both staring into the camera in front of a horse wearing period suits. John is wearing a hat.

Sherlock Holmes (Will Ferrell) and Watson (John C. Reilly) ©Columbia Pictures

Writer:​ ​Etan Cohen​
Director: ​Etan Cohen
Starring: ​Will Ferrell​, ​John C. Reilly​, Ralph Fiennes
Production Company​: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Gary Sanchez Productions, Mosaic Media Group, Mimran Schur Pictures
Kent Locations Used​: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

Holmes & Watson (2018) is a comedic revision of ​Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s​ classic mysteries and his famed literary characters, detective Sherlock Holmes (Will Ferrell​) and his sidekick, Dr John Watson (John C. Reilly​). The pair join forces to investigate a murder at Buckingham Palace and learn that they have just four days to stop their arch enemy, Professor Moriarty (​Ralph Fiennes)​, or the queen will become his next victim.

The film was written and directed by Etan Cohen (Men in Black 3, Tropic Thunder), and stars Will Ferrell​ (Anchorma​n,​ Zoolander​), ​John C. Reilly​ (​Step Brothers​, ​Guardians of the Galaxy) and ​Ralph Fiennes​ (​The Grand Budapest Hotel​, ​Schindler’s List).

Holmes & Watson​ features several locations around ​The Historic Dockyard Chatham​. The interior of the Tarred Yarn Store was transformed into a bar tavern, the interior of the Ropery played the role of a Boxing Club, while the streets around the Ropery and Anchor Wharf stood in as London streets and docks. Some external scenes were also filmed around Officers Terrace.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham​ has been used in an array of productions such as Mr. Holmes (2015), Partners in Crime (2015), and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (2014).

Holmes & Watson​ will be released in UK cinemas on Wednesday 26​th​ December 2018.

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

Tulip Fever (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Fever poster- A women in a period dress stares out the window. The word Fever is written on top of the image.

Tulip Fever (C) Worldview Entertainment

Writer: Deborah Moggach (Novel), Sir Tom Stoppard
Director: Justin Chadwick
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Cara Delevingne, Jack O’Connell, Christoph Waltz, Dane DeHaan, Zach Galifianakis, Judi Dench, Holliday Grainger, Matthew Morrison
Kent Locations Used: Cobham Hall

Tulip Fever (2018) is a film adaptation of Deborah Moggach’s romantic novel of the same name, set during tulip mania in early 17th century Amsterdam. The story focuses on artist Jan Van Loos (Dane DeHaan) who falls in love with Sophia (Alicia Vikander), a married young woman when he is commissioned to paint her portrait.

The film is directed by Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), The First Grader) with Sir Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love, Enigma) adapting the novel for the big screen.

The film stars a wealth of talent including Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Danish Girl), Cara Delevingne (Anna Karenina, Paper Towns), Jack O’Connell (Money Monster, Skins), Christoph Waltz (Spectre, Django Unchained) Dane DeHaan (Chronicle, Lawless), Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover, Birdman), Judi Dench (Skyfall, Philomena), Holliday Grainger (Cinderella, Jane Eyre) and Matthew Morrison (Glee, Music and Lyrics).

The production filmed in Kent at Cobham Hall between April and July of 2014 where they transformed a wing at the school into a 17th century Amsterdam Gracht. The production constructed the waterway from scratch, complete with barges and donkeys crossing humpback bridges. The school’s courtyard was also used as the brewery yard in the story.

Cobham Hall is a private boarding school near to Gravesend located in 150 acres of Grade II listed parkland. Inside is a stunning ball room, library, cobbled courtyards, formal gardens, classrooms as well as sports facilities, including a swimming pool. Cobham Hall is a popular filming location with productions such as Hetty Feather (2015-2020), The Great Fire (2014) and Wild Child (2008) having previously filmed here.

Tulip Fever also features in the Kent Film Office Tudor(ish) Trail which celebrates Kent’s Tudor history and film connections.

Tulip Fever is released in cinemas on Friday 7th December 2018 and is available on DVD.

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

Juliet, Naked (2018)

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Two actors greeting one another on the beach, actress Rose Byrne is smiling at them in the middle carrying a blanket.

Juliet, Naked 2018 ©IMDb

Writer: Evgenia Peretz, Jim Taylor and Tamara Jenkins
Director: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Jimmy O. Yang
Production Company: Apatow Productions, Bona Fide Productions, Ingenious Media
Kent Locations Used: Home Farm, Ramsgate, and Broadstairs

Juliet, Naked (2018), starring Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne and Chris O’Dowd, is a warm, smart and funny adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel of the same name and features an obsessive rock fan, his long-standing girlfriend and the mysterious rocker he idolises.

Starring Rose Byrne (Bad Neighbours 1 & 2, Peter Rabbit) as Annie, Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Before Sunrise) as rock star Tucker Crowe and Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids, Moone Boy) as Duncan.

Home Farm in Swale was previously used in André Øvredals The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2017). Filming for Juliet, Naked at the American-style Home Farm took place in 2015 where the house and grounds were used.

Filming also took place in Ramsgate, which is a popular filming area and has been used in several films and TV series such as Hard Sun (2018) and The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016). Further scenes were also filmed on Viking Bay beach in Broadstairs, which recently featured in feature films Hurricane (2018) and The Lady in The Van (2015).

Juliet, Naked is due to be released in the UK in cinemas on 2nd November 2018.

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

King of Thieves (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office

 

King of Thieves Movie Poster with pink background and main actors faces in the shape of a diamond.

King of Thieves Movie Poster ©IMDb

 

Writer: Joe Penhall

Director: James Marsh

Starring: Michael Caine, Michael Gambon, Tom Courtenay

Production Company: Working Title Films

Kent Locations Used: The Harbour Arm, Turner Contemporary, Wig and Pen Pub, Nayland Rock Hotel, Margate train station, and Dover

Feature film King of Thieves is based on the infamous Hatton Garden Robbery, in which a crew of retired crooks pull off a major heist in London’s jewelry district. The thieves, most of them in their 60s and 70s, employ their old-school tricks of the trade to plan the heist over the Easter holiday weekend of 2015. After taking over £200 million worth of jewels, arguments erupt in the group as the police start to move in on the group.

Starring Michael Cain (The Dark Knight, the quiet American, The Prestige) as widower Brian Reader, Michael Gambon  (The Kings speech, Harry Potter) as Billy ‘The Fish’ Lincoln. Tom Courtenay (45 years, Nicholas Nickleby) as John Kenny Collins.

A short scene was filmed at the footbridge that leads to Shakespeare’s Beach in Aycliffe, Dover, but the main bulk of the scenes were filmed in and around Margate, including scenes at the Wig and Pen Pub, the Nayland Rock Hotel, Harbour Arm in Margate, outside the Turner Contemporary, and a scene at Margate Train Station.

Margate is a popular film location for films and has recently featured in film productions such as King Lear (2018), The Carer (2016) and True Love (2012).

Dover, where production filmed a small scene, is the site of the famous white cliffs of Dover and has been used in films such as Sherlock Holmes (2011).

The film will be released in cinemas on Friday 14th September 2018.

 

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

Hurricane (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Official Hurricane Movie Poster- Crashed plane at the bottom of the poster, three main characters at the centre of the poster in period clothing, planes and london skyline in background. Hurricane reads in the centre

Official Hurricane Movie Poster ©IMDb

 

Writers: Robert Ryan and Alastair Galbraith

Director: David Blair

Starring: Iwan Rheon, Milo Gibson, Stefanie Martini

Production Company: Head Gear Films

Kent Locations Used: Victoria Gardens & Stone Bay, Thanet

Hurricane is the story of Squadron 303, a group of courageous Polish soldiers who fought with British troops in the skies to defend England in WWII. The story is told through the eyes of Polish flying ace Jan Zumbach (Iwan Rheon), whose hope it is, that Britain can defeat the Nazis and free his own country.

Starring Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones, Our Girl) as Jan Zumbach, Milo Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge, Gangster Land) as John Kent and Stefanie Martini (Prime Suspect, Endeavour) as Phyllis Lambert.

Victoria Gardens was used in one of the scenes scene with a bus where Josef Frantisek (Krystof Hádek) meets Jan Zumbach (Iwan Rheon) and Ziggy (Matt Malecki). Victoria Gardens, Broadstairs is situated in Thanet which is home to some of the most beautiful Georgian, Victorian and Regency buildings. Broadstairs has a is a sandy beach with sea-carved chalk cliffs with the scenery being used in the film when a character parachutes onto the beach from a war plane.

There was also a beach scene at Stone Bay, Broadstairs, where Jan Zumbach (Iwan Rheon) is seen walking off a beach (this follows him stealing a plane in France to fly to England).

Broadstairs is situated in Thanet which is home to many beautiful Georgian, Victorian and Regency buildings. The area is a popular location for a variety of films and TV series including Liar (2017), The Lady in the Van (2015), The Calling (2009,  Mr Selfridge Series 4 (2016).

The film is due to be released in the UK on 7th September 2018.

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. 

The Escape (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Gemma Arterton staring at the camera with a plain brown background behind her,

Gemma Arterton in the escape (2017) © Improvised Films LTD

 

Writer: Dominic Savage

Director: Dominic Savage

Starring: Gemma Arterton, Dominic Cooper

Production Company: Shoebox Films, Lorton Entertainment

Kent Locations Used: Dartford, Gravesham

The film The Escape follows the story of a young woman (Gemma Arterton) at a crossroads in her life, as she struggles to chase her dreams alongside her responsibilities as a mother and a wife. She decides on a change and heads off to Paris to find herself.

Director, writer, Dominic Savage, has previously worked on BBC films Born Equal and Freefall. Gemma Arterton has starred in high-profile films such as Hansel & Gretel: Witch-Hunters and Clash of the Titans. Dominic Cooper has been credited in Captain America: The First Avenger and Mamma Mia! .

Scenes were filmed in and around the Gravesend area, including Northfleet Nursery which was used as Tara’s son’s day centre. Imperial Business Park also features, as Tara’s local place for shopping.

Production also filmed in and around Dartford, at a property in Caspian Way which features as the family’s home. Crayland Primary School features as Tara’s daughter’s school and the park off of Broomfield Road is visited by the whole family at the weekend.  As well as filming at a nearby kids’ playground in Swanscombe, and Ebbsfleet International Station, where Tara (Gemma Arterton) watches the trains on one occasion and later leaves for Paris.

The Escape was released in the UK on Friday 3rd August 2018.

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