Gravesend

Big Boys Don’t Cry (2020)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
A sepia coloured image showing the movie poster for Big Boys Don’t Cry. A boy is sitting in a bath against a tiled wall.

Big Boys Don’t Cry (2020) Poster © IMDb / Screenbound International Pictures

Writer: Kal Bonner, Steve Crowhurst
Director: Steve Crowhurst
Starring: Michael Socha, Zoë Tapper, Rocci Williams, Paul Connolly
Production Company: Screenbound International Pictures
Kent Locations Used: Cliffe Woods, Deal, Higham and Gravesend

Paul Connolly (Michael Socha (Papillon (I)) recalls his harrowing childhood growing up in a children’s home following a police investigation into his boyhood friend’s suicide. As Paul struggles to build a relationship with Anthea (Zoë Tapper (Mr Selfridge (2013-2016)), he is forced to confront those responsible for his shattered childhood and the death of his friend.

Big Boys Don’t Cry (2020) is a biographical crime drama film produced by Kal Bonner (Howard Marks and the Lance of Destiny), Tim Bonner (Sweet Petunia), Sunita Mirchandani and Alex Scott (Much Ado About Nothing). The cast includes Michael Socha as Paul Connolly, Zoë Tapper as Anthea and Rocci Williams (Wrath of Man) as Lee. Director is Steve Crowhurst (SAS: Who Dares Wins) for Screenbound International Pictures.

Part of the production was filmed in Cliffe Woods, on some private farmland and in an alleyway off Battlesmere Road. Deal seafront and Mario’s Fish Bar features when Paul (Michael Socha) and Anthea (Zoë Tapper) go on a day out by the sea. Hive Lane in Gravesend features in a brief night scene, doubling for London, and Gravesend Road in Higham briefly features in a scene where Paul calls Malkie (David Spinx) from a phone box.

Cliffe is a small village located on the Hoo Peninsula and has close links to the larger Medway area.

Deal is a popular seaside town with a perfect mix of historical and modern spots, from the Tudor artillery castle and fascinating smuggling history to the modern, stylish cafes, bars, restaurants and shops and the beautiful pier stretching out onto the east coast. This coastal hotspot has been seen in TV dramas such as Liar (2017-2020) and Baptiste (2019).

Gravesend continues to prove popular with its maritime links and its diverse communities which offer visitors a blend of culture and history all in one place. It has the beautiful Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara Sikh temple, Borough Market, the Woodville Theatre and the oldest remaining cast-iron pier in the world. The town has featured in Black Mirror (Season 5 – Smithereens (2019) and Top Boy (2019-2022).

Big Boys Don’t Cry will be debuting at a special charity screening at Everyman cinema Chelmsford on Monday 5th September 2022, and will be available to stream on Netflix soon afterwards.

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

Top Boy (2019-2022)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Kane Robinson as Sully and Ashley Walters as Dushane stand in front of the River Thames looking off into the distance. Both are wearing dark-coloured baggy hoodies.

Kane Robinson and Ashley Walters in Top Boy Season 1 © Netflix

Writer: Ronan Bennett
Starring: Ashley Walters,Kane Robinson, Micheal Ward, Shone Romulus
Production Company: Cowboy Films, DreamCrew, Easter Partisan, SpringHill Entertainment
Kent Locations Used: Margate, Ramsgate, Gravesend, The Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre in Chatham

Top Boy (2019-2022) is a British drama series revolving around the life of Dushane (Ashley Walters (Figures of Speech, Bulletproof)), the leader of an underground drug operation, his friend Sully (Kane Robinson (Tower Block, Point Blank)), troubled teen Jamie (Michael Ward (The A List, Small Axe (2020)) and their aim to become the richest men in town.

Axed by Channel 4 in 2013 after two series, the show soon found a new home on Netflix and the new Series  was produced by rapper Drake, a long-time fan of the show.

Season One follows the story of Dushane as he travels to Jamaica where he makes a deal with Sugar (Gilbert Chen), an imprisoned drug lord. When Dushane returns to the UK, he connects with some of his crew selling drugs in Ramsgate and tries to regain control. Back on Summerhouse estate, Dushane once again rises to Top Boy status despite resistance from the new crew in London Fields that is headed by teenager Jamie. Season Two continues to explore the rival dynamics between the two gangs.

Season One was written by Ronan Bennett (Gunpowder, Hidden) and Daniel West (Gunpowder) and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard, Monsters and Men), Brady Hood (Endeavour, The One) and Aneil Karia (Lovesick, Pure), with Episode 4 directed by the critically-acclaimed Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels).

Season Two sees the return of Ronan Bennett as writer, and introduces new cast members including Josephine De La Baume (Road Games (2016), Mr Selfridge (2013-2016)) as Delphine, Sully’s new love interest, Howard Charles (Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022), Liar (2017-2020) as Curtis, Lauryn’s abusive boyfriend, Erin Kellyman (The Green Knight, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) as Pebbles, and rap and grime artist ‘NoLay’ who returns to her role as Sully’s ex-girlfriend Mandy.

In Season One, filming took place in Margate at Walpole Bay and Fulsam Rock Beach and nearby streets including Athelstan Road. Production also visited Ramsgate, where they filmed at Jacob’s Ladder, outside the Rose of England pub on the High Street and Ramsgate Train Station. In addition, Gordon Place in Gravesend played the role of the fictional ‘Summerhouse Estate’ in London.

In Season Two Episode 5, The Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre in Chatham features in a scene where Lauryn (Saffron Hocking) flees from her abusive boyfriend in a Liverpool shopping mall. Chatham is a historic town situated in Medway, North Kent, and is known for its historic dockyard, army barracks and high street. A recent production to film in Chatham is Great British Railway Journeys Series 11 (2020).

Margate, in the district of Thanet, is a popular film location and has been used as in various productions such as in feature films King of Thieves (2018) and King Lear (2018). Ramsgate is also a popular location in Thanet and has featured in several productions such as Baptise (2019), Hurricane (2018) and The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016).

Gravesend is on the southern bank of the River Thames and boasts a cast iron pier, promenade and high street as well as international rail links at the nearby Ebbsfleet International station. The Gravesend area has previously welcomed film productions such as Killing Eve (2018-2022), The Escape (2018), and Doctor Strange (2016).

Top Boy Season Two was made available to stream on Netflix on Friday 18th March 2022.

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

Killing Eve Series 1 & 4 (2018-2022)

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Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri and Jodie Comer as Villanelle. The two stand among bushes, framed by lit white candles. Eve wears an off-the-shoulder navy blue dress and Villanelle wears a long-sleeve white flowy dress.

Killing Eve (2022) © BBC America

Writer: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emerald Fennell, Laura Neal
Starring: Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, Fiona Shaw, Kim Bodnia
Production Company: Sid Gentle Films for (BBC America)
Kent Locations Used: Nells Café in Gravesend, Margate Beach, Margate Harbour Arm, Dreamland, Nayland Rock Hotel, the Lido Complex, Sands Café and various streets in Margate.

Killing Eve (2018 – 2022) is an intense spy thriller, based on the Codename Villanelle novellas by Luke Jennings, in which MI6 intelligence investigator Eve (Sandra Oh) and psychopathic assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer) go head to head in a game of cat and mouse.

Killing Eve is back again for its fourth and final series with screenwriter Laura Neal (Sex Education (2021)) joining the team. Series 4 picks up with titular character Eve Polastri on the run from shadowy crime organisation The Twelve.

Written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, No Time to Die), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman, Saltburn), and Laura Neal (Sex Education (2021), My Mad Fat Diary), stars Jodie Comer (Doctor Foster, Free Guy) as Villanelle, the fearsome female assassin, Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy, Sideways) as Eve Polastri, the MI6 agent hunting her down, Fiona Shaw (The Avengers, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) as Carolyn Martens, head of MI6’s Russia division and Kim Bodnia (Pusher, The Bridge) as Konstantin, Villanelle’s handler.

For the opening scene of Series 1, Episode 5, production visited the M2 motorway in Medway and Nell’s Café, a popular roadside truck stop off the A2 near Gravesend. In the scene, Eve (Sandra Oh) and Elena (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) question Frank (Darren Boyd) about his connections to Villanelle and the criminal organisation she works for.

Gravesend is situated on the southern bank of the River Thames and boasts a cast iron pier, promenade and high street as well as international rail links at the nearby Ebbsfleet International station. The Gravesend area has previously welcomed film productions such as The Escape (2018), Bull (2021), and the popular Netflix anthology series Black Mirror (2019), which used several locations across Gravesend for the hostage sequences in Series 5, Smithereens. BBC’s crime drama The Interceptor (2015) also filmed at Nell’s Café.

In 2021, production visited various locations across Margate for Episodes 4 to 7 of Series 4, including local attractions and businesses Dreamland, the Lido Complex, The Nayland Rock Hotel and Market Square. Filming also took place on the sea defence steps of Margate Beach, Margate Harbour Arm, the Nayland Rock Shelter, Sands Café and Newgate Lower Promenade.

Street filming featured some of the many different aspects of Margate, maximising the town’s rich architectural history from the Edwardian Nayland Rock Shelter, the Georgian Royal Crescent Promenade to the quirky, modern vibe of Market Street, Duke Street and Broad Street with their narrow streets and boutique shops. In contrast, All Saints Avenue gives a city feel, running alongside Arlington House with its brutalist architecture. Recent productions to film in Margate include Whitstable Pearl (2021-2022), Pandemonium (2020) and Netflix’s crime drama Top Boy (2019-2022).

Considered to be the oldest surviving amusement park in Great Britain, Dreamland dates back to the early 1870s and was revamped in 2017. The Park has a Retro Roller Room, vintage arcades, a fully restored Grade II listed Art Deco Ballroom and beautiful rides dating from 1920 to present day. Dreamland has previously welcomed productions including Two Weeks to Live (2020), Jellyfish (2018), and the Only Fools and Horses 1989 Christmas Special The Jolly Boys’ Outing.

Built in 1885, the Nayland Rock Hotel is situated on Margate beach, with stunning panoramic views of the English Channel, and only a walking distance away from Margate’s top attractions. Joe Penhall’s King of Thieves (2018) starring Michael Cain and Michael Gambon features the Hotel in a scene where the aforementioned actors have lunch together.

Killing Eve first aired on BBC One on Saturday 15th September 2018, and Series 1-4 are available to stream on iPlayer.

Series 4 of Killing Eve was made available on BBC iPlayer on Monday 28th February 2022.

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

Bull (2021)

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Neil Maskell as Bull, holds his 11-year-old son Aiden, played by Henri Charles. In the background is a fence and bushes. The two are smiling at something off-screen. Neil has brown hair, a beard and moustache and wears a purple and navy-blue striped polo shirt. Aiden wears an oversized blue hoody and has brown hair.

Bull (2021) © Signature Entertainment

Writer: Paul Andrew Williams
Director: Paul Andrew Williams
Starring: Neil Maskell, David Hayman, Tamzin Outhwaite
Production Company: Giant Productions, Tea Shop Productions, Signature Films, Signature Entertainment, Particular Crowd
Kent Locations Used: Dartford, Dartford Working Men’s Club, Holy Trinity Church, Temple Hill, Forge Farm Meats in Tunbridge Wells, Gravesend

Bull (2021) depicts the story of ex-gang member Bull, who, after mysteriously disappearing 10 years ago, has now returned to his old hunting ground with only one thing on his mind: Revenge. Embarking on a search for his missing son, Bull will stop at nothing to ensure that those who double-crossed him pay for their sins. A brutal and suspenseful revenge thriller, at its core, Bull (2021) is the story of a father’s eternal love for his son.

Written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams (London to Brighton), Bull (2021) stars Neil Maskell (Kill List, Happy New Year, Colin Burstead) as the titular character Bull, David Hayman (Fisherman’s Friends, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) as Norm, and Tamzin Outhwaite of Eastenders-fame as Sharon.

The production visited several locations across Kent for their shoot. The Temple Hill housing estate in Dartford appears throughout the film, as the location of Gemma’s (Lois Brabin-Platt) house and Dave’s (Jay Simpson) flat. Dartford Working Men’s Club also features as the pub where Norm (David Hayman) warns Bull (Neil Maskell) to stay away from Gemma. Holy Trinity Church in Dartford features at the end of the film, as Bull carries a teenage Aiden (Matthew Castle) into the church for salvation. Various roads in Dartford also appear, including an M25 underpass which features as the homeless camp Bull finds Aiden living in.

A private house in Gravesend doubles as the home of Bull’s mother Marge (Elizabeth Counsell). Forge Farm Meats in Tunbridge Wells appears as an abattoir, where Bull and Norm torture the owner.

Located on the border of Kent, Dartford is a historic market town which boasts one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. Perhaps best known for the Dartford Crossing and Bluewater Shopping Centre, Dartford’s combination of industrial and historical landscapes makes for a popular filming location. Previous productions that have filmed in Dartford include the SKY series Gangs of London (2020-2022), and The Escape (2018).

Set in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Tunbridge Wells is a historic spa town that offers a mix of independent shops and restaurants set alongside the colonnaded Pantiles and the picturesque High Street.  The area is renowned for its historic houses and gardens and has been a place of interest for over 400 years. Previous productions to shoot in Tunbridge Wells include the BBC sitcom The Cleaner (2021), Rupert, Rupert & Rupert (2019), and series 3 of Britannia (2021).

The maritime town of Gravesend is a popular filming location, due to its picturesque setting and rich history, including an unspoilt promenade, high street and two shopping centres. Other productions that have filmed here include the BBC TV spy thriller Killing Eve (2018-2022), which featured Nell’s Café in the first Series and the popular Netflix anthology TV series Black Mirror (2018), which used several locations across Gravesend for the hostage sequences in Series 5, Smithereens.

Bull was released in UK cinemas on Friday 5th November 2021.

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

Temple Series 2 (2021)

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Mark Strong as Daniel Milton stands at the top of an escalator coming from underground. He is bald, and wears a blue suit, with white shirt and a black tie. Behind him are some historic London buildings and skyscrapers, as well as several people in red prison jumpsuits being arrested by police officers in high-visibility vests. One man stands atop an orange car holding a purple smoke bomb in the air and screaming. Hanging from one building is a hand-written white sign reading ‘Save Our Planet’. Two women are looking off into the distance on either side of the frame; on the left side is a woman with ginger hair cut into a bob who wears a white shirt, black trousers, and a long black and white checked coat, on the right side is woman with brown hair pulled into a low bun, who wears a long buttoned-up black trench coat.

Temple Series 2 (2021) © Sky UK Ltd

Writer:  Mark O’Rowe
Director: Christopher Smith
Starring: Mark Strong, Daniel Mays, Carice Van Houten, Rhys Ifans
Production Company: Hera Pictures
Kent Locations Used: Nells Café in Gravesend

Temple (2021) is a British television show based on a Norwegian series about a surgeon who sets up an illegal medical research facility underneath Temple Tube Station to find a cure for his dying wife.

The series was created by Mark O’Rowe (Boy A, Intermission) and Series 2 is directed by Christopher Smith (Alex Rider, Curfew) with actor Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Shazam!) playing the lead Daniel Milton. Series 1 also co-starred BAFTA nominated actor Daniel Mays (Line of Duty, Des), Emmy nominated Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones, Black Book), Catherine McCormack (Braveheart, 28 Weeks Later) and Tobi King Bakare (Cursed, I May Destroy You) who are all set to reprise their roles for Series 2.

Amongst the new arrivals are dubious and deeply unpredictable underworld fixer Gubby, played by BAFTA-winner Rhys Ifans (Alice Through the Looking Glass, Berlin Station) and his poetic but frequently inebriated medical assistant, Dermot, played by Michael Smiley (Bloodlands, Luther).

A night-time sequence from Series 2 Episode 6 was filmed at the popular Nell’s Café in Gravesend. Production also filmed some driving sequences on various roads around Luddesdown in Gravesham, but we think these didn’t make the final cut.

Nell’s Café is situated along the A2 in Gravesend and previously hosted Killing Eve (2018-2022) and In the Long Run-Series 2 (2019).

Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent on the south bank of the Thames with a promenade, high street and two shopping centres. The Town’s Pier is the oldest remaining cast-iron pier in the world. Previous productions to film at Gravesend includes Black Mirror Series 5: Smithereens (2018) and Top Boy Series 3 (2019).

Series 2 of Temple aired on Sky Max and NOW TV on Thursday 28th October 2021 at 9pm and the entire series became available as a box set on release.

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

Long Lost Family (2020)

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Close up of presenter Davina McCall looking into the camera wearing a black jumper

Lost Lost Family Born Without Trace- Davina McCall- © ITV

Starring: Davina McCall, Nicky Campbell
Production Company: ITV Studios
Kent Locations Used: Gravesend, Maidstone, Dartford

Long Lost Family (2011-) returns for another series. The team combine detective work alongside the latest DNA technology to help four contributors uncover their real identities and work out where they came from.

In these two special episodes we see the incredible stories of a man who was left in a car on the outskirts of Belfast, a woman left in a telephone box in Dundalk, another woman found in a public toilet in Warminster and lastly, a man found outside a railway tavern in Greenhithe.

The show is presented by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, who continue to work together to bring solace to many families across the UK.

Production visited a contributor’s house in Gravesend, along with various streets in Maidstone and Dartford.

Gravesend is a town on the south bank of the Thames. The Towns Pier is the oldest remaining cast-iron pier in the world, with an unspoilt promenade, high street and two shopping centres. Top Boy Series 3 (2019) and Great British Railway Journeys – Series 10 (2019) have both filmed here in the past.

The town of Maidstone has many shops, restaurants, bars, churches and a museum. The River Medway runs though the town centre, linking it with other towns such as Rochester and Chatham. Productions to have filmed in Maidstone include Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes – Series 3 (2020) and The Split Series 2 (2020).

Dartford is a historic market town with a rich industrial heritage and boasts one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. Recent productions to film here include Gangs of London (2020) and The Corrupted (2019).

Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace will air on Monday 1st June and Tuesday 2nd June at 9pm on ITV.

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

In the Long Run – Series 2 (2019)

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In the Long Run Series 2 Poster featuring various cast members on a yellow, orange and green patterned background. In The Long Run 2 created by Idris Elba written to the right.

In the Long Run Series 2 Poster © Sky UK Limited

Creator: Idris Elba
Director: Sandy Johnson
Writers: Idris Elba, Danielle Ward, Shivani Vijayapalan, Grace Ofori-Attah, Ben Tagoe, Fraser Ayres
Starring: Idris Elba, Bill Bailey, Neil D’Souza, Madeline Appiah, Jimmy Akingbola
Production Companies: Green Door Pictures, Sprout Pictures
Kent Locations Used: Nell’s Café Gravesend

In the Long Run (2017-) is a series created by and starring Idris Elba. The comedy is semi-autobiographical about the actor’s childhood in London during the 80’s. The second series starts as Walter (Idris Elba) is elected union representative at his workplace. When their jobs are threatened, Walter’s friends and colleagues, Bagpipes (Bill Bailey) and Rajesh (Neil D’Souza), plan to go on strike. Meanwhile, Agnes (Madeline Appiah) is looking to start a new career at the local council.

The series stars Idris Elba (Thor Ragnarok, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), Bill Bailey (Hot Fuzz, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy), Neil D’Souza (Humans, EastEnders), Madeline Appiah (Partners in Crime, Hamlet) and Jimmy Akingbola (Spectral, Arrow).

Series 2 is directed by Sandy Johnson (Johnathan Creek, Benidorm). Episode writing credits include Danielle Ward (Danger Mouse, Mongrels), Shivani Vijayapalan, Grace Ofori-Attah (Urban Myths), Ben Tagoe (Jamie Johnson, Coronation Street) and Fraser Ayres (Holby City, Coronation Street).

During filming production visited Nell’s Café in Gravesend where Bagpipes and Valentine (Jimmy Akingbola) stop for a cuppa on the road on their way to Southend.

Nell’s Café is located just off the A2 and M2 motorway at Marling Cross, Gravesend. It is a popular, long running family owned café and has previously featured in Babylon (2014), Age of Heroes (2011), The Interceptor (2015) and the BAFTA & Emmy award winning crime drama Killing Eve (2018). Gravesend is on the southern bank of the River Thames and boasts a cast iron pier, promenade and high street as well as international rail links at the nearby Ebbsfleet International Station.

In the Long Run Series 2 aired from Saturday 26th October 2019 on Sky One.

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

Great British Railway Journeys – Series 10 (2019)

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Image of presenter Michael Portillo at one of Britain's railway stations wearing a blue jumper and pink blazor. Tracks and the station can be seen in the background.

Great British Railway Journeys ©BBC

Starring: Michael Portillo
Production Company: Fremantle Media Ltd.
Kent Locations Used: Gravesend, Dartford and Folkestone

BBC documentary series Great British Railway Journeys (2010-) which first premiered on BBC Two in 2010, returns for its tenth series. Presenter Michael Portillo (Great Continental Railway Journeys) travels around the railway networks of Great Britain. He does this whilst referring to an 1840’s copy of Bradshaw’s Guide, comparing how various destinations have transformed since Victorian times.

For the new series, production filmed at railways in various Kent locations, such as Gravesend, Dartford and Folkestone.

Situated in North West Kent is the town of Gravesend  which has exceptional transport links up to London, a cast iron pier, promenade and high street. Gravesend has previously hosted productions including Great British Railway Journeys (2014), The Hospice (2018) and Children in Need – The Rickshaw Challenge (2015).

Dartford is a historic town situated close to London and home to one of Europe’s largest shopping centres. Previous productions which filmed here include Who Do You Think You Are? (2014).

Folkestone is a port town on the English Channel in Kent, with an elegant Victorian clifftop promenade, a creative quarter, gardens, a coastal park, and fishing Harbour. It has also been used as a popular filming location for productions such as Danny Boyle: Pages of the Sea (2018), The Channel: The World’s Busiest Waterway (2017), and Coast v Country (2017).

The new series of Great British Railway Journeys began airing on Monday 4th February 2019 at 6.30pm on BBC Two, and the Kent episode then aired on Wednesday 13th February 2019.

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

Tulip Fever (2018)

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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. 

The Escape (2018)

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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.