Jim Broadbent

King Lear (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office

 

Portrait shot of character King Lear sitting on a chair with his three daughters by his side in the palace. Background is black and white chequered floor with black wall panels.

King Lear and his three daughters ©BBC

 

Director: Richard Eyre

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Emily Watson, Florence Pugh, Jim Broadbent, Andrew Scott, John Macmillan, Jim Carter, Christopher Eccleston, Tobias Menzies, Anthony Calf and Karl Johnson

Production Company: Playground Entertainment, Amazon Studios and BBC

Kent Locations Used: Dover

King Lear is a modern-day adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play of the same name. The film tells the tragic story of King Lear (Anthony Hopkins) who abdicates his throne in favour of his two corrupt daughters Regan (Emily Watson) and Goneril (Emma Thompson), rejecting his loving and honest third daughter Cordelia (Florence Pugh) when she fails his test of flattery.

Director, Richard Eyre, has previously worked on films Notes on a Scandal, Iris, and Stage Beauty. Anthony Hopkins who plays King Lear, is best known for his role in The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Hitchcock. Emma Thompson as eldest daughter Goneril, was previously in Love Actually and The Remains of the Day.

Scenes were filmed in various locations in Dover, such as at Dover Castle, Samphire Hoe, and Abbot’s Cliff.

King Lear will air on Monday 28 May 2018 at 9:30pm on BBC Two.

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

London Spy (2015)

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Danny (BEN WHISHAW), Alex (EDWARD HOLCROFT) standing in a tunnel

London Spy – Danny (BEN WHISHAW), Alex (EDWARD HOLCROFT) © BBC/WTTV Limited

Creator: Tom Rob Smith

Director: Jakob Verbruggen

Starring: Ben Whishaw, Jim Broadbent, Edward Holcroft, Charlotte Rampling

Production companies: Working Title Television, BBC America, NBC Universal, BBC

Kent Locations: Isle of Grain, Medway and Dartford Crossing – QEII Bridge

London Spy is a gripping BBC Two five-part miniseries about a young man Danny (Ben Whishaw) who finds himself drawn into a dangerous world of espionage when his spy partner is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Danny must decide whether he’s prepared to fight for the truth, even though he is ill-equipped to take on what lies ahead of him.

The spy thriller series was created by best-selling author Tom Rob Smith (Child 44) and directed by Jakob Verbruggen (The Fall, The Bridge, Code 37).

London Spy has an outstanding cast including Ben Whishaw (Skyfall, Cloud Atlas, I’m Not There), Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady, Harry Potter, Moulin Rouge!), Edward Holcroft (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Wolf Hall) and Charlotte Rampling (Broadchurch, The Duchess, Never Let Me Go).

The production filmed on the Isle of Grain in Medway for two days in October 2014 which is seen in episode one where the countryside and coast feature where Alex (Edward Holcroft) and Danny get to know each other.

In episode two, the Dartford Crossing QEII Bridge can be seen in the background of Danny’s workplace.

The Isle of Grain is on the Hoo Peninsula in Medway and has marshland and the fort, Grain Battery Tower. The Medway area has featured on screen in productions including Mr Selfridge (2012-2015), Black Sea (2014) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012)

Don’t miss London Spy which starts on Monday 9th November 2015 on BBC Two at 21:00.

 

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

The Lady in the Van (2015)

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The Lady In The Van - Dame Maggie Smith as Miss Shepherd being pushed in a wheelchair by Alex Jennings as Alan Bennett in

The Lady In The Van – Dame Maggie Smith as Miss Shepherd and Alex Jennings as Alan Bennett © Sony

Writer: Alan Bennett

Director: Nicholas Hytner

Starring: Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings, Dominic Cooper, James Corden, Jim Broadbent, Frances de la Tour

Production company: BBC Films, TriStar Productions

Kent Locations: Broadstairs – High Street, Esplanade, Harbour Street, Viking Bay Beach,  Morellis Gelato, Buckmaster House

The Lady in the Van is British film based on the true story about a homeless woman, Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith), who temporarily parked her old yellow van on the driveway of writer Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) in the 1970’s. As fifteen years went by, the pair developed an endearing but sometimes turbulent relationship, which translates into a funny, poignant and life-affirming story.

Adapted by Alan Bennett (The History Boys, A Private Function, Prick Up Your Ears) from his memoir of the same name, the film is directed by Nicholas Hytner (The Crucible, The Object of My Affection, Center Stage).

Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Gosford Park) stars as Miss Shepherd with Alex Jennings (The Queen, Babel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason) playing Alan Bennett.

Also starring is Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia!, Need for Speed, Captain America: The First Avenger), James Corden (Begin Again, Into the Woods, The History Boys), Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge!, Cloud Atlas, Gangs of New York) and Frances de la Tour (Hugo, The Book of Eli, Alice in Wonderland).

In November 2014, The Lady in the Van production team came to Kent to film in Broadstairs including the High Street, Esplanade, Harbour Street, Viking Bay Beach and http://www.morellisgelato.com/ for the scenes where Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith) visits the coast. Buckmaster House in Broadstairs also doubled as Weston-Super-Mare for the scenes where Alan Bennett visits his mother.

Broadstairs is a traditional British seaside town offering sandy beaches with rides, beach huts, surfing, a harbour and cliff-top promenade. The High Street has historic red-brick buildings occupied by cafes, restaurants, bars and shops. Broadstairs has also been used as a film location in Eastenders (2015), Edge of Heaven (2014) and Hancock and Joan (2008).

Don’t miss The Lady in the Van which is released in cinemas on Friday 13th November 2015.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA8tMziteZM

 

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

 

 

The Harry Hill Movie (2013)

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The Harry Hill Movie still- Harry Hill riding a mobility scooter being chased down the road by a lady in a mobility scooter

The Harry Hill Movie

Director: Steve Bendelack
Writers: Jon Foster, James Lamont, Harry Hill
Starring: Harry Hill, Matthew Hall, Julie Walters, Simon Bird, Matt Lucas, Jim Broadbent, Sheridan Smith, Julian Barratt
Production Company: Lucky Features, Jonescompany Productions
Kent Locations Used: Littlestone-on-Sea

Under the mistaken impression that his pet hamster, Abu, is ill, Harry Hill and his Nan (Julie Walters) take him to the vet, who wrongly gives them the tragic news that Abu has one week to live. Harry, who thinks he speaks fluent hamster (but, in fact, misunderstands every squeak that comes out of his little pal’s mouth), incorrectly thinks Abu’s dying wish is a trip to Blackpool. With Nan making three, the trio embark on a road trip to the seaside town. Unbeknownst to them, the Vet is actually the dirty rotten henchman of Harry’s evil twin brother Otto (Matt Lucas), who was raised separately by Alsatians. Addicted to Hula-Hoops and fuelled by revenge, Otto’s nefarious plot is to kidnap Abu and make him the centrepiece of the plastinated hamster world he’s creating in his evil lair. Can Harry and Nan stop Otto before it’s too late?

The film is Comedian Harry Hill’s big screen debut and stars a wealth of British acting and comedy talent including Harry Hill (TV Burp, Harry Hill), Julie Walters (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One (2010), Canterbury Tales (2003)), Jim Broadbent (Vanity Fair (2005), King Lear (2018)), Simon Bird (The Inbetweeners (2010), Friday Night Dinner), Guillaume Delaunay (Victor Frankenstein, Tale of Tales), Matt Lucas (Little Britain (2003), Bridesmaids), Marc Wootton (Nativity!, Arthur Christmas), Sheridan Smith (Morgana Robinson’s Summer (2017), Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps) and Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh, The Great (2020)).

Directed by Steve Bendelack (The League of the Gentlemen, Mr Bean’s Holiday) and written by Jon Foster and James Lamont of Armstrong and Miller as well as Harry Hill himself, this film is sure to promise high jinks, and crazy characters.

In May 2013, the production visited Littlestone-on-Sea where they filmed various scenes of Harry and his Nan arriving in an old car and staying at a B&B in the fictional village of “Black Pole”.

Littlestone lies on the coast between Greatstone and St Marys Bay, and is a village with a sea wall, promenade, beach huts, lifeboat station and beach consisting of shingle, mudflats and sand. Nearby Dungeness is a popular filming location having been used for The Poison Tree (2012).

The Harry Hill Movie was released in cinemas on December 20th 2013 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

Inkheart (2008)

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Silvertongue reading to a young Meggie. Both on green armchairs with a table in between them. Bookshelves can be seen behind.

Silvertongue played by Brendan Fraser reading to a young Meggie © Entertainment Film Distributors Ltd 

Director: Iain Softly

Starring: Helen Mirren, Brendan Fraser, Eliza Bennett, Jim Broadbent, Paul Bettan

Production Company: New Line Cinema, Internationale Filmproduktion Blackbird Erste

Kent locations used: Hever Castle

Based on the best selling novel by Cornelia Funke, Inkheart is about Mo ‘Silvertongue’ Folchart (Brendan Fraser – The Mummy) who has a special gift when reading aloud: the characters come to life. One night, he unknowingly brings to life three characters from a novel entitled Inkheart who kidnap him. Now it is up to Mo’s daughter Meggie (Eliza Bennett – Nanny McPhee) and her great-aunt Eleanor (Helen Mirren – The Queen) to rescue him from the cruel dictator Capricorn (Andy Serkis, Lord of the Rings) and return the characters back to the pages of Inkheart. Alongside her real and fictional friends, Meggie learns the importance of family and having a place to call home.

Andy Serkis holding the Inkheart book staring at the camera

Andy Serkis in Inkheart © Entertainment Film Distributors Ltd. Photo: Close Murray

Helen Mirren wearing a red headscarf with her hands clasped together under her neck

Helen Mirren © Entertainment Film Distributors Ltd. Photo: Close Murray

Directed by Iain Softly (Hackers, The Skeleton Key) and featuring an all-star cast, Helen Mirren (Calendar Girls, The Queen) Brendan Fraser (George of the Jungle, Journey to the Center of the Earth), Jim Broadbent (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Moulin Rouge!) Paul Bettany (A Knight’s Tale, Wimbledon) and Eliza Bennett (The Prince and Me, Nanny McPhee).

Hever Castle was used for three weeks for the filming of Inkheart, transforming the historical site into the Italian lakeside home of Great Aunt Elinor as the historical home of Anne Boleyn and the beautiful Italian gardens complete with a lake were ideal for this family-orientated fantasy film.

Hever Castle is a thirteenth century Tudor castle near Edenbridge, Hever which was originally the home of the Boleyn family. Hever Castle is a popular filming location with its stunning Italianate gardens, beautiful lake and a mock Tudor village.  Hever Castle has also be used for other productions such as  Walking through History (2013),  The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and Anne of a Thousand Days (1969).

Inkheart was released in cinemas in December 2008 and can now be bought on DVD.

 

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

Vanity Fair (2005)

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Vanity Fair Film Poster- close up of reese witherspoon's face, with her hand covering her eyes. Vanity Fair written in white underneath

Vanity Fair Film Poster © Focus Features

Director: Mira Nair

Writer: William Makepeace Thackeray (screenplay) Matthew Faulk, Julian Fellowes, Mark Skeet (novel)

Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Rhys Ifans, Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, Gabriel Byrne

Production Company: Focus Features, Tempesta Films, Granada Film Productions, Inside Track Films, Mirabai Films, Cine Mosaic

Kent Filming Locations: The Historic Dockyard Chatham

The film, an adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray novel, follows the fortunes of Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon), an ambitious woman living in the 19th century. An orphan, she leaves her home to become a governess and has a keen interest in advancing herself.

Constantly casting her eye over eligible men with handsome fortunes, her endeavours are constantly met with society’s disdain. The film follows her life over 20 years through her trials, wars and adventures. Becky is determined to make her way in the world and her determination results in some disastrous consequences for herself and others.

Mira Nair (New York, I Love You Monsoon Wedding) directs the film which is adapted by Matthew Faulk (Morlang, Hannibal), Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey, Gosford Park), Mark Skeet (Jason and the Argonauts, Hannibal).

Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line, Wild) stars alongside Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (Match Point, Dracula), Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill, The Amazing Spider-Man), Bob Hoskins (Snow White and the Huntsman, Hook), Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge!, Cloud Atlas) and Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects, Ghost Ship).

The Historic Dockyard Chatham, offered up its Old Paint Store to the production, once again providing the perfect film location.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is set over 80 acres and contains over 100 Georgian and Victorian buildings. It is a popular filming location and has been  used for productions such as Muppets Most Wanted (2014), Call the Midwife (2012-2014) and  Sherlock Holmes  (2009).

Vanity Fair was released in January 2005 in the UK and is now available to buy on DVD.

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

The Gathering Storm (2002)

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Two actors staring at each other through an open door frame

The Gathering Storm © HBO Films and BBC Films

Director: Richard Loncraine

Starring: Albert Finney, Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent, Ronnie Barker, Hugh Bonneville, Tom Hiddleston

Production Company: HBO Films, BBC Films, Scott Free Productions

Kent Locations: Chartwell, Westerham

The Gathering Storm is a BBC-HBO co-produced film for TV about Winston Churchill in the years leading up to World War II. It’s emphasis is on the relationship between Winston and his wife Clementine, their financial problems and his struggle as an isolated backbench MP when warning Parliament about the coming of a second major war.

Chartwell House - red brick large house surrounded by greenery

Chartwell House © National Trust

Albert Finney (The Bourne Ultimatum, Erin Brockovich) plays Churchill and won a host of awards for his performance including a Golden Globe, Emmy and BAFTA.

Starring alongside Albert Finney are Vanessa Redgrave (Call the Midwife, Deep Impact), Jim Broadbent (Gangs of New York, Cloud Atlas), Ronnie Barker (Open All Hours, Porridge), Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, The Monuments Men) and Tom Hiddleston (Thor, War Horse).

Chartwell was the real life Churchill family home from 1924 until Winston Churchill’s death in 1965 and was therefore chosen by the production to feature in The Gathering Storm as his house and grounds.

Chartwell is a National Trust property in Westerham set in delightful gardens. The rooms remain much as they were when Churchill lived there. Other National Trust locations in Kent which have been used for filming include Scotney Castle which was used for BBC drama Hunted (2012), Knole House featured in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and The White Cliffs of Dover appeared in On a Clear Day (2005).

The Gathering Storm was shown in 2002 and is now available to buy on DVD.

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