Mark Rylance - Kent Film Office

The Phantom of the Open movie poster featuring an actor as Maurice Flitford (Mark Rylance) lying down in centre frame wearing a red hat with a golf tea in his mouth. In the background supporting actress Sally Hawkins holds a flag and wears a green jacket. Other actors are standing behind her with a blue sky white cloud background.

The Phantom of the Open (2022) movie poster © IMDb

Writer: Simon Farnaby
Director: Craig Roberts
Starring: Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins
Production Company: Baby Cow
Kent Locations Used: Bedgebury Manor, Littlestone Golf Club, The Historic Dockyard Chatham.

The Phantom of the Open (2021) is a feature film about Maurice Flitcroft, the fraudulent golfer who managed to con his way into several championship games in the 70’s despite not being able to swing a club.

Produced by Steve Coogan‘s company Baby Cow, the film was directed by Craig Roberts (Eternal Beauty, Just Jim), and stars Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall (2015), Bridge of Spies) as Maurice Flitcroft and Sally Hawkins (Tipping the Velvet (2002), The Shape of Water) as his wife Jean Flitcroft. The film is based on the book ‘The Phantom of the Open’ by Simon Farnaby and Scott Murray.

Production visited Kent to film at Bedgebury Manor, Littlestone Golf Club and The Historic Dockyard Chatham. Littlestone Golf Club features as the course where Maurice competes in the 1978 British Open Qualifying disguised as a Frenchman called Gerard Hoppy, and Anchor Wharf at The Historic Dockyard Chatham features throughout the film, doubling as Vickers Shipyard where Maurice and his son work. Bedgebury Manor was used as the interior of a hotel and a golf club, although unfortunately this doesn’t seem to have made the cut.

Bedgebury Manor is a former boarding school set in 200 acres of parkland in the Weald of Kent. There are many facilities available for filming including a theatre and gymnasium suitable for set building, outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, cricket and football pitch. In 2007, Series 3 of Tittybangbang (2007) filmed at this location.

Littlestone Golf Club is a traditional links golf course on the Romney Marsh with views across the English Channel to France. The course sits on 300 acres of the Romney Marsh and is a site of special scientific interest for flora and fauna and location for the CL Junior Open 2021.

Set on the River Medway, The Historic Dockyard Chatham was once an active Royal Navy shipyard and is one of the most popular Kent filming locations. Recent productions to film at the Dockyard include The Nevers (2021), Bridgerton (2020) and The Crown Series 1 – 6 (2016-2023).

The Phantom of the Open was released in UK cinemas on Friday 18^th March 2022.

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

Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn and Damian Lewis as King Henry Eighth on the Wolf Hall set

Anne Boleyn (CLAIRE FOY), King Henry VIII (DAMIAN LEWIS), © BBC Company Productions Ltd

Writer: Peter Straughan, Hilary Mantel (novel)

Director: Peter Kosminsky

Starring: Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy, Mark Gatiss, Jonathan Pryce

Production company: Company Pictures

Kent locations: Penshurst Place, Dover Castle

This January, BBC Two airs new British drama Wolf Hall, charting the meteoric rise of Thomas Cromwell in the Tudor Court, from his lowly start as a blacksmith’s son to becoming Henry VIII’s closest advisor.

The six part series is based on Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize-winning novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies and the screenplay was written by Oscar-nominated Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Frank).

BAFTA-winning Peter Kosminsky (Britz, The Promise) directs the miniseries which boasts a host of acting talent, such as Mark Rylance (Britz, Hamlet), Damian Lewis (Homeland, Romeo and Juliet), Claire Foy (Season of the Witch, Crossbones), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Game of Thrones) and Jonathan Pryce (Brazil, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest).

Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and cast members behind the scenes on Wolf Hall being filmed by camera crew on a pathway

In May 2014, the production team visited Penshurst Place to film at a variety of rooms to double for York Place and Whitehall. In July 2014, the production returned to Kent, this time filming at Dover Castle which doubled as The Tower of London for the execution of Anne Boleyn scenes.

Penshurst Place is a Medieval and Tudor fortified style manor house set in gorgeous parkland in West Kent and boasts formal Elizabethan gardens. Penshurst Place is a popular film location, having previously welcomed productions such as The Great Fire (2014), The Hollow Crown – Henry V (2012) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).

Dover Castle is a stunning medieval castle situated on the White Cliffs of Dover, overlooking the English Channel. Dover Castle has previously been used for filming by a variety of productions including Into The Woods (2015), Poirot “The Clocks” (2009) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).

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

Wolf Hall aired on BBC Two from Wednesday 21^st January 2015 at 21:00 and is now available for DVD and online purchase.

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

Kent's Premier Film Commission