Russell Tovey

Love Again (2023)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan stand on a playground. Behind them is a green metallic fence, with a line of trees behind. Chopra Jonas wears a grey, blue and red plaid shirt. Heughan wears a black denim jacket. The two are in a romantic embrace.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan in Love Again (2023) © Liam Daniel / Sony Pictures

Director: Jim Strouse
Starring: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Russell Tovey, Céline Dion
Production Company: Screen Gems, 2.0 Entertainment, Thunder Road Pictures
Kent Locations Used: Home Farm

Love Again (2023) is a remake of the successful 2016 German-language rom-com SMS Fuer Dich, based on the book written by Sofie Cramer. It tells the story of a young woman who is heartbroken by the death of her fiancé and sends text messages to his old number which, unbeknownst to her, has been reassigned. The messages are received by a single guy across town, and he is so moved by her messages that the two form a connection.

The film is directed by Jim Strouse (People Places Things, The Incredible Jessica James) and stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas (The Matrix  Resurrections, The White Tiger) as Mira, Sam Heughan (Outlander, The Spy Who Dumped Me) as Rob, Russell Tovey (Flesh and Blood (2020), The Good Liar) as Billy Brooks, and singer Céline Dion, who also composed new music for the film.

Production visited Kent to film at Home Farm in Swale, which doubles for Mira’s parent’s home, where she stays after the unexpected death of her fiancé.

Home Farm is a colonial style American homestead, with veranda’s overlooking the countryside bordered by woods. It is particularly popular for photoshoots, but has also been featured in The Current War (2019), Juliet, Naked (2018) and The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2017).

Love Again (2023) was released in UK Cinemas on Friday 12th May 2023 and is available to stream on Amazon.

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

Flesh and Blood (2020)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
The main 8 cast members sitting on a bench on the beach posing for the camera with the sea behind.

Flesh and Blood (2020) © ITV

Director: Louise Hooper
Writer: Sarah Williams
Starring: Russell Tovey, Claudie Blakley, Lydia Leonard, Francesca Annis, Stephen Rea, Imelda Staunton
Production Company: ITV
Kent Locations Used: Farningham near Sevenoaks, Greatstone Beach (Romney Sands)

Flesh and Blood (2020), a new four-part series for ITV, is a modern story of three adult siblings, exploring universal themes of relationships, trust, loyalty and love against in aftermath of a tragic crime.

Russell Tovey, (Years and Years), Claudie Blakley (Manhunt) and Lydia Leonard (Gentleman Jack) lead the cast as the siblings Jake, Helen and Natalie. The series also stars Francesca Annis (King of Thieves) as their recently widowed mother with Stephen Rea (Dickensian) as her new love interest and Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1) as their neighbour.

Also joining the cast are Sharon Small (Trust Me), Lara Rossi (Cheat), Keir Charles (Love Actually), Vincent Regan (Victoria), David Bamber (Valkyrie), Stephanie Langton (Ransom) and Clara Indrani (Vera).

The drama was created and written by Kent resident Sarah Williams, whose previous credits include The Long Song, Case Sensitive and Poppy Shakespeare. Flesh and Blood is directed by BAFTA nominee Louise Hooper (Cheat, Cold Feet).

During filming production visited Farningham, near Sevenoaks, to film The Manor on the High Street as three separate location. Farningham nestles on the old London to Folkestone Road astride the River Darent. Scheduled as a Conservation Area, it includes many notable buildings and historic sites, including Farningham Mill, the site of a Roman villa and Farningham Woods SSSI and Nature Reserve.

Production also visited Greatstone Beach (Romney Sands) during filming. Greatstone is part of 26 miles of beaches in the Folkestone and Hythe District and the Dunes and Beach between Littlestone-on Sea and Lydd-on-Sea, often also referred to as Romney Sands is an area of SSSI.

Flesh and Blood will air on ITV over four consecutive nights starting on Monday 24th February 2020 at 9pm.

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