Thriller

Liar Series 1 & 2 (2017 – 2020)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Actors Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd standing in front of a building

Liar Series 2 (2020) starring Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd © Joss Barratt / ITV

Writer: Harry Williams and Jack Williams

Directors: James Strong, Samuel Donovan, Chris Sweeney

Starring: Joanne Froggatt, loan Gruffudd, Zoë Tapper, Richie Campbell

Production Company: Two Brother Pictures, Sundance TV

Kent Locations Used: Deal, Kingsdown and Hunting Lodge in Tonbridge & Malling

ITV’s psychological thriller, Liar, follows the relationship between teacher Laura Newell (Joanne Froggatt) and the father of one of her pupils, Andrew Ellis (Ioan Gruffudd). Their simple attraction leads to deceit and betrayal, which has wide reaching consequences for both families.

The drama was written by Harry Williams and Jack Williams (The Missing , Rellik) and directed by James Strong (Vanity Fair (2018), Broadchurch (2013)), Samuel Donovan (Humans (2015), Jamestown (2017)) and Chris Sweeney (Back to Life (2019)).

The main protagonist, Laura Nielson, is played by Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey (2010–2015), Dark Angel (2016)) with Andrew Earlham, her antagonist, played by Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic 4 (2005) Titanic (1997)). Meanwhile Zoe Tapper (Mr Selfridge (2013), Grantchester (2020) plays Laura’s sister, Katy, and Richie Campbell (Top Boy (2019), Blue Story (2019)) as her brother in law, Liam.

Deal was used as the main setting for Laura Nielsen’s home on The Marina and also features many other locations, such as restaurants, hotels, the beach and Deal Pier Restaurant as the setting for Laura and Andrews fatal date. Filming began for Series One in November 2016. Additional filming for Series Two took place at Kingsdown as the setting for various beach scenes as well as the location of The Zetland Arms Pub and Katy and Liam’s home. A Hunting Lodge in Tonbridge & Malling was also filmed as a remote hideout. 

Joanne Froggatt walking towards camera on pier

LIAR – Joanne Froggatt as Laura Nielson on Deal Pier Photographer Joss Barratt © ITV

The coastal town of Deal has a long naval history and is one of the major cinque ports along the south coast. Deal is a winner of the Daily Telegraph’s High Street of the Year 2013 award. The Pier is a significant local landmark and public amenity offering excellent views of the town. It is internationally recognised as an angling venue and features a glass-walled café-bar on the pier-head.

Kingsdown, located just up the coast from the White Cliffs of Dover, has a secluded shingle beach, with plenty of benches suitable for picnics.

East Kent is home to spectacular coastal landscapes and historic towns and boasts excellent transport links to London and Western Europe. East Kent has been used for filming several recent hit TV productions such as Baptiste (2019), Next of Kin (2018) and The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017).

The Hunting Lodge at Tom Farm, situated in the district of Tonbridge & Malling, is a large working farm offering a huge array of shoot location opportunities. Home to a wide mix of farm animals, including sheep, cattle, pigs and horses, Tom Farm offers 1,000 acres of arable land, a butchers shop, country store and a breakers yard within its ownership. Recent productions to film in the district include feature film Making Noise Quietly (2019) and TV documentaries Horizon: My Amazing Brain – Richard’s War (2018) and Harry Potter: A History of Magic (2017).

Liar Series 1 first aired on Monday 11th September 2017 at 9pm on ITV. Series 2 followed on Monday 2nd March 2020 at 9pm on ITV.

Links

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information on Liar please visit: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6021284/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

For more information on Deal please visit: https://www.aboutdeal.co.uk/

For more information on Zetland Arms Pub please visit: https://www.zetlandarms.co.uk/

For more information on Dunkerley’s Restaurant and Hotel please visit: https://www.dunkerleys.co.uk/about

For more information on Tom Farm please visit: https://www.farmlocations.co.uk/shoot-locations/tom-farm-da3/

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map: https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/kent-movie-map/moviemap-live-2/

Seagull (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Movie poster of Seagull showing a woman wearing a mask against a sunset beach scene

Seagull (2018) © IMDb

 

Writers: James Abbott & Peter Blach
Director: Peter Blach
Starring: Gabrielle Sheppard, Adam Radcliffe and Jessica Hynes
Production Company: Seagull The Movie Ltd
Kent Locations Used: Folkestone

Seagull is a British thriller about a young woman, Rose (Gabrielle Sheppard), who has been missing for eight years. She returns to her hometown having some unfinished business to take care of. The mystery of her disappearance haunt her disabled and alcoholic mother, Janet (Jessica Hynes) and partner Jeff (Adam Radcliffe), as well as eight year old Lily.

This psychological thriller is set in the Kentish town of Folkestone.

Seagull was directed and written by Peter Blach , whose co-writer, James Abbott, made his professional writing and acting debut in Seagull. Blach has directed several short films including Squash (2004) and The Preacher (2007). The thriller stars Adam Radcliffe (The Blacklist, Right Before Your Eyes) Gabrielle Sheppard (Dawn) and Jessica Hynes (Shaun of the Dead (2004), Spaced (1999-2001), The Royle Family (1998-2010), Son of Rambow (2007))

A production still showing Gabrielle Sheppard stood against a beach cliffs background

Gabrielle Sheppard in Seagull © IMDb

The film was shot entirely in and around Folkestone, a seaside town with an elegant clifftop promenade, a coastal park, fishing harbour and Victorian cliff-top lifts. Previous projects that used this location include The Fight (2019), The Empty Housing Scandal (2019) and Great British Railway Journeys – Series 10 (2019).

Production of Seagull was completed on 25th September 2018 and was screened at various film festivals from January 2020.

For more information see the IMDb’s website: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6020742/

Links:

For more information about the film please visit: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6020742/

For more information about Folkestone please visit: https://www.visitkent.co.uk/destinations/folkestone-hythe-and-romney-marsh/

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map: https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/kent-movie-map/moviemap-live-2/

The Capture (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
A female detective standing at a desk with screens behind her showing a fugitive.

The Capture ©IMDb

 

Writer: Ben Chanan
Director: Ben Chanan
Starring: Holliday Grainger, Callum Turner, Ralph Ineson, Famke Janssen, Ron Perlman.
Production Companies: BBC One, Heyday Television, NBCUniversal International Studios
Kent Locations Used: Canterbury Prison

Sean Emery (Callum Turner) returns to take care of his daughter after being wrongly imprisoned in Afghanistan on murder charges. However, his life is once again turned upside down when new CCTV footage emerges which seems to suggest incriminating evidence. DI Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger) is determined to get to the bottom of the story and soon discovers the truth may not be all that it seems.

Written and directed by Ben Chanan (Cyberbully, Our World War), this gripping six-part drama with a focus on technology stars Holliday Grainger (Cinderella, The Finest Hours) as DI Rachel Carey and Sean Emery is played by Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Writer’s Room, Assassin’s Creed). Ralph Ineson (The Witch, Guardians of the Galaxy), Famke Janssen (GoldenEye, House on Haunted Hill, X-Men) and Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy) also star.

Production visited Canterbury Prison to shoot for two days in 2018.

Canterbury Prison was sold to Canterbury Christ Church University in 2014 and is now part of the university campus. The surrounding area of Canterbury has had a few films created in the area, including The Tunnel: Sabotage (2016) and The Rizen (2017).

Episode One of The Capture will air on Tuesday 3rd September 2019 on BBC One at 9pm.

 

 

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information on The Capture visit: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8201186/?ref_=tt_ov_inf

For more information about the conversion of Canterbury Prison visit: https://canterbury.ac.uk/about-us/estate-master-plan/prison-conversion.aspx

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map: https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/kent-movie-map/moviemap-live-2/

 

Avengement (2019)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
A man looks down at the camera. Above him is railings

Scott Adkins in Avengement (2019)

Writers: Jesse V. Johnson, Stu Small

Director:  Jesse V. Johnson

Starring:  Scott Adkins, Craig Fairbrass, Thomas Turgoose

Production Company: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Kent Locations Used: Canterbury Prison

This British crime thriller tells the story of gang member Cain Burgess (Scott Adkins) who evades his prison sentences to take revenge on those who have wronged him. Believing other people are the reason for his misfortunes, he fights his way back to confront his enemies.

Avengement was directed and written by Jesse V. Johnson (The Amazing Spiderman, The Last Sentinel, Starship Troopers). Starring is Scott Adkins (Accident Man, Doctor Strange, The Expendables 2) as the anti-hero Cain Burgess. Playing his equally vicious brother and prime nemesis is Craig Fairbrass (Cliffhanger, Rise of the foot soldier 3, London Heist). Another star among the gang members is Thomas Turgoose (This is England, Kingsman: The Golden Circle) who is from Grimsby in London.

A large portion of this film was set in Canterbury Prison, where several of the fight scenes were filmed.

Canterbury Prison has been closed since 2013 and was bought by Canterbury Christ Church University and is due to be extended as part of their campus. The authenticity of the Victorian prison is maintained, making it an ideal location for the crime and thriller genre. Other productions that have previously visited Canterbury Prison for filming include Wayfaring Stranger (2008) and Windmill Boy (2006).

The film was released on DVD on 17th June 2019 and is now available to watch on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Google Movies.

Links:

For more information about filming in Kent please contact: filmoffice@kent.gov.uk

For more information on Avengement visit:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8836988/?ref_=vi_esc

For more information about the conversion of Canterbury Prison visit:

https://canterbury.ac.uk/about-us/estate-master-plan/prison-conversion.aspx

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map: https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/kent-movie-map/moviemap-live-2/