Best supporting role in a film goes to .... Britain

February 26 2013 , Written by thediversetraveller Published on #Britain, #Britain as film location, #British film industry, #Excess Baggage (Misc), #film locations, #Films made in Britain, #Les Miserable, #Recommendations & Rants (tips, #links and reviews), #Skyfall

Travel and film go hand in hand as can be seen by the many films, including award winners, featuring Britain in the best supporting role.

Les Miserables at the ORNC. Photocredit Universal Pictures

The glam and glitz of the 85th Academy Awards may be over, but the celebration of the starring role that Britain plays in many films out now, or soon, goes on. Read on to discover which of the films out now or coming out later this year, or beyond, feature British locations in the starring role. Also, can you guest whch Oscar winner was filmed in Britain, but not as you know it!.

Oscar winners

Answer, Les Misérables.

Despite being set in revolutionary France, multoi-award winning Les Misérables (three Oscars, four BAFTAs and three Golden Globes), was filmed at Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent and the majestic Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire, both in the south of England. One of the film’s most exciting sequences, the barricades battle scenes, was shot at the Grand Square of London’s Old Royal Naval College, and the magnificent Boughton House in Kettering, Northamptonshire – less than two hours north of London – also starred.

Skyfall

kyfall won two Oscars and two BAFTAs, and unlike Les Misérables, Britain was unmistakeable as the backdrop for the action in Bond’s 23rd adventure. The Old Royal Naval College featured in the film (obviously a popular choice for movie-makers), and other London icons included the National Gallery and the Underground, which marks 150 years of service this year. The final scenes were shot and set in Glencoe and Glen Etive – fictionally Bond’s childhood home, and in real life where Ian Fleming’s family once owned a home – which are stunning places to explore in Scotland.

Films out this year and beyond

I Give It A Year

London’s West End and all its charms is the backdrop to British rom-com I Give It A Year, looking light-heartedly at a couple’s first year of marriage and all its trials and tribulations. Produced by the company behind Four Weddings & A Funeral, Bridget Jones Diary and Notting Hill, British star Rafe Spall and Australian actress Rose Byrne take on the leading roles, with funny man Stephen Merchant providing the laughs with some typically British eccentricity and humour.

About Time

Richard Curtis returns to his beloved London in this time travelling tale. Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy and Tom Hollander star in this rom-com, sci-fi mash-up which takes the action from Cornwall to the West End through the ages, in the pursuit of true love. Filming locations include Notting Hill, an area made famous by another Richard Curtis film of the same name, and a lovely place to wander around, especially taking in the atmosphere at the famous Portobello Road market.

Diana

The story of a British icon and princess who had a profound and positive impact on so many of the people she touched, Diana focuses on the final two years of her life, namely as a humanitarian campaigner. Naomi Watts plays Diana, and was seen in various UK locations in role while filming, including the famous London jazz bar Ronnie Scotts and among the stunning cliffs at Beachy Head in East Sussex.

Girls’ Night Out

On V.E Day in 1945, Princess Margaret and her sister Elizabeth are allowed out from Buckingham Palace for the night, where they attempt to go unnoticed in joining in the V.E Day celebrations, during which they encounter romance and danger. Britain is packed with Royal sites of interest anyone wanting to get a taste of life as a princess or prince should visit, from Kensington Palace – where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will soon live – to Hampton Court, where Henry VIII entertained.

Bridget Jones’ Baby

A welcome return of the adventures of the much-loved Bridget Jones as she hits her 40s. As with the other two films in the franchise, there are likely to be many popular London and British locations featured in the film, and its star cast of Renee Zellwegger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant will be reassembling for the third instalment. Previous locations to depict Bridget’s London included Borough Market, the Institute of Contemporary Arts and Kensington Gardens. This is a British film, with British stars and a very British narrative and humour, all of which have proved globally popular.

Quartet

Featuring as the set for this film about a retirement home for opera singers, Hedsor House & Park in Buckinghamshire is as much a part of the ensemble cast as Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins. The Georgian country house provides the perfect backdrop to the residents’ annual Verdi concert, which threatens to unravel with the unwelcome arrival of the 4th member of the quartet.

Paddington Bear

This animated film, based on Michael Bond’s much-loved children’s books tells the tale of a young English boy who befriends a talking bear he finds at London’s Paddington station. Set against the backdrop of London, this film is the brainchild of producer David Heyman, of the Harry Potter franchise. Paddington Station is just a short distance from some of London’s major attractions, including Hyde Park and Regent’s Canal, a tranquil haven that is one of London’s best-kept secrets

Jack and the Giant Slayer

Following on from Red Riding Hood and Snow White and the Huntsman comes the next fairytale adaptation. Ewan Macgregor, Bill Nighy and Nicholas Hoult star in this telling of Jack and the Beanstalk, set in the Surrey countryside and with the striking Norwich Cathedral as a backdrop to one farmer’s quest to rescue a princess from the giants’ kingdom.

Silver Ghost

The fascinating story of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce – who founded the luxury British Rolls Royce brand – and the highly charged love affairs of the Beaulieu family, who were caught up in the story, will be brought to life by celebrated producers Richard Attenborough and Martin Scorsese. Set at the dawn of the 20th Century, it’s a story of love, motoring and controversy set against the backdrop of London and Hampshire, south of England, where the National Motor Museum is located. In addition to the Motor Museum, explore the beautiful gardens and Palace House on the Beaulieu Estate.

World War Z

Brad Pitt’s character in World War Z – telling the story of a U.N. employee racing against time and fate to stop the outbreak of a deadly Zombie pandemic – features in scenes set across the UK, from the Cornish coast and the stunning Lulworth Cove on the south of England’s Jurassic Coast to the vibrant Scottish city of Glasgow, London, as well as a range of Royal Air Force bases.

Not Another Happy Ending

Glasgow is also the setting for this film about a struggling publisher who discovers his only successful author is blocked. He knows he has to unblock her or his career is over. A love story, the film is set in Glasgow, Scotland, which is home to fantastic museums such as the iconic Riverside Museum and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum..

Find out about these and hundred more locations featured in your favourite films shot in Britain by downloading the free British Film Locations app produced by VisitBritain

For international release dates of all the above films visit www.imdb.com. Please note: information on film titles, cast and locations may change before films are released.

Advertising

Share this post

Repost0

Midlife Mavericks part 1

Nepali becomes first woman to climb Everest 'twice' in a week

Back to home page

Comment on this post