Written by new-contact on Dec 16, 2014. Posted in On Location

TV miniseries of classic Dark Ages poem Beowulf to film in north-east England

A new TV miniseries version of the classic Old English poem Beowulf will be filmed on location in north-east England for broadcaster ITV. A high-profile movie version starring Ray Winstone and Angelina Jolie was shot by filmmaker Robert Zemeckis in 2007 using motion-capture technology.

“Hundreds of years ago our ancestors listened to the story of Beowulf because it was a great adventure story - it scared them, thrilled them, made them laugh and cry,” said James Dormer, Writer and Executive Producer on the new series.

“They also listened because they recognised themselves and their fears in it. By holding a mirror up to them this story helped define them and thus - us. So it’s incredibly exciting to have the opportunity to make it relevant again for a wide audience - to let them own it again. To let them see themselves in it.”

North-east England is not known as a production centre. Small-scale studio facilities are available, but the Beowulf production may instead choose to retrofit an industrial facility, as is becoming increasingly common across the UK.

The UK’s TV tax credit is designed to keep productions like Beowulf filming in Britain. Indeed, Dormer is a veteran of the long-running action drama Strike Back and the BBC’s sci-fi series Outcast, both of which filmed in South Africa before the UK TV credit was launched.

Other productions recently commissioned by ITV include Jekyll & Hyde, which will be filmed in India and London. The Chronicles of Frankenstein will be shot in Northern Ireland and will star Game of Thrones veteran Sean Bean.