Does the solution to the UK’s studio problem lie in Antwerp, Belgium? It’s no secret that the influx of high-profile projects to the UK has left a strain on the nation’s production facilities.
A sequel to 1964’s Mary Poppins has begun shooting on location outside the Bank of England. Entitled Mary Poppins Returns, the production recreated an early 20th century setting, having hundreds of extras walk past the building as an old, open-deck bus drove down the street.
Italian action TV series Task Force 45 will film scenes for two different episodes on location in Malta. The Mediterranean island nation has had a busy year, standing in for Libya in Michael Bay’s new Benghazi feature, while Luc Besson’s The Lake has used its water tank.
British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard filmed on location in and around Edinburgh for the BBC’s new factual drama Castles In The Sky. The production tells the story of Scotsman Robert Watson-Watt and his struggle to invent RADAR technology in the build-up to World War II.
New musical feature Sunshine on Leith could help boost location filming in Edinburgh. Based on a stage production and featuring music from The Proclaimers, the film tells the story of two soldiers adapting to life back in the Scottish capital after returning from Afghanistan.
Northumberland in north-east England has held a forum to promote its filming locations. Northern Film and Media organised the event that offered a networking opportunity and discussions on how to boost the region’s production industry.
Oscar winners Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman are filming The Railway Man on location in Queensland. The project travels to Australia having already spent several weeks filming in Edinburgh and North Berwick in Scotland.
[slideshow id=150]A new version of John le Carré’s Cold War spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has been filmed on location in London, Budapest and Istanbul. Set in the early 1970s, the film uses the cities as functional meeting places, in some cases using locations rumoured to have been real spy meeting spots.