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Who doesn’t love a good film? Rainy afternoon, cup of tea and popcorn…what could be better! But did you know both our city and county have been used as filming locations in countless movies?
With the release of The Lost King, based on the discovery of King Richard III, we thought it's the perfect time to tell you about some of the films shot right here.
So here we go…let’s see if you’ve spotted any of them!
The Lost King
The brand new movie, starring Steve Coogan and Sally Phillips is based upon the story of Phillipa Langley, whose dedication to uncovering the true location of the remains of King Richard III led her to a car park in Leicester! Now while much of the movie is set and filmed in Edinburgh, there are some scenes filmed right here in our city, including street shots in the Old Town and Leicester Railway Station. However the car park itself is now the King Richard III Visitor Centre, and would be a bit of a spoiler in the context of the film, so that was done elsewhere. Take a look at our Lost King pages for more on the greatest lost and found story ever told.
Belvoir Castle
Let’s talk about Belvoir Castle first since its foray into the cinematic world is endless! In 1980 it was the location for the film Lord Fauntleroy starring Sir Alec Guinness and Ricky Schroder. A few years later it was featured in The Golden Bowl, a drama film featuring big names including Kate Beckinsale, James Fox and Uma Thurman. For you Netflix viewers out there, did you know Belvoir Castle played a starring role as one of the stunning locations in the popular drama The Crown? The Regency Castle was used as the stand in for Windsor and has featured in three series of the worldwide blockbuster and follows the trials and tribulations of the British Royal Family.
Did you know Belvoir Castle also featured in the Hollywood Blockbuster The Da Vinci Code starring Tom Hanks? You can’t get much bigger than that! The exterior of the castle was used (with a bit of CGI) as the location stand in for ‘Castle Gandolfo', the Pope’s summer residence overlooking Lake Albano near Rome.
Yet another film where Belvoir Castle made an appearance was the 2017 British biographical comedy-drama film Victoria and Abdul. The film depicts the real-life relationship between Queen Victoria and her Indian Muslim servant Abdul Karim with Judi Dench starring in the leading role. A must-see film!
Perhaps you’ve spotted Belvoir Castle in the Young Victoria starring Emily Blunt who you may know for her most recent hit Mary Poppins. Some of the scenes featured in the film include the Chinese wallpapered bedroom which was the setting for Victoria and Albert’s honeymoon suite. The Regency Gallery was used as Victoria’s dressing room before her coronation and the Grounds and parkland were used for the Great Windsor Park.
Remember King Ralph? Did you know the 1991 American comedy starring John Goodman Peter O'Toole and John Hurt was shot at Belvoir Castle and was used as a stand in for Buckingham Palace? The story revolves around the unlikely King of the United Kingdom after an electrical accident wipes of the British Royal family.
Great Central Railway
The UK’s only double track, main line heritage railway and the only place in the world where full size steam engines can be seen passing each other. The Great Central Railway has made its mark in the world of cinema including the recent film Stan & Ollie, starring Steve Coogan and John C Reilly. It’s the story about the much-loved comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. You can see shots of both stars in carriages filmed on various steam trains while other sections of the film were shot in Leicestershire along the Great Central Railway. Another one to add to your favourite list!
If you’re a lover of music, you may even have spotted Great Central Railway in the Stereophonics song ‘Indian Summer.
The Golden Mile
The Golden Mile is the closest the UK comes to an authentic Indian Bazaar and proved to be the perfect backdrop for a film about two feuding brothers running rival Indian restaurants across the street from each other. Set and filmed on Leicester’s famous Golden Mile, the story was written by Leicester born and bred Amit Gupta, who used to live above the Chaat House located on the Golden Mile and was also owned by his mother at the time of filming. Not only was the film set in and around Leicester, but for a more authentic true to life feel, the film used hundreds of people from Leicester who were enlisted as extras. Another Leicester link you may be interested to know about is that the films cinematographer, Roger Pratt was also born in the city and well known for his work on big blockbusters like Batman and Harry Potter.
Bollywood comes to Leicester
Bollywood (Indians version of Hollywood) is no stranger to Leicester! The Grand Hotel, Granby St was used in the film Gold, which tells the story of India’s first Olympic medal won by the country’s hockey team in 1948 following Indian independence. The magnificent Kings Hall at the hotel was used during filming and was decked out with historical props to represent the year 1948, whilst areas of the car park were used for outdoor scenes.
Bollywood sequel Yamla Pagla Dewana 2 was another film shot at various locations including the University of Leicester, Oadby’s Botanical Gardens and New Walk Museum. Further afield, Stanford Hall in Lutterworth was used as the setting for an elaborate wedding scene.
The University of Leicester also featured in the 2010 film Oranges and Sunshine directed by John Leach. It tells the horrific story of orphan British children sent to Australia with many of them becoming domestic slaves. The movie centres around a social worker (Margaret Humphreys) who attempts to rescue two of the children.
Bradgate Park
Who can forget Robin Hood Prince of Thieves? The nineties hit film starring Hollywood actor Kevin Costner. Did you know that our very own Bradgate Park's Old John Tower can be seen clearly in the background.
Are you looking for your own film location?
If you think Leicester & Leicestershire is the right place for your next film, make sure you visit the Filming in Leicester page - it has information on how to apply, where to find a crew, and access to the Filming Location Database.
You can also get in contact with our Festivals & Events team directly for further information - Email: festivals@leicester.gov.uk, or Tel: 0116 454 3600.
Related
Leicestershire’s ‘Crowning’ Glory since 1066. The history of Britain is built into Belvoir Castle. The regency architecture and surrounding gardens which date back to William the Conqueror were used in The Da Vinci Code and as a backdrop for Netflix’s The Crown.
Right in the heart of Leicester City Centre, book your room at the imposing The Grand Hotel Leicester
A day return to the birthplace of popular tourism. Step back in time and ride the rails as you board a steam train straight out of classic literature. Relive the early days of tourism as you take the same journey as Thomas Cook’s first day trip passengers.
Bradgate Park, renowned for its fine herds of deer, is the only remaining enclosed medieval deer park in the East Midlands and contains the oldest rocks in England.
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