Why Nottingham Has Been a Hidden Gem for Film-Video Production Throughout the Years
Interested in video or film work in Nottingham? Check out our showreel to see what we can do.
Although landlocked in the middle of the East Midlands, Nottingham boasts a huge range of looks and settings. Everything from grim industrial brutalism to idyllic fields and pastures, and let's not forget the world famous Sherwood Forest.
Part of that comes down to the city's creative backbone. Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham both teach film theory, production and consumption, feeding a steady stream of crew, actors and writers into the local industry. Between the two campuses, Broadway's independent cinema, and decades of film, TV and history to draw from, this is a city built to make things, not just look pretty on camera.
This list draws on IMDb data, in order of popularity, to compile an in-depth history of what's made it to screen, either in part or in full, across Nottinghamshire.
Everything from the largest Hollywood blockbuster to a low budget, social realism indie has chosen to make Nottingham their home at some point, alongside plenty of local video teams talent.
The Dark Knight Rises
2012 · Legendary Entertainment
This is the biggie on this list, of course. Wollaton Hall stood in as Batman's Wayne Manor, with filming taking place at the Elizabethan mansion in July 2011.
If you visit though, which one of our team did recently, you'll find a distinct lack of Batman regalia. A staff member told us it comes down to a clause in the contract with the studio behind it. Still, it can't have harmed the publicity for the place. The hall's annual visitor numbers have stayed well above pre-Batman levels ever since.
One of our founders still tells the story of scouting a spot in the county for a much smaller job and being asked, half joking, whether the crew could "do a Wollaton" and find somewhere with that same manor house drama to it. There's a reason people keep coming back to this county.
Many locals were cast as overnight extras, with pay rumoured at around £130 a night, plus extra if you needed your hair cut, had any lines to say, took part in any physical action, or were handed a weapon to hold.
Made with Hollywood money, the film still leans on a huge amount of British talent. Director Christopher Nolan, who wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan, both hail from the UK. So do many of the principal cast, including Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine.
If you live nearby you might have seen signs for Gotham. That's a small village with a population of a couple of thousand people, not the dystopian city on screen.
A few morsels of movie magic from behind the scenes
The actor behind Bane has said he found the fight scenes overwhelming. Not because of the physical effort involved, but because, as a lifelong Batman fan, he was basically beating up his own hero.
Anne Hathaway's own account of landing the role of Catwoman beats the Oscars mix-up story that used to do the rounds. She has since explained she walked into her meeting with Nolan convinced she was auditioning for Harley Quinn, and only realised she'd been cast as Selina Kyle an hour into the conversation. You can read her full story if you want the details.
Despite the character being known as Catwoman, the word is never spoken on screen. She's referred to in newspaper clippings and police files as The Cat instead.
Marion Cotillard was so good in her audition that she was cast despite being pregnant at the time, joining just after giving birth. Nolan made space on set for her family throughout.
The story references several Bond adventures too. The opening sequence in particular recalls Licence to Kill.
Bronson
2008 · Vertigo Films
Talking of Tom Hardy, he got his break years earlier in the violent prison drama Bronson. Despite being mostly set in London, the shoot took in various jails around the country, including Stanford Hall, which stood in for Broadmoor prison. The crew also used St Ann's in Sherwood and Worksop, further out in the county.
This is perhaps the least stylised of director Nicolas Winding Refn's work. Unlike his later work, Drive, Only God Forgives, The Neon Demon and Valhalla Rising, which lean heavily on slow motion, vibrant colour and dizzying sound design, Bronson feels far more naturalistic.
A few choice trivia tidbits about Bronson
Refn never met the real Charles Bronson in person. As a foreign national he wasn't allowed to visit him in prison, but the two spoke on the phone twice, according to IMDb. Bronson wasn't allowed to see the finished cut until 2011, when he called it "theatrical, creative and brilliant." He was also impressed by how closely the actor had matched his physique and voice.
Charles Bronson buddied up with the infamous Kray Twins after being moved to Parkhurst Prison. Fittingly, Hardy went on to play both Kray twins in the 2015 film Legend.
This Is England
2006 · Warp Films
This coming of age story came from Shane Meadows, a director born in Uttoxeter but calling Nottingham home. The setting is fictional, but the crew used plenty of real, Nottingham-based streets and buildings.
RAF Newton doubled as the abandoned houses trashed early on. Ewe Lamb Lane became the cornershop. Church Square in Lenton was the underpass where the main character first meets the gang of misfits he becomes friends with, and Limmen Gardens was where protagonist Shaun Fields, a nod to the director's own name, lives. He was played by then-newcomer Thomas Turgoose.
The film is also known for launching several local young actors into the spotlight, including Vicky McClure, who went on to star in Line of Duty and Broadchurch, and Joseph Gilgun, who's appeared in Misfits, Netflix's Preacher and the film Pride.
Turgoose himself went on to star in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The Scouting Book for Boys, and another picture from the same director, Somers Town.
Many of these actors and actresses came up through the Bafta winning Television Workshop and appeared alongside established talent like Stephen Graham, known for Snatch, Band of Brothers, Gangs of New York and The Damned United. Frank Harper also plays a minor role as the leader of a neo Nazi organisation. Harper is known for Twenty Four Seven, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Bend It Like Beckham.
Weekend
2011 · The Bureau
Described as "perfectly realised" by the New York Times, director Andrew Haigh's project was made around the local railway station and along Carrington Street. The city accounted for the whole shoot, wrapped in a mere 16 days by a skeleton crew of between 10 and 15 people, far smaller than a typical 40-plus strong crew.
This romantic drama follows Russell, played by Tom Cullen, meeting a new lover in a nightclub and spending a weekend together.
For the more technical among you, Weekend was also notable as one of the earliest theatrical releases made on a Canon 5D Mk II, a DSLR camera built for stills, on a total budget of around £120,000. It helped kick off a run of projects made with lightweight kit and minimal artificial lighting, echoing the low budget, handheld filmmaking of decades before.
Control
2007 · Becker Films
This Ian Curtis biopic stars Sam Riley as the troubled Joy Division frontman, alongside Notts born and bred actress Samantha Morton. Toby Kebbell also appears, well known to fans of local cinema for playing Anthony in Meadows' Dead Man's Shoes.
The film marks the feature length debut of Anton Corbijn, whose background was in music promos and art led shorts for acts including Depeche Mode, U2 and Joni Mitchell.
Oranges & Sunshine
Emily Watson stars in this 1980s drama film, set in Nottingham and based on true events, brought together by an international team of British and Australian production companies.
Spiderman: Lost Cause
2014 · Digitalheart
This fan film was made entirely around Leicester, Rothley and other parts of Leicestershire, as well as the city itself. Previously unknown talent Joey Lever both starred in and directed this tribute to the popular franchise, made for a mere £7,000. It's had over 25 million hits and is available to watch in full.
Goal III
2009 · Milkshake Films
The footballing saga Goal brought the franchise here for its third outing. Made over two months at spots including the city's Market Square and Derby Road, it featured cameos from English footballing greats David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Robot Wars
1998 onwards · Mentorn
This was the classic smashing crazy extravaganza of machines versus more machines. It took place at RAF Newton, with the audience shielded from the chaos by bulletproof glass.
Originally hitting screens in 1998, it ran for six years until 2004, then returned in 2016 with presenter Craig Charles passing hosting duties to comedian Dara Ó Briain.
Mum & Dad
2008 · Film London
This grisly story from director Steven Sheil follows a truly dysfunctional family, and it's not for the faint hearted. The crew wrapped in 18 days, averaging 27 setups a day, working from a script written in just four weeks. The house where much of the action unfolds was actually an amalgamation of five different buildings.
It came together through the now defunct EM Media, working alongside talent incubation scheme Film London.
Bunny And The Bull
2009 · Screen Yorkshire
This trippy comedy from director Paul King was made entirely here. It follows Stephen, a man who suffers from agoraphobia.
The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner
1962 · Woodfall Film Productions
This 1962 classic, based on a novel by literary legend Alan Sillitoe, was brought to life by director Tony Richardson around the county. This was the debut of Tom Courtenay, who fans may know from Dad's Army, 45 Years and the TV series Unforgotten.
Richardson has noted that Courtenay wasn't keen on the aesthetic to begin with, and the pair clashed a fair bit on set. The now veteran actor has since come round to the director's style.
Saturday Night & Sunday Morning
1960 · Woodfall Film Productions
Another nod to Sillitoe's writing, this one is based on his novel of the same name. It offers a fairly bleak glimpse into Nottingham's industrial heritage, and stands as a defining example of British New Wave cinema and social realist "kitchen sink" storytelling.
This was one of the first cinema outings for theatre veteran Albert Finney, who went on to appear across British cinema, including the Bond caper Skyfall, The Bourne Legacy, Traffic, Erin Brockovich and the Coen brothers' Miller's Crossing.
Best Laid Plans
2012 · Moli Films
This story from director David Blair leans loosely on Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. It's both set and was made here, at spots including the Bath Inn in Sneinton and Lady Bay Bridge.
Woof!
1989 onwards · Central Independent Television
This children's TV series from the late eighties and nineties was based on the popular book of the same name. It was made in and around Nottingham and Birmingham.
Adrift In Soho
2018 · Burning Films
Despite the title, the film was shot in Nottingham, specifically in the Lace Market, Stoney Street and Broad Street. It also features many spots familiar to anyone who's had a night out in the city, including Brew Dog, Jam Cafe, Broadway and the Lord Roberts pub.
A Boy Called Dad
2009 · Made Up North Productions
This intense drama comes from director Brian Percival and features newcomer Kyle Ward as main character Robbie. Despite its coastal setting, much of it was made in the county, specifically Giltbrook and Eastwood. It also stars Ian Hart, known for his award winning work including Four Daughters.
Dead Walkers: Rise Of The 4th Reich
2013 · Sector 5 Films
No list is complete without a zombie flick. This one, from writer director Phillip Gardiner, was made in and around the county and Derby.
One For The Road
2003 · British Film Council
Based on a short film called Shifting Units, this picture from writer director Chris Cooke follows a group who meet on a rehabilitation course for drink drivers.
A Room For Romeo Brass
1999 · Arts Council England
One of Shane Meadow's earlier forays into cinema, this depicts a couple of best mates befriending a loner, played by Paddy Considine. The friendship between Considine and the director began while the pair were still studying photography in Burton upon Trent, not far away.
The Unloved
2009 · Revolution Films
This is actress Samantha Morton's first outing behind the camera, and an excruciatingly tense, at times hard to watch, tale of the failures in the care home system. It's a system Samantha knew all too well, given the story is partly autobiographical. Watch closely and you'll spot the young hero running down near the Forest Recreation Ground, before taking a long bus ride as the end credits play.
Magicians
2007 · Universal Pictures
For anyone chasing a post-Peep Show fix, this one pairs David Mitchell and Robert Webb back together, directed by fellow Peep Show veteran Andrew O'Connor. It takes in a grand tour of the UK, with settings running from Skegness to Waterloo, Jersey and RAF Duxford in Cambridgeshire. Not forgetting this city, where the final battle plays out inside its own Theatre Royal.
Is Nottingham Still a Filming Hotspot Today?
Yes. This corner of England didn't stop being interesting to crews in 2018. In recent years, the county has hosted a run of major film and TV work, and Nottingham City Council now runs a dedicated support service to help every crew and company shoot here, part of the city's pitch as a genuine global production destination.
Sherwood, the BBC crime drama written by James Graham, was made extensively across the county's former pit villages, using landmarks including the city's 17th century castle and Newstead Abbey. It's since run for two series with a third on the way, built entirely around the county's mining history.
Without Sin, a 2022 psychological thriller starring a local actress familiar from This Is England, took place across Forest Fields and Victoria Centre Market. Landscapers, the acclaimed drama starring Olivia Colman and David Thewlis, also filmed in the city.
We're proud to say Simply Thrilled has added its own chapter to that story. We're All Black Down Here is an original film set in a 1950s coal mine, written by Milly James and based on letters from her father, an Afro-Caribbean miner who worked in the county. It stars Jorden Myrie, familiar to fans of Sherwood, and was made with backing from the BFI Network. We worked 200 metres underground at the National Coal Mining Museum, carrying the lighting rig in by hand for most of the setups.
It's the kind of project that only happens because there's real depth behind the scenes here: crews, sites, funders and a community willing to open its doors to a story worth telling.
Got a film or TV project we missed? We'd love to hear about it.
From a Batman mansion to a real coal mine, this city keeps proving it has stories worth telling on screen, and we're lucky enough to help tell some of them ourselves. If you've got a brand film, TV or long-form idea you'd like to bring to life here, take a look at our long-form work, or get in touch and let's talk about it. You can also see the rest of what we get up to at Simply Thrilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What films have been made in Nottingham?
The city and its county have hosted everything from Hollywood blockbusters to British classics such as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. Recent additions include the BBC drama Sherwood and Simply Thrilled's own We're All Black Down Here.
2. Why do so many crews choose Nottingham?
It packs a genuine range of looks into one compact area, with Elizabethan halls, industrial streets and ancient forest all working as filming locations within a few miles of each other. Add a strong local crew base, two universities feeding talent into the trade, and council support for shoots, and it's an easy place to work.
3. Did a real building double as Batman's home?
Yes. An Elizabethan hall on the edge of the city stood in for Bruce Wayne's family home in the 2012 film, with cameras there in July 2011. It remains a popular visitor attraction today.
4. What's currently being made in Nottinghamshire?
Sherwood is the highest profile recent example, now running to a third series, alongside earlier work like Without Sin and Landscapers.
5. Can you visit these film sites?
Most are open to the public, including Newstead Abbey and several spots used in Sherwood. The county's ancient forest, another regular backdrop, welcomes visitors year round too.
