Netflix' The Crown - London's regal backdrop
Netflix’s fictionalised series about the first decade of the Queen’s reign has launched, with London providing the backdrop for several key scenes.
The lavish ten-part drama cost a reported £100m, is expected to run over several seasons, and is inspired by Peter Morgan’s play The Audience. Left Bank Pictures produce.
Various London locations were used during the lengthy shoot, which ran for eight months from July 2015.
Period buildings and backdrops in boroughs including Haringey, Bromley, Lambeth, Southwark and Camden played a role, with many already lined up for Series 2, which started filming around a month ago.
A scene set in the 1950s, which sees John Lithgow as Winston Churchill, used the old town hall in Bromley to portray the Conservative Party HQ. The casting of Lithgow – a foot taller than Churchill was - also meant that the door of 10 Downing Street had to be made bigger to maintain the right proportions.
A house in Camden’s Fitzroy Square provided the setting for the home of Group Captain Peter Townsend, whose romance with Princess Margaret caused huge controversy at the time.
The borough of Camden was also involved in January this year when the west courtyard of Senate House in Malet Street provided the setting for a state parade in Australia, as pictured below.
Southwark Cathedral and old Hornsey Town Hall in Haringey were also used for their lush interiors, and there are shots of Bedford Row and the Palace of Westminster.
FilmFixer manages the film office service for Haringey, Bromley, Lambeth, Southwark and Camden Councils. FilmFixer director Karen Everett says, “There’s no overstating the production values Netflix brought to this series.
“I like to think that, just as the drama will help us see the Queen through fresh eyes, so will its important locations – many of which we pass on the street regularly without noticing particularly.”
For more on The Crown Series 2 log into Production Intelligence.
Official photos via Netflix and Alex Bailey. Senate House set photo via Lise Colyer of FilmFixer.
Also on The Knowledge
Shetland wins double recommission
The BBC has ordered two more series of detective drama Shetland with the first (Series 9) filming this month.
Bank of Dave the Sequel begins northern shoot
Filming gets underway today (26 February) on the Netflix sequel to 2023 feature Bank of Dave with shooting taking place largely in Burnley and Leeds.
Filming underway on new series of Strike
Strike, The Ink Black Heart – the sixth instalment of the detective drama - has begun filming.
Feature film Lola and Freddie to shoot in London this summer
A new feature film, Lola and Freddie, will shoot in London locations this summer with Naomie Harris, Joel Fry, Jameela Jamil and Olivia Lee leading the cast.
Construction commences on BBC's West Midlands production hub as new series is greenlit
Ground has been broken on The Tea Factory, a new BBC production hub in the West Midlands that promises to be the BBC’s greenest building, with a new series featuring Billy Billingham to be produced in the region.
Ralph Fiennes to direct and star in The Beacon
Ralph Fiennes is set to make his screenwriting feature debut with The Beacon; he will also direct.