Written by Tom Deehan on Nov 22, 2016. Posted in On Location / Production News

North-West London offers 1940s backdrop for Brad Pitt’s Allied

Christchurch Hill in North-West London features as a major location in Robert Zemeckis’s war-time drama Allied, starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. The production took over the London street in March 2016 before visiting Hampstead Heath and Blythe House in West Kensington.

Set at the height of the Second World War, Allied depicts the dilemma of Max Vatan (Pitt), a Canadian Intelligence Officer who receives a tip that his wife (Cotillard) might in fact be a German sleeper spy.

Filming also moved further south to Southwark in May, with interior and exterior shots taken at Pullens Yard. The area is known for its cobble stone streets and buildings that date back to the 1870s. The modern side of Southwark could be seen in the recent release of Bridget Jones’s Baby.

FilmFixer Director Karen Everett explains of the shoot: “once again, London has managed to provide for a huge production, with A-list talent. The capital has the period locations, the space and infrastructure to manage these films efficiently and sensitively. We’re looking forward to seeing how it renders up on the big screen.”

When the London shoots were completed, the production traveled once more to Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. The islands have been featured in a number of recent productions including Jason Bourne and Exodus: Gods and Kings.

By filming on an international scale, Allied will have had access to two major incentive programmes. The UK incentive offers a 25% tax rebate on expenditures under GBP25 million, while the Canary Islands variant provides a 35% tax rebate on a minimum spend of EUR1 million.

For detailed information about the UK production industry, Film Offices UK (FO:UK) will be attending FOCUS – the meeting place for international production in December. Register your attendance today for free.

(Photo credit: Karen Everett).