Written by Kianna Best on Feb 5, 2024. Posted in Production News

Bristol doubles for 1970’s Jamaica and London in Disney+ series Black Cake

Disney +’s newest drama series Black Cake travelled to Bristol for the filming of two key featured locations. Facilitated by the city’s film office, major locations in Bristol closed off for transformations. The series, adapted from Charmaine Wilkerson’s best selling novel of the same name, is available to streaming now.

 

 

“Bristol’s preserved quayside is consistently popular with film and TV productions seeking period dockside settings, with its unique combination of working cranes, steam railway, transit shed and, of course, the superb 1940’s MV Balmoral,” commented Laura Aviles, head of film at Bristol City Council. “From enquiry through to shoot, Bristol Film Office liaises closely with the MShed, Cranes and Balmoral teams, making sure everything is in place for filming to run smoothly. The fact that Black Cake carried out not one, but two large-scale outdoor shoots in Bristol really shows the confidence productions have in the Film Office and the fact that Bristol can suit all kinds of international location needs. The business this brings in is great news for our film industry and wider economy.”

 

 

Set in multiple locations including Jamaica, Italy, Scotland, England and Southern California, Black Cake is a drama wrapped murder mystery centred around familial dynamics and conflicts of culture. Contributing to it’s key Jamaican settings, Bristol stepped up to the plate, closing off the Princes Wharf for its transformation into Jamaica’s Port Royal Harbour. A key location in the 1970’s era of the Caribbean Island, the transformation included the presence of the vintage MV Balmoral standing in place of the Windrush vessel carrying passengers form Jamaica to England.

 

 

Ben Mangham, Black Cake’s Supervising location manager, said: “Bristol Film Office and the Balmoral team led by Rob Skuse immediately understood the brief and were invaluable in bringing Port Royal Harbour to Princes Wharf Bristol. Although the fabulous MV Balmoral is not quite an Atlantic crossing Windrush vessel of the time, it is a beautiful period-correct ship with a hugely experienced (mostly volunteer) team less than one hour from our studio.

 

 

"The Dock with its impressive cargo cranes of yesteryear (operational still) and the sleek lines of MV Balmoral combined wonderfully with the design team’s Jamaican dock set dressing - for a brief moment, a small part of Bristol docks was transformed into a busy embarkation point for islanders starting their journey to Britain," Mangham added. "The Balmoral Trust are becoming experts in film production with quite an impressive list of credits to date. It was a pleasure to work with Rob and his team and we are pleased that our donation will help keep MV Balmoral doing what she does best - educating the children of today and reminding us all of a time when travel was stylish, elegant and fun.”

 

 

Black Cake follows runway bride Covey who disappears in the surf of the Jamaican coast, feared drowned or fleeing accusations of being her husband’s murderer. Alongside in present day, widower Eleanor Bennett of Southern California loses her battle with cancer, leaving her children Benny and Byron a flash drive of untold stories of her journey from the Caribbean to America. The eight episode unravelling of this history stars Mia Isaac, Adrienne Warren, Chipo Chung, Ashley Thomas, Lashay Anderson, Faith Alabi and Glynn Turman, as well as recurring guest stars Ahmed Eljah, Simon Wan, and Sonita Henry. Marissa Jo Cerar serves as showrunner and executive producer, the latter role served alongside Aarone Kaplan, Carla Gardini, Brian Morewitz, Charmaine Wilkerson, and Michael Lohmann. Black Cake is a Two Drifters, Harpo Films, and Kapital Entertainment production. The series is also produced by ABC Signature.

 

 

Images courtesy of Disney+