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Credit: Far Out / Alamy / HBO / K. Mitch Hodge
How Belfast became the European Hollywood
Game Of Thrones changed the cultural fabric of Northern Ireland forever, and as a result, Belfast is now firmly on its way to becoming the Hollywood of Europe. The industry that stands today would have been improbable if it wasn’t for the rolling green hills that formed the backdrop for the HBO show, and it only looks like it will continue to grow for the foreseeable future.
Getting the industry in its healthy position today has taken over a decade of hard work combined with a slice of luck from mother nature. In 2012, local producer Andrew Eaton told The Guardian: “The combination of the UK film tax credit and additional funding from Northern Ireland Screen has helped,” says Eaton. “Getting Game of Thrones was a great coup for the North. I think the combination of locations, acting talent and available studio space must have been factors for HBO.”
The responsibility of creating the world’s most popular television show was one that Northern Ireland took seriously. They passed the test with flying colours and proved they were equipped to challenge anything. Since then, it has only continued to prosper and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Additionally, according to NI Screen, HBO’s decision to film in Northern Ireland provided the local economy with a £251million boost.
Due to demand to film in the capital, they are currently working on building an extra six stages across Belfast Harbour, which will create all-star productions. Not only does Northern Ireland have the studios and the beautiful landscapes, but because of the growth over the last decade, it’s now home to skilled employees too.
Speaking to The Irish Times in 2019, Cameron Cuffe, who starred in the Syfy series Krypton, which was filmed at Belfast Harbour studios, the actor boldly claimed: “Belfast is becoming the Hollywood of Europe”. In the three years since he made this prediction, Cuffe has been proven correct as more high-profile productions have flocked to the capital of Northern Ireland.
The Northman, which starred Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgård, was filmed at Belfast Harbour studios and on location. They built King Aurvandill’s village at Torr Head on the coast of County Antrim and re-created medieval Scandinavia in beauty spots such as Larne, Clandeboye Estate, Shane’s Castle, and the River Bann.
Game Of Thrones, meanwhile, showcased the idyllic surroundings of Northern Ireland for a price that money can’t buy and also put sufficient infrastructure in place to make it an alluring opportunity for production companies.
While the landscapes Northern Ireland has to offer are the primary reason these big productions are coming to the country, the world-class facilities at Belfast Harbour studios is the catalyst for their recent fruitful partnership with Netflix.
In 2021, the upcoming Paul Feig-directed fantasy film The School for Good and Evil was in production for 20 weeks at the studios and locations such as St Anne’s Cathedral and Castle Archdale. Reportedly, most of the crew working on the film were Northern Irish residents, estimated to be around 372.
Kevin Hart has spent a chunk of 2022 at Belfast Harbour Studios shooting the upcoming Netflix heist movie, Lift. While location shots have been filmed across Europe, they’ve used Belfast as their studio base, confirming that it’s now competing with the continent’s crème de la crème.
The cherry on the icing for the city’s appeal came from Kenneth Brannagh’s masterpiece, Belfast. Richard Williams, chief executive of Northern Ireland Screen, told the BBC: “Having a film named after our capital city at the Oscars is huge profile, it’s huge credibility. We’ve been out here for meetings with the streamers, and the studios and everyone is congratulating us on the success of Belfast”.
He added: “In fact, in one meeting, I was talking to some executive and glanced behind me to realise that Belfast was coming up on the moving screen behind me. It’s huge for us.”
It truly is a mouth-watering time for the Northern Irish film industry. Yes, it’s punching well above its weight, but nowhere else can offer the same combination of scenic backdrops and state-of-the-art facilities. For these two reasons, Belfast has become the natural choice for filmmakers seeking a European location.
