Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.edp24.co.uk
From the coast at Holkham to the streets of Norwich, these stars all filmed scenes in the county for major movies.
1. Florence Pugh – Fighting With My Family (2019)
Florence Pugh taking a break from filming at Norwich Market (Image: Newsquest)
Before becoming a Hollywood A-lister, Florence Pugh spent time filming in the county for wrestling biopic Fighting With My Family.
The film, released in 2019, is based on the story of Norwich-born star Paige as she attempts to make it in the WWE while navigating the pressures of fame and family.
It also stars Dwayne Johnson, Lena Headey and Nick Frost.
Scenes were shot at locations including Norwich Market and Mousehold Heath, with Pugh taking the lead role.
2. Robert Downey Jr – Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Iron Man and Avengers star Robert Downey Jr meets Lewis Olsen, three, from Dereham while filming in Norwich. (Image: Sarah Gray)
Marvel brought one of the world’s biggest film franchises to Norfolk when Avengers: Age of Ultron filmed at the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia.
Released in 2015, the film used the futuristic building as the Avengers’ headquarters, meaning scenes featuring Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark were filmed in the city .
The superhero blockbuster sees Iron Man accidentally create the artificial intelligence Ultron, who decides humanity must be wiped out.
3. Kristen Stewart – Spencer (2021)
Kristen Stewart, who plays Princess Diana, on Hunstanton beach for the filming of ‘Spencer’. (Image: Linda Hall)
Oscar-nominated actress Kristen Stewart filmed parts of Spencer in Norfolk while portraying Princess Diana.
Set over a tense Christmas holiday at Sandringham in 1991, the film, which was released in 2021, imagines the moments when Princess Diana decides her marriage to Prince Charles can no longer continue, with Stewart receiving an Oscar nomination for her performance.
Although the royal estate itself was recreated elsewhere, scenes were filmed at Hunstanton beach and St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Shropham.
4. Natalie Portman – Annihilation (2018)
First assistant director Matthew Penry Davey, director Alex Garland and Natalie Portman on the set of Annihilation on Holkham beach. (Image: Paramount/Netflix)
Oscar winner Natalie Portman headed to the north Norfolk coast while filming the science-fiction thriller Annihilation.
The film sees a biologist join a dangerous expedition into a mysterious zone known as The Shimmer, where the laws of nature appear to have broken down and strange mutations have taken hold.
Parts of the 2018 film were shot at Holkham beach, with the vast stretch of sand providing a dramatic backdrop for scenes in the movie.
5. Judi Dench – Tulip Fever (2017)
Dame Judi Dench in Norwich cathedral with David Mills, left, and Steffan Griffiths during her visit to the city. (Image: Newsquest)
Dame Judi Dench was among the star-studded cast of period drama Tulip Fever.
Set in 17th-century Amsterdam during the tulip boom, the romantic drama follows a wealthy merchant’s wife who falls in love with the artist hired to paint her portrait, leading to a dangerous affair.
Filming took place in Norfolk during 2014, with locations including Norwich Cathedral and Holkham Hall used to recreate 17th-century Amsterdam for the film, which was released in 2017.
6. Dev Patel – The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020)
Dev Patel taking time out from filming the Armando Iannucci movie The Personal History of David Copperfield on Weybourne beach (Image: Tim Groves)
Oscar-nominated actor Dev Patel spent time filming in Norfolk for Armando Iannucci’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel, The Personal History of David Copperfield.
During production in 2018, scenes were shot in King’s Lynn and on Weybourne beach, where parts of the north Norfolk coast were transformed into a Dickensian landscape.
It follows the character’s journey from a difficult childhood to adulthood as he navigates poverty, friendship, love and personal ambition in Victorian England.
The movie also features a star-studded cast including Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi and Ben Whishaw.
7. Gwyneth Paltrow – Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Gwyneth Paltrow won an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
Gwyneth Paltrow was among the Hollywood stars to film in Norfolk when scenes for the romantic comedy-drama Shakespeare in Love were shot at Holkham beach.
The film tells the story of a fictional romance between a young William Shakespeare and noblewoman Viola de Lesseps, played by Paltrow, whose relationship inspires the playwright as he writes Romeo and Juliet.
Shakespeare in Love won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, while Paltrow received the Oscar for Best Actress.
