Liverpool’s stunning architecture and gorgeous waterfront has always attracted the eyes of tourists and movie location scouts alike. Over the past few decades, some of the biggest movies and TV shows have chosen Liverpool as the backdrop for their storytelling. If you’re a fan of the movies and visiting Liverpool, make sure you spot some of these striking city streets and buildings as they form a cinematic backdrop.
1. Water Street
Image Source: Liverpool Echo
Water Street has turned out to be a surprising favorite for film and TV crews. Hugh Grant and Simon Helberg walked the street as Liverpool doubled up as New York of 1940s in Florence Foster Jenkins. Many scenes from Sky One / NOW TV drama Curfew have also been filmed extensively in Water Street. It was also featured in period drama Houdini and Doyle.
2. St. George’s Hall
Image Source: Twitter
This magnificent building is yet another favorite of film makers across the world. One of the recent movies shot here include Tolkein – a biopic featuring X-Men and About A Boy star Nicholas Hoult. Apart from this, you can also find St George’s Hall as a setting for New York in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, featuring Oscar winning actor Eddie Redmayne.
3. Cunard Buildings
Image Source: Liverpool Echo
If you’re a fan of the hit Netflix drama The Crown, you’ll be surprised to find that this series on the life of Queen Elizabeth II, was filmed on location at Liverpool’s Cunard Building. Along with the city’s waterfront, this building was transformed to look like US capital city Washington DC. You can also find this building in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
4. Stanley Dock
Image Source: Liverpool Echo
Stanley Dock is probably one of the most iconic locations in Liverpool. The grade II listed buildings in the Vauxhall area were the backdrop for filming the 2011 hit Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Another member of the Avengers family Chris Evans, filmed in this area for his superhero film Captain America: The First Avengers. It’s safe to say the Stanley Dock is a ‘Marvel’ous location for superstars. Apart from this, television series Peaky Blinders was also extensively shot here.
5. Liverpool Town Hall
Image Source: Liverpool Echo
Some of the most famous silver screen classics have been filmed in and around Liverpool’s grand town hall. From the 1981 hit Chariots of Fire, The Hunt for Red October (1990), as well as Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) were all shot here. The Town Hall also provided the backdrop for the series Houdini and Doyle, and several scenes from American biographical drama Tolkein about English writer J.R.R. Tolkein were also shot here.
6. The Birkenhead Tunnel
Image Source: Signatures Liverpool
Stretching for two miles under the River Mersey, The Birkenhead Tunnel was used for high-speed chase in Fast and Furious 6 back in 2013. A four day shoot took over the tunnel in 2010 when scenes for Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part One were filmed. The tunnel can be seen when Harry and Hagrid fly through it on their motorbike sidecar while being chased by Death Eaters. Did you spot the Birkenhead tunnel when you watched these movies?
7. Crosby and Formby Beach
Image Source: Liverpool Echo
Either Jude Law loves Liverpool just as much as others, or he’s just been lucky enough to have acted with directors who enjoy shooting in Liverpool. Filming for Alfie took place on Crosby beach, a favorite among tourists and visitors alike. Scenes from the movie Million, directed by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, were also shot here and on Formby beach. More recently, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy were spotted filming scenes for Peaky Blinders on Formby beach.
Year after year, Liverpool has been chosen to be transformed into the backdrop for TV shows and films, including everything from the Fast and Furious franchise, the Harry Potter movies, to the BBC hit series Peaky Blinders. The city has played starring role on the silver as well as small screens for decades. Many big names in the film industry have shown their interest in what Liverpool’s stunning locations have to offer. Large projects have chosen Merseyside as a base for filming the city’s stunning docks and beaches, to capture the perfect big screen moments.
On your next visit to Liverpool, make sure you notice all these places and reminisce some good times you had at the movies. Get around the city by putting up base at FM Living in the heart of Liverpool’s business and leisure district. Stay at our comfortable, luxurious serviced apartments right in the centre of the city and explore Liverpool’s cinematic locales at your own pace.
