Oscar-winning actor's visit to Berwick set to hit the big screen
Last updated 28th Apr 2023
A movie partially shot in Berwick, and starring an Oscar-winning actor, will get its first screening in the town later.
Jim Broadbent visited Northumberland in late 2021 to shoot scenes for The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, in which he plays the title character.
It's based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Joyce, who also wrote the screenplay.
And tells the story of Harold as he walks from Devon to Berwick Upon Tweed after learning his friend, Queenie, is dying.
He sets off to the post office to send her a letter and decides to keep on walking: all the way to her hospice, 450 miles away.
Filming took place at several locations, including at West Street and Spittal beach.
And it's hoped the movie's release in cinemas across the UK - including the Maltings Theatre - could help attract more visitors to England's most northerly town.
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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which is described as a story of rediscovery and transformation, is the first work from Director Hettie Macdonald since the successful BBC series Normal People.
It's not the first time the spotlight has been shone on Berwick, however. Other productions to have taken advantage of the town's spectacular setting have included Netflix film Outlaw King, starring Chris Pine; and TV programmes Vera and Top Gear.
And Broadbent is no stranger to the big screen himself, having played starring roles in the likes of Moulin Rouge, Bridget Jones's Diary, Gangs of New York, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter.
Today's screenings at the Maltings in Berwick start at 2pm and 7.30pm. The film will be repeated at various times over the coming weeks until May 24th.
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