Ridley Scott’s medieval epic Robin Hood, which filmed on location in Hertfordshire, has the honour of opening the 63rd Cannes Film Festival this year and is released nationwide on May 14th
Oscar winner Russell Crowe stars as the legendary crusader of the people, Robin Hood, whose exploits have long been immortalised on the silver screen. Set in 13th century England, Robin (Russell Crowe) and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown. Robin must also win the affection of the recently widowed Lady Marian (Cate Blanchett) while leading his Merry Men of Sherwood Forest to victory and fairness. The film reunites English director Ridley Scott and Hollywood great Russell Crowe whose previous collaborations include multi Oscar award winning Gladiator.
The National Trust’s Ashridge Estate located in Dacorum Borough of Hertfordshire on the edge of the Chiltern Hills took a starring role in the Hollywood epic. Extensive scenes were filmed at Thunderdell Wood, a 17th Century plantation featuring a range of mature trees where the woodland depicted the road to London. A medieval farmstead was also constructed to film scenes where Robin and his Merry Men stopped to ask directions. A field in the park immediately adjacent to the wood was used to house an enormous unit base of over 600 cast and crew who were on location at the Ashridge Estate for four months, equating to six days worth of shooting.
Graeme Cannon, Property Manager at Ashridge Estate, said: “The income the filming generated to the property was very important, however it was also great fun and hard work to be involved in such a major production with such a high profile director and cast”.
The film friendliness and diverse range of locations available in the East of England means that Hollywood blockbusters such as Robin Hood are regularly filming on location in the region. Screen East, the regional screen agency for the East of England, estimates £38.5 million has been generated in the regional economy during 2009/10 as a result of film and television location filming, which includes films such as Robin Hood, Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part I, Inception and Gulliver’s Travels, all of which are due for release later this year.
Kerry Ixer, Head of Locations and Inward Investment at Screen East, said: “Despite the challenging environment for television, which has had an impact on location filming activity in some areas, feature film is alive and well. This has resulted in a record year for location filming in 2009/10 giving local East of England businesses a valuable economic boost through location fees and the purchase of local skills and services”.