Liverpool Selected As Fantastic Beasts Location

Two locations in Liverpool have been used as filming locations in the new movie, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, by Warner Bros Pictures.

The film, which delivers a new era of J. K. Rowling's wizarding world, stars Eddie Redmayne as Magizoologist Newt Scamander. The feature is set in New York, 1926, as Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an array of magical creatures. He arrives in New York for a brief stopover, but a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Scamander's fantastic beasts, could bring trouble for the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.

For the movie, Liverpool Film Office helped secured the city's role as the only filming location outside of Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, where the filmmaking team built 1926 New York from the ground up. Two of the city's buildings play a leading role in the film; the Cunard Building doubled for an empty department store where Newt Scamander and his friends locate two of his missing beasts, while St. George's Hall became a banquet hall for a black tie event that is disrupted by mysterious events.

David Yates, Director, said: "Liverpool is a wonderful place to film – the locations, the people, the welcome we felt and support we had when making Fantastic Beasts in the city was second to none."

David Heyman, Producer, added: "We were thrilled to film Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them in Liverpool, a city which has such fond memories for me. My mother is from Liverpool and, as a child, we would often visit family there. The architecture in this beautiful city works perfectly for our film, set in 1920s New York."

Lynn Saunders, Film Officer Manager, commented: "A huge amount of planning went into the nine-day shoot in the city. Cast, crew and extras totalled over 1,100 and with 18 months' preparation we ensured all aspects of the filming ran as smoothly as it possible could. Achieving such a smooth operation did not just magically happen like the magical case in which Newt hides his fantastic beasts, it was realised with the support of numerous council departments, local infrastructure companies, support delivery agencies as well as our very patient neighbours."

Councillor Wendy Simon, Cabinet Member responsible for the Liverpool Film Office, added: "We were one of many locations the production team looked at, so for us to come out on top is a testament to the expertise, experience and enthusiasm of our Film Officer team, packaged with the stunning venues we have to offer. We are no stranger to big movies being filmed on the city streets, but without a doubt, this new adventure will create a real buzz and re-emphasise Liverpool's reputation as one of the most filmed cities outside London."

www.liverpoolfilmoffice.tv

(JP/LM)