SCARLETT Johansson, Sam Heughan, Idris Elba and many, many others ... more and more stars find themselves plying their trade in Scotland as our TV and film industry continues its ascendancy.
Although Covid-19 took its toll, as Scotland prepares to welcome another Hollywood blockbuster to its streets, it's a perfect time to reflect on the fantastic productions this nation has attracted.
Just to prove how strong Scotland's list is, we haven't even mentioned Trainspotting, James Bond, Harry Potter or World War Z...
We've picked out nine of the best of the rest – and one final production that acts as a painful reminder of the dire cost of being stuck in the Union.
INDIANA JONES 5 (TBA)
The streets of Glasgow have been decked out in the star-spangled banner as Indy is rumoured to be coming to town – a clear portent of a Yes vote in the near future, too.
Perhaps Harrison Ford’s most famed role alongside Han Solo in Star Wars (arguments otherwise in the comments below, please!), the latest Indiana Jones offering is going to be filming in Scotland, and all signs point to the props in Glasgow being for this.
Director James Mangold will be filming in the same area of the city as the next item in this list – and it’s another great get for the country’s industry.
FAST & FURIOUS (2019)
Not one, but two entries in the Fast & Furious franchise brought their legendary stunts to Scotland.
Fast & Furious 9 starred the likes of Vin Diesel, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron.
Vin’s Dom Toretto is caught up in a global plot involving a lethal assassin, and among the locations that plays out in is Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Meanwhile, the team behind Hobbs and Shaw (aka The Rock and Jason Statham) opted for the Glasgow streets now hosting the Indiana Jones team.
Streets were cordoned off for filming of Idris Elba’s super-soldier and some very impressive supercars, with the city dressed up to play the part of London (no, Gordon Brown, you can’t use that as an argument for the Union – stick to Coronation Street).
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR AND ENDGAME (2018 and 2019)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth – and after a decade of groundwork, the Avengers were fully assembling for their biggest challenge yet.
The action in Infinity War took to Edinburgh, featuring a chippie and an impressive aerial view of Waverley Station, among others.
Action stars battling baddies inside the building included Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Captain America (Chris Evans) – though train service might have benefitted if they’d brought Dr Strange and his time-bending powers along.
Meanwhile, in Endgame, Chris Hemsworth's Thor was getting a little R&R, with production shooting those scenes in the small fishing village of St Abbs.
Joe Russo, MCU boss alongside brother Anthony, said: “Scotland offers an incredible amount as a film location. There are very different looks between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Within an hour you can be to the coast, you can be to the lochs, you can be to the mountains. It’s a really diverse topography.”
THE PRINCESS SWITCH: SWITCHED AGAIN (2020)
We think it’s important to highlight Scotland’s range in all things – so let’s go from action blockbuster to Christmas romcom.
The Princess Switch: Switched Again stars Vanessa Hudgens as Duchess Margaret who, after inheriting the throne to Montenaro, has to deal with all the confusion, trouble and opportunities of not two… but three lookalikes!
Locations in Scotland used by the Netflix movie included Hopetoun House near Edinburgh, Mimi’s Bakehouse in Leith and Glasgow Cathedral.
OUTLANDER (ONGOING)
This list wouldn’t be complete without the mega-hit that is Outlander, and not just because star Sam Heughan does such an excellent job of calling out this terrible UK Government we’re stuck with.
The time-travel drama brings together Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall with Sam’s Jamie Fraser in an adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s books set in Scotland.
It’s driven tourism to Scotland in a massive way, to the extent that the “Outlander Effect” is a term widely understood and used.
The show has fans all across the world, and they help keep the show going, boosting multiple Scottish industries in a big way.
OUTLAW KING (2018)
With Scotland having so much natural beauty and being steeped in history, it’s unsurprising that so many period pieces make their way here.
Scottish history has provided inspiration for many a great tale – Game of Thrones’s infamous Red Wedding was directly inspired by the Black Dinner, and many more influences are present in George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series.
Other times, the adaptations are more direct, and that’s the case for Outlaw King and its portrayal of a war for independence.
Chris Pine stars alongside the likes of Florence Pugh and James Cosmo in this telling of Robert The Bruce’s incredible defeat of the English, directed by David Mackenzie and produced by Gillian Berrie.
Another Netflix film, it also facilitated Scotland’s biggest ever single-film trainee initiative, and proved to be a solid hit for the streaming service.
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS (2019)
Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden, David Tennant, Joe Alwyn, Martin Compston… Mary Queen of Scots boasted a cast almost as impressive as its costuming.
This historical flick focused on the relationship between Saoirse’s Mary and Margot’s Elizabeth, as director Josie Rourke and screenwriter Beau Willimon used a feminist framework to guide their retelling.
Shooting locations included Edinburgh, East Lothian, Glencoe and Strathdon, showcasing some stunning Scottish natural beauty.
UNDER THE SKIN (2013)
Scarlett Johansson would have been used to filming in Scotland by the time Avengers rolled around, as she’d already had an ample taste of it in Under The Skin.
Not a blockbuster Hollywood hit like many on this list, it remains an oft-praised film from director Jonathan Glazer starring Scarlett as an alien hunting human prey.
The A24 production was shot entirely in Scotland over the course of eight weeks, including in Argyll, Black Mount Estate, Auchmithie beach and Tantallon castle.
1917 (2019)
That would be the film 1917, shot in the year 2019, directed by Sam Mendes and co-written by a rising star of Hollywood screenwriting from Scotland – Krysty Wilson-Cairns.
She scored an Oscar nomination for this movie, set during the First World War and telling the story of two soldiers tasked with delivering a crucial message.
It was filmed in Govan and cast members included George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman and Richard Madden.
Krysty's career is only on the way up, too – co-writing Edgar Wright's upcoming Last Night In Soho, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, and Taika Waititi's untitled Star Wars film. Hopefully she'll put in a good word for Scotland!
LORD OF THE RINGS (Well, actually…)
This is one that didn’t make it to Scotland – and let us explain why.
Amazon's in-production Lord Of The Rings TV series has a budget of £336 million for just one season. That’s a lot of money, with much going into New Zealand’s economy where it’s being filmed.
However, Scotland was heavily in the race to add Lord Of The Rings to the impressive catalogue of productions above. So, what cost us?
According to a “high-level film industry insider”, the uncertainty caused by Brexit put the producers off shooting here and made New Zealand a safer choice.
That would be the Brexit that every single region in Scotland voted against. That would be the Brexit that Unionists in 2014 laughed off any suggestion of, assuring Scots that the only way to stay in the EU was a vote against independence.
Instead, being in the Union contributed to our industry losing this hugely lucrative contract. So, for all the successes above, we could be doing even better yet.
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