Filming for Sam Mendes movie Lumiere (Empire of Light) will begin in Margate on February 28 and run through to May 21.
The site known as ‘Godden’s Gap’ on Margate seafront has been transformed with the temporary build of an Art Deco style cinema to be used for the love story starring star award-winning The Crown actress Olivia Colman and Micheal Ward, of Top Boy fame, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Tanya Moodie and Crystal Clarke. The film will be set in the 1980s.
Dreamland’s neon sign on the fin of the Grade II* listed cinema has been replaced with Empire Cinema signs and the 20,000ft set at Godden’s Gap contains a replica of Dreamland’s old cinema, including the staircase and chandeliers, with a ticket booth outside.
Margate seafront has also had festoon lights installed going up to the Old Town.
Mr Mendes is known for works including James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre and the war film 1917 as well as numerous West End stage shows. He has written Empire of Light, making it his first original solo screenplay. He will also direct and produce with Pippa Harris of Neal Street. Cinematographer Roger Deakins, who won an Oscar for best cinematography at the Academy Awards for his work on 1917, is also involved.
Some 1,600 people responded to a call from casting company Two 10 Casting to be extras in the film with 800 of those being successful.
The Lumiere location team has been liaising with schools, traders and other organisations ahead of the production to try and keep disruption to a minimum.
The team say direct benefits will include employment for set creation work but also income to restaurants, shops and local businesses while indirect benefits will include an expected boost to tourism.
They said: “After a long search around the South coast of England, our producers and director chose Margate as the central location for this film. The town has a wealth of wonderful locations, which include the cinematic seafront and iconic Dreamland buildings. In addition, we have scenes set within the heritage streets in the Old Town, and inside local shops and cafes.
“Our project is set in the 1980s, which creates a number of challenges for us in camera, especially for all our exterior scenes. We are working very closely with the Highways team and the Kent Film Office in proposing a limited number of road closures, and a number of days where we hope to implement intermittent traffic control on various roads within the town.
“As well as intermittent traffic holds around the filming locations we would also look to ask pedestrians to hold for short periods of time while we are filming. These will only last a maximum of a couple of minutes at a time as we want to be as little of an inconvenience to daily life as possible.”
The film industry is a valuable source of income for Thanet. In 2020/21 Thanet council estimates the value was in excess of £770,000.
Productions on the isle are wide-ranging and include photoshoots for magazines, music videos for a whole range of musicians, television dramas, comedy programmes, short films and feature films.
These have included films Lady in the Van with Dame Maggie Smith and King of Thieves with Sir Michael Caine as well as TV series Eastenders, Top Boy, The Tunnel, The Larkins and Killing Eve.
A Lumiere production spokesperson said: “Having a film come to an area has a direct and indirect economic benefit to the local economy. During production, the immediate direct economic benefits include the crew staying in local accommodation, eating out in local establishments, hiring local labour, sourcing local fresh produce, using local equipment, vehicles, trades, materials, all to create the temporary sets required.
“The indirect benefit is often discrete and not often considered, but the British Film Commission has data showing the indirect effects are often in the form of tourism. Attractions, hotels and restaurants experience higher income and employment on account of tourism visits, stimulated by the desire to visit filming locations or settings once a film has been released to a general audience. Not only in the UK but potentially worldwide.
“Our primary focus is not only achieving a successful shoot, but leaving a positive ‘tourism’ legacy for the town, for years to come.”
As part of the shoot there will be a number of road closures, some intermittent traffic holds and the team may ask pedestrians to hold for short periods of time while they are filming. The team is also expected to film inside the Old Town Hall on March 1-2.
ROAD CLOSURES
| Friday 4th March | Fort Paragon Marine Terrace Marine Drive |
From 1600 – 2100 From 2130 – 0400 From 2130 – 0100 (not concurrently with Marine Terrace) |
| Tuesday 15th March | Hall by the Sea Road | From 0700 – 1800 |
| Monday 21st March | Albert Terrace Marine Drive | From 0700 – 1900
From 1000 – 1900 |
| Tuesday 22nd March | Market Street | From 1800 – 0300 |
| Thursday 24th March | Hall by the Sea Road | From 1400 – 0600 |
| Friday 25th March | Hall by the Sea Road | From 1400 – 0600 |
| Wednesday 30th March | Marine Terrace | From 0930 – 1430 |
| Thursday 31st March | Marine Terrace | From 0930 – 1430 |
| Friday 1st April | Marine Terrace | From 0930 – 1430 |
| Monday 4th April | Marine Terrace | From 0930 – 1430 |
| Tuesday 5th April | Marine Terrace | From 0930 – 1430 |
| Monday 25th April | Fort Paragon Athelstan Road | From 0800 – 1700
From 1500 – 1900 |
| Wednesday 27th April | Marine Terrace | From 0930 – 1430 |
| Thursday 28th April | Marine Terrace | From 0930 – 1430 |
| Friday 29th April | Marine Terrace | From 0930 – 1430 |
| Friday 6th May | King Street
Cliff Terrace |
From 0800 – 0230
From 2300 – 0530 |
| Monday 16th May | Marine Drive | From 1100 – 2100 |
| Wednesday 18th May | Marine Terrace | From 0930 – 1430 |
As a contingency, the location team has applied for 2 additional weather back up dates for Marine Terrace on May 19-20..
(a) How much are TDC being paid for this?
(b) Will the money be treated as an “unexpected bonus”, and used to repair lifts, reopen toilets, etc?
Probably not it is TDC probably find they got a nice big bonus..
TDC do not own Dreamland so I don’t think they will get any money from this.
I believe TDC are paid about £750k. But I reckon that’s too cheap and a percentage of profits would be a good additional element.
What is the going rate?
What’s with the preoccupation with some comments about how much TDC did or didn’t receive when you can’t put a price on the positive publicity that this film will give Margate on its release ,which let’s not forget because of the calibre of top name Hollywood film director ,cast and cinephotographer , will be worldwide .!
Do you think Brighton or Bournemouth would be moaning like some people here in Thanet ?
Quite to the contrary ,they’d embrace the film company filming In their city / town .
The impression that I’m getting so far is that this is a British feel good film , something that we are good at making and should embrace instead of stupid cynical comments from the same negative boring regular “contributors”
They know who they are !
Please can the temporary structure remain until the hotel is built (if ever). Far better than looking at a derelict site and a positive attraction for the area.
Without 24 hour security it would soon become delapidated.
It’s a great improvement and after recent storms it is obviously strong enough.
Any chance of the seafront lights being left – a great improvement!
Sounds great, be nice to see the transformation, it’s been neglected for far too long. The 1st thing you see when you visit is the sea front.
They could have just used the Dreamland cinema frontage that is already there instead of having a bottom part in Godden’s Gap and the top part with the Empire tower.
Anyway can the festoon lighting stay afterwards as all this has made a big improvement to the seafront in just a couple of weeks where TDC has failed in decades? I suppose the light bulbs would not be replaced as TDC do little maintenance for the town. They could use LED bulbs though which last a lot longer outdoors.
The festoon lights that they have installed are LED type, but are the type that look like they are filament lamps. It would be nice if they could be left as a gift to the town.
They are using the old cinema for some filming but they have built sets for other scenes in the new structure.
Absolutely fantastic .everything looks amazing .its great for us local people as it puts margate on the map .we deserve recognition .
Brilliant. Traffic chaos for days filming something that will barely register once it hits the cinema
Why the negativity ? Why not embrace that a top film is being made in Margate by a top British Hollywood producer in Sam Mendes who has a great track record for making excellent movies , and this film has a top cast including Olivia Colman and Colin Firth ..
You can’t buy the publicity for Margate that this film will attract on its release .
I think as a “ Thank you “ to the people of Margate that it would be great if maybe Sam Mendes / Roger Deakin ( Cinephotographer) /.Olivia Colman / Colin Firth ,if any of them came along for a special presentation ( Q&A) on the film at the nearby Carlton cinema in Westgate .. How great would that be !
Maybe it also could raise monies for a local charity ?
Anyway …. I for one are.really interested in this movie and look forward to seeing it on its release next year
So exciting. I agree that the festoon lighting is just what we need. It makes me remember getting of the coach from London in the Summer; and arriving by the sea to see the lights shining bright and my two year old sons cries of “Look Mummy Balloons” because of the bright colours. Margate is the Place!
So excited to have the Film being shot here. So looking forward to seeing it! Maybe dome of ye cast will want to visit a Seaside Fortune Teller! I foretell good Fortune for Lumiere Empire of Light. Kooshti Bok! Kooshti Sante! Good luck and Good Health! Miranda
It looks incredible and it would be so lovely to have lighting back permanently along the front.
Hi it would be lovely to keep The light as they are LED which is low energy which means less electricity to pay . Plus with the money they are getting for all this it must be quite a substantial amount and I don’t think it’s a lot to ask to keep them up especially as all the wires have been connected . And the lights would attract more people down here at Margate especially after they see the film , come on district Council pull your finger out
Here here RockStar perfectly put ….. this is such an exciting event for the folks of Margate.
There should be zero negativity this is amazing news.
Incidentally, a lot of the back room staff-wardrobe, fittings, etc – are staying here for around 3 months and for weeks at a time for others. All money for the town off season!!
A wonderful event for Margate & it’s community, the festoon lights look great.
Echo the call for the seafront lights to remain after filming has been completed … LED lamps will cost peanuts to run and improve the site over the summer months.