Given all the exotic locations in the world you probably wouldn’t expect Greenwich – more accurately the Old Royal Naval College – to be one of the most popular filming sites for American and British filmmakers. Yet, one quick look at some of the huge blockbusters that have been shot there over the years will show just how key the location has become to the stories being told. Here are a list of some of the movies filmed in Greenwich – you’ll probably recognise one or two!
Baby Reindeer
Baby Reindeer, the hit Netflix show features a plethora of London film locations. These include Greenwich Magistrate’s Court, the famous Comedy Store in Leicester Square, as well as pub and comedy club locations in Hoxton, Stoke Newington and Vauxhall.
Thor: The Dark World
The Marvel Universe is the largest ever film franchise in movie history, so it makes sense they would need an imposing location to match. The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich featured during the climactic battle, where a giant spaceship was seen crashing into the ground. There’s even a moment where Thor pops onto the tube after asking how to get to Greenwich.
28 Weeks Later
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s thrilling sequel to Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later saw the country and the world under siege from the living dead. A chase seen occurs midway through the film as a crowd of people are quickly infected with the zombie disease and the main characters go on the run while the army fire at will. They manage to escape through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.
The Dark Knight Rises
The final film in director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich was once again put to use. On two occasions we see Michael Caine’s Alfred at a café supposedly in Florence, which in fact was the famous college grounds. This is shown early in the film at right at the end.
Skyfall
The Old Royal College has been used a number of times in Bond films over the years. More recently it made another appearance in Skyfall. Bond is presumed dead after being accidently shot by a colleague in the middle of fight on top of a train. A little while later we see Judy Dench’s M overlooking a row of coffins draped in the union flag at Bond’s funeral. This was shot at the King William Undercroft on the college grounds.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
The sequel to the hugely successful first film also sees it return to the Old Royal College grounds to capture more of Victorian London. It appears a couple of times in the film: first for scene involving a busy street market, and then the following fight scene on the walkway close to Queen’s House.
Indiscreet
Aside from all the modern day blockbusters that have called Greenwich home, it has remained a popular haunt for Hollywood going back to its golden years. The 1958 romantic comedy, Indiscreet, starred Gary Grant and Ingrid Bergman and once again relied on the famous Old Royal Naval College for some of its scenes.
Les Misérables
The world famous and long-running theatre musical transferred to the big screen once again in 2012. As you’d expect, it was the Old Royal Naval College that was used as a prime location. Shooting took place just before the London Olympic and Paralympic Games were due to start later that summer.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Captain Jack Sparrow has sailed around the world to all kinds of exotic locations and he found himself on the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College for the fourth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The entire central avenue was transformed into an 18th century street for Jack to make another one of his chaotic escapes to safety.
The King’s Speech
Not every building can claim to be part of film that has been nominated for the Oscars, but the Old Royal College can thanks to its appearance in The King’s Speech. It doubled as Buckingham Palace because, as you’d expect, shooting the film on the actual grounds of the Queen’s residence would’ve been quite tricky.
Bridgerton
London locations used in the shooting of Bridgerton include Ranger’s House in Greenwich, Lancaster House, Hackney Empire, Greenwich Park Rose Garden, and the Queen’s House in Greenwich.
Napoleon
The colonnades of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich were transformed into the revolutionary streets of Paris, and the Painted Hall was turned into a scene of military confrontation in Napoleon. Interestingly Napoleon’s nemesis, Admiral Lord Nelson, visited the Royal Hospital Greenwich (as it was called then) many times over the years. Notably, his body was brought here after the Battle of Trafalgar for a ceremonial lying-in-state. Over the course of three days in January 1806, up to 100,000 people descended upon Greenwich to pay their respects
The Crown
Season four of The Crown was filmed inside the Tulip Stairs of the Queen’s House, along with numerous other Greenwich landmarks. You can catch a glimpse of the Queen’s House iconic spiral staircase in the trailer above, as Princess Diana runs through an eerily deserted palace.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Within the Old Royal Naval College complex there is the Painted Hall. Known as ‘Britain’s Sistine Chapel,’ it features mural paintings by Sir James Thornhill. In Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, this spectacular setting was used for the council of the Illuminati. Disney lovers may also recognize the Painted Hall from Cinderella, the live-action adaptation of Walt Disney’s animated film, where it was used as one of the palace rooms where Prince Kit and his men practice their fencing skills.
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Located within the Old Royal Naval College site is the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul. With a history stretching back to the Tudor period, this intimate chapel was used as the fictional St Mary of the Fields, Cripplegate, for the second wedding in the romantic comedy. In this scene, the nervous Father Gerald fumbles through the wedding service of Bernard and Lydia. Be sure to look up at the Chapel’s ceiling, which features a neoclassical design of squares and octagons created by 18th-century plasterer John Papworth.
Cinderella
In the Disney live-action remake of Cinderella, Greenwich’s Painted Hall was transformed into a room within Prince Charming’s palace, where he and his men honed their fencing skills.
Sense and Sensibility
The 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility featured Greenwich Park, where stars such as Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and the late Alan Rickman were welcomed.
The Madness of King George
The filming locations for the production included Eton College, Bodleian Library, Arundel Castle, Syon Park, Royal Naval College Greenwich, Wilton House, Broughton Castle, Thame Park, and St Paul’s Cathedral.
Complete List of Films & TV shows shot on location at the Old Royal Naval College
The list above are only some of the more famous movies filmed in Greenwich. For a full list of films shot on locations at the Old Royal Naval College Greenwich, click here to open a pdf.
When you’ve finished exploring, why not see more of Greenwich? Whether you want to step aboard the historic sailing ship Cutty Sark, visit the home of Greenwich Mean Time at the Royal Observatory, or uncover stories of exploration at the National Maritime Museum, there’s plenty to discover.
If you want to discover how a World Heritage Site has become a top film location why not join us on our 2 hour Greenwich tour. The tour showcases scenes from over 30 blockbuster movies and countless TV and Film productions. Our expert guide will show you how this attractive location has been transformed to appear in so many films and TV shows.
