Movie Magic: from London properties on screen to cosy home cinemas

Telegraph

21-02-2025

For more than 16 years, Simon Grantley has rented out his sleek, industrial-style apartment in Shoreditch for hundreds of film shoots and TV programmes – it has appeared in hit shows including Killing Eve, Fleabag and Catastrophe. Yet, even after all this time, he's never lost the thrill of seeing his home, a 2,000 sq ft former art gallery, on screen.
'When the film crews are here you get a sense of what they're filming, but not necessarily where it fits into the storyline,' says the 65-year-old, who has decided to move out of London, and so is selling up through Savills for £1.65m. 'When it's all put together and I sit down to watch, it's really a game of 'spot my house,' which never gets old. I still get a kick out of it.'
While Hollywood has been affected by COVID-19, the 2023 writers' strikes and recent devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, the UK film industry is thriving. Surrey's Shepperton Studios and Pinewood Studios, in Buckinghamshire, are going from strength to strength, and some of the biggest films of the past year – including Paddington in Peru, Jurassic World Rebirth, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Oscar-nominated Wicked – were all extensively shot at the new Sky Studios Elstree in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. London itself continues to be a top location too, with the eighth instalment in the Mission: Impossible franchise, The Final Reckoning, filmed in Trafalgar Square and South Kensington.
Boosted by tax breaks for independent films, as well as more content being made by streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and Apple TV+, demand for rental properties in London and the south-east from film crews and actors has risen sharply in recent years. Knight Frank reported a 26% increase in enquiries from the film and TV industry between January and September last year compared to the same period in 2023. 'Trying to find stock to meet demand is the biggest problem,' says Harriet Gore, head of the estate agency's film and media team. 'The scarcity of suitable properties means it can be a worthwhile option for owners or landlords who might traditionally choose longer lets.'
For productions based in Sky Studios Elstree, top locations are those in north-west London such as Hampstead, Primrose Hill and Belsize Park, while Notting Hill is popular for Shepperton and Pinewood. Production companies will often seek smaller apartments for crew and cast members; however, for top talent, only the best will do. Gore says weekly rents range from £1,000 to £2,000 for crew members and production staff up to £25,000 per week or more for the biggest stars.
So, what are the A-listers looking for in a rental? 'High-profile actors and industry leaders often seek secure, gated homes with off-street parking, exceptional privacy, and luxurious amenities such as home gyms or swimming pools,' says Olivia McSweeney, senior director, of lettings, at Sotheby's International Realty UK. Homes within commutable countryside are also becoming more popular. 'For certain A-listers, the appeal lies in greater seclusion and fewer security concerns, particularly as their demanding schedules may leave little time to enjoy the urban lifestyle of central London anyway,' McSweeney says.
The properties need to look the part, too. John D Wood & Co. partners with Burbeck Interiors, a luxury furnishing company, to style properties to the high level expected.
For other property owners such as Grantley, their homes are becoming the stars of the show. 'Over the past 12 months, we've seen a significant increase in demand for residential properties for filming,' says Sinead Conlon, head of corporate relocation services at John D Wood & Co. 'We've noticed more requests from Netflix productions, particularly for TV shows like The Gentlemen and various biopics, which often seek prime central London locations, and also for high-end advertising campaigns involving brands like Boodles.'
Sam Clarke, director of the location company Love Locations, is seeing a rise in Londoners applying to list their properties, especially from empty nesters whose children have left home. And doing so can be lucrative: although fees depend on many factors, a Victorian terraced house in London could make anything from £800 to £1,500 a day. Heather Carter-Drake, head of Hamptons' media lets department, has even fulfilled a specific request from a production company for a black front door. 'The fee for our client for a short day's filming of the door alone was £500,' she says.
While there's appetite for aspirational, high-end houses, Clarke has noticed increased calls for comfortable but very normal family homes recently. 'It seems to be linked to the state of the economy: when things are going well, we get asked for lots of affluent houses; when the economy is not doing so well, we're asked for relatable family homes,' she says.
Size will often dictate whether a property is suitable because TV shows will typically have a crew of anything from 25 to 50 people. Homes with standout features and layouts can often be successful: if it has a particularly impressive kitchen, for instance.
'Sometimes a property will only be hired for a couple of hours,' Clark explains. 'An influencer will come in with one other person, capture their social media content and wrap fairly swiftly. Anything that's sold or seen
needs a location of some sort.'
Mayfair the movie
The Phones4u billionaire and philanthropist John Caudwell has partnered with the BAFTA-winning director Paul McLean to create a cinematic film to help market the 29 super-prime apartments at 1 Mayfair, which start at £35m, to the world's super-rich. This is the first time in the UK property industry that a Hollywood-style short film has been produced to showcase a development and bring it to life.
The film, which took 12 months to make with a team of 50 people across London, New Delhi and Amsterdam, combines real actors with state-of-the-art CGIs and a beautiful white stallion, found after a long casting process in India.
'Our immersive film truly brings 1 Mayfair to life, creating a visual panorama allowing the viewer to experience how the residence will look once completed,' Caudwell says. Yet those hoping to catch a glimpse on the small screen or in their local cinema will be disappointed – it can only be seen by the wealthy buyers who go into the marketing suite.
For Sale
This magnificent Grade II-listed mansion in Marylebone's Portland Place was built in 1775 by the renowned Georgian architect Robert Adam. Famously used as the backdrop for Lionel Logue's consulting rooms in the Oscar-winning film, The King's Speech, starring Colin Firth, it has now been completely renovated into a luxurious home with 10 bedrooms, a wine cellar, a swimming pool –and a fantastic cinema room. It's now on sale with Knight Frank priced at £65m.
Immerse yourself in the latest blockbuster in ultimate comfort in the sound-proofed cinema room, complete with 4K projector, set in the heart of this striking Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse in Notting Hill. The six-storey, five-bedroom property is on sale with Hamptons at £8.5m.
This detached five-bedroom house in Farnham, Surrey, has been recently renovated. It has landscaped gardens, a swimming pool and pool house and a cinema room. It's available to rent at £18,000 a month through John D Wood & Co.