Latest news with #Pinewood
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps' filming locations: how Marvel's retro-futuristic 1960s was created
The 37th entry in the MCU, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in a world of its own – in every sense. The movie's Earth-828 is a planet set in another corner of the multiverse from the rest of the Marvelverse. Here, comic-book legends Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's 1961 creation the Fantastic Four comes back to action-packed life courtesy of WandaVision director Matt Shakman and his ridiculously charismatic everything you need to know about how – and where – the film's Mad Men -meets- The-Incredibles version of 1960s New York came together. What happens in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? A tale of space travel, scientific discovery, intergalactic peril and motherhood, First Steps (re)introduces audiences to Kirby and Lee's cosmically superpowered First Family: team leader Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal); world leader Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby); stompy rock man Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach); and boyish singleton Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn). The quartet, zapped by cosmic rays on an earlier space voyage, are all that stands between humanity and Ralph Ineson's perpetually peckish planet devourer Galactus literally eating the Earth. Presaging this fate is the Surfer Surfer (Julia Garner), Galactus's herald in a scene in Times Square. Where was The Fantastic Four: First Steps filmed? Legendary industrial designer Syd Mead once called science fiction 'reality ahead of schedule'. The 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner contributor was a key influence on Shakman and production designer Kasra Farahani's gleaming retro-futurist vision – and his definition of sci-fi sums up The Fantastic Four: First Steps perfectly. This 'Kirby meets Kubrick' aesthetic of an alternative 1964 New York is full of flying cars, light-speed space ships and zippy monorails, a reality we're still awaiting. Thanks to technology we do have – cutting-edge VFX and set design – this alternative metropolis came together 5000 miles away from the real Big Apple. Here's how they did it. The movie's alternative New York was created at Pinewood Studios, UK After filming most of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* in the US, the MCU was back in its adopted homeland of England for First Steps. A big chunk of the 85-day shoot was filmed at Pinewood Studios outside of London, kicking off in late July 2024. The vast majority of the movie's '60s New York locations – Yancy Street in the Lower East Side, Times Square, Reed Richards' lab in the Baxter Building – were created via 30 sets across eight sound stages on Pinewood's two backlots. The alternative 1960s Times Square backdrops several key scenes in the movie, including the Silver Surfer's doom-laden first oratory. Julia Garner gave the speech on a Pinewood tower in a Pinewood backlot. 'The combination between the set design, the scale of the set, and also just shooting in Pinewood was really magical,' she tells Thought Catalog. Real 1960s premises, including Horn & Hardart, Whelan's, Leighton's, RKO Palace, Embassy Theatre and Forum Cinema, were recreated on a set that was 22 percent smaller than the real-life locale. Another key New York location recreated at Pinewood is the fictional Yancy Street (above), a riff on the real Lower East Side thoroughfare of Delancey Street where Kirby grew up. 'We wanted Yancy Street to feel like part of the normal world, not the futuristic one,' says set decorator Jille Azis. 'When Ben Grimm visits, it feels like home – a place to escape the stress and reconnect with the past.' The set had been used in Deadpool & Wolverine and was repurposed and redressed for First Steps. Reed Richards' lab was filmed on Pinewood's S Stage Reed Richard's Baxter Building lab was a set built on Pinewood's S Stage, recently used in Black Mirror, Warfare and Andor, while the Reeds' penthouse was built across the studio on W Stage. Look out for colour-coding to demark the different areas of Mr Fantastic's workspace: red for his hands-on tasks like robotics; yellow for brainstorming; and blue for mission control. Modernist architects like Eero Saarinen and Oscar Niemeyer helped inform the tower's stylish futurist aesthetic. 'It was in a penthouse of a high-rise in Manhattan,' says production designer Farahani, 'so we drew a lot of inspiration from single-family-home mid-century architecture, especially from the West Coast.' Mole Man's Subterranea base was created inside Middleton Mine, Derbyshire In First Steps, cult Marvel antagonist Mole Man lives below ground with his acolytes, the Moloids. Played by Richard Jewell and Black Bird 's Paul Walter Hauser, he's an enjoyably ambivalent presence: borderline besotted with Sue Storm but generally done with everyone else's shit. His realm, Subterranea, was constructed in the spectacular lead and limestone mine in England's Peak District.A 725-foot section of the 32 miles of mines was dressed to reflect this strange community of below-grounders, with pipes and other weathered industrial fittings added and a bus shipped in as Mole Man's HQ. Middleton Mine is firmly on the Hollywood map these days: it was also used for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning 's climactic scenes. Baxter Building interiors were filmed at Palacio de Congresos de Oviedo, Spain The Asturias city of Oviedo is the latest Spanish location to feature in the Marvelverse, following Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Eternals and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Over four days in The Palacio de Congresos, a futuristic 2011 building designed by Spanish-Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava, was used for scenes set in the lobby of the Baxter Building and the assembly hall of the Future Foundation, Sue Storm's UN-like institute. The real New York was used for the CG backdrops Of course, you can't recreate the entirety of the Big Apple on a Buckinghamshire backlot, and photography of the real New York was shot for VFX plates. And one location that doesn't feature… Lulworth Cove, Dorset The natural limestone arch on England's south coast – one of the UK's most recognisable beauty spots and a filming location for Nanny McPhee, Wilde and the Carey Mulligan Far From The Madding Crowd – was closed, along with surrounding beaches, for filming for two days in June 2023. Thwarted tourists will be frustrated to discover that the scene – which involved Joseph Quinn's Johnny Storm – doesn't feature in the finished movie.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pinewood to acquire southern Africa business from Motify Group for £2.5m
Pinewood Technologies Group PLC has announced a move to strengthen its footprint in Southern Africa, revealing plans to acquire key assets of the Pinewood Dealer Management System business from entities within the Motify Group (referred to collectively as "PWSA") for £2.5 million in cash. The acquisition follows Pinewood's transformation into an independent entity in 2024, after its parent company Pendragon PLC sold its UK Motor and Leasing divisions to Lithia Motors Inc. Earlier this year, Pinewood also acquired Seez, an automotive AI and machine learning SaaS platform, further expanding its technology offerings. The transaction, which is expected to complete on 1 August 2025, will see Pinewood acquire customer contracts and associated assets via its wholly owned South African subsidiary. The acquisition will allow the company's global software platform, to take full control of its sales and customer service functions across the Southern African market. 'We are thrilled to be bringing PWSA fully into the Group,' said Bill Berman, CEO of Pinewood Technologies. He added that the move aligns with the company's long-term strategy to expand global operations, particularly in key international markets such as Southern Africa, Asia Pacific, and Northern & Central Europe. PWSA has been operating in the region since 2009, during which it has built a strong network of around 300 dealer partnerships and over 30 OEM partnerships across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, and Mauritius. will assume these contracts upon completion of the deal and will also onboard a number of PWSA employees to ensure continued 'high levels of service and support' for its customers. The deal is expected to deliver immediate commercial benefits, adding between £0.5 million and £0.7 million in incremental annual EBITDA. 'This acquisition will enhance our Go-to-Market capabilities and deepen our customer relationships in an important growth market,' Berman noted, adding that Pinewood's customer base in the region has expanded significantly across multiple franchise partners in recent years. Pinewood Technologies Group serves customers in over 20 countries, supporting a global client base through partnerships with more than 50 OEM brands. "Pinewood to acquire southern Africa business from Motify Group for £2.5m" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Telegraph
07-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
The untold story of the RAF's wartime female propaganda unit
They were a small but dedicated group of women who played a key role in boosting the nation's morale. The weapons wielded by Sergeant Dorothy 'Knicky' Chapman and her colleagues against the Nazis and their allies may have been film cameras and tripods rather than guns and shells, but they were vital in explaining to besieged Britons how the war effort was being waged. A rare collection of photographs showing the untold story of their work in the RAF's wartime Film Production Unit is now being revealed for the first time. Previously unseen photographs of its work have been published by Historic England to celebrate the 80 th anniversary of VE Day. The more than 150 photographs, which Chapman collected at the time, offer a rare glimpse of the unit's endeavours at Pinewood Studios, the home of British filmmaking, where it produced newsreels and coverage of key events in the war, including the D-Day landings. These explained in vivid detail to a civilian audience the efforts of Britain's forces, both on the battlefield and the home front, and were deemed crucial in maintaining morale. Among the films made by Chapman and the RAF FPU at Pinewood were 'Operational Height', which told the story of the crews of the barrage balloon ships guarding the ports of the Thames Estuary, and a 16-minute 1943 film, Soldiers Stories: The RAF Regiment. Another was 'The Big Pack', showing the work of the RAF's Maintenance Command in organising the supplies needed for a major overseas operation. The photographs show the women of the FPU training to operate complex film equipment in difficult conditions, such as while wearing gas masks or in total darkness. Some are not without humour, with one showing WAAF Corporal Peggy Harvey in her uniform, applying her makeup while pumping up the tyre of a military vehicle at RAF Iver Heath, Pinewood. The unit's members were drawn from the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), which was founded in 1939 to fill non-combat roles in the RAF with women. Chapman, who had worked at photographic studios in Coventry and Sheffield after studying art and photography at Coventry School of Art, volunteered to join the WAAF before conscription was introduced. She was part of the first intake of 26 women to be trained at the No. 2 School of Photography, now the Defence School of Photography, at RAF Cosford, in 1941. Chapman was one of a small number picked to work in the stills department and her collection features stills from a number of the RAF's film sets and productions. She also worked alongside some of those who would go on to shape the British film industry, including a young Richard Attenborough, who volunteered to fly on bombing missions across Europe to film their outcome. WAAF photographers proved vital to the war effort in training RAF crews to carry out aerial reconnaissance, providing intelligence that was crucial to the progress of the war. As well as their vital work, the collection captures the women taking part in more relaxed off duty activities, including playing sports, dances at RAF Iver Heath and a theatre production of the comedy 'George and Margaret'. Chapman continued her passion for photography after the war - taking a job creating microfiche at the Science Museum and amassing a collection of several thousand slides documenting architecture across the country. But for most of the women the demobilisation of the WAAF marked the end of their lives in film. Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: 'This remarkable collection commemorates the unsung heroes of the Second World War and sheds light on the history of wartime filmmaking. The photographs provide rare insight into a lesser-known aspect of our wartime heritage, from the crucial role of Pinewood Studios as the centre of military filmmaking to the pioneering women of the WAAF.' Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross added: 'This remarkable collection reveals the vital role Pinewood Studios played during the war and shines a light on the hidden contribution of women like Knicky Chapman who broke barriers in military photography. Their legacy will continue to inspire future generations.'
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
If Trump has his way, the next Bond will be set in California
The next James Bond movie might have to be filmed in California. Producers will have to find somewhere in Massachusetts or Maine that can double up for Hogwarts for the new Harry Potter series. And Notting Hill II, if it ever happens, might have to shift Hugh Grant's bookshop to Greenwich Village. In a move that was audacious even by his standards, President Trump has announced plans for 100pc tariffs on films shot outside the US – which would be devastating for what has emerged as one of the UK's most successful industries, and one that has already been subsidised by billions in tax breaks. If Trump follows through with his threat, it will illustrate just how high a price the UK is paying for Sir Keir Starmer's failure to land a trade deal – because the film industry could soon be wiped out. If the UK has had an industrial policy over the last decade – and you would need a pretty big magnifying glass to have much chance of finding one – supporting the British film industry has been one of its main planks. Over many years, successive chancellors have handed out generous tax breaks to films shot in the UK, regardless of whether the story has anything to do with Britain at all. The result? Studios such as Pinewood have expanded massively. Amazon shot much of its Lord of the Rings series – the most expensive TV show of all time – in Britain, while movies such as 'Wicked', 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' and 'Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning' were all filmed at least partly in the UK. Indeed, while Rachel Reeves hammered most businesses in her Budget last year, she handed out a helpful new tax credit to the sector. With all that help, the UK has built a globally successful film industry, with spending estimated at more than £5bn a year. President Trump has now put all that at risk. After the likes of George Clooney and Meryl Streep campaigned so passionately against him, Trump could be forgiven for not having much affection for Hollywood. However, the president clearly has an affection for the golden age of American film-making. 'The movie industry in America is dying a very fast death. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!', the US president wrote on a Truth Social posting, slipping into the characteristic capitals that he reserves for his most strongly held opinions. His solution to this problem? A draconian new tax on the industry. Any movie that is not filmed in the United States could soon be subject to a 100pc tariff. That won't just apply to a handful of French or Korean art house movies, which probably don't do much business in the multiplexes of Tennessee or Texas anyway, but to all the blockbusters filmed elsewhere. It is, of course, only a threat right now. President Trump often does not follow through on his more eccentric tariff proposals, or reverses them once a few billionaire friends point out how much damage they might do. By the end of the week, Jeff Bezos, whose Amazon now owns the MGM studio and the rights to Bond, might well have managed to get the policy reversed. That said, Trump has a point. There has been a huge decline in American film production – as not just the UK but Canada, Spain, Hungary and many other countries lure production away with generous tax breaks. It is one of the many ways in which the US faces competition that is often far from fair. But if the film tariff goes ahead, it poses two major risks to the British economy. First, it will wipe out the industry here faster than the villain's lair is demolished in the final scene of a Bond movie. Sure, you might be able to get some generous tax breaks when you shoot a film in the UK. But if you have to pay a tariff of 100pc when it is shown in the US, it simply won't be viable. No one will want to pay an extra $10 (£7.52) at the multiplex for a Marvel film that appears completely American just because it happened to be shot in Buckinghamshire instead of Hollywood. The industry will be destroyed. The huge investment in sound stages, in post-production facilities, in props, costumes and special effects will all go up in smoke. All the well-paid jobs the industry creates will disappear, along with the roles for the actors. And of course, all the tax breaks that the Treasury has lavished on the industry will turn out to have been for nothing. The industry might still be able to make the occasional niche movie for Channel 4. but the blockbusters will all be gone. Next, and just as seriously, Trump's targeting of films suggests that services may be next in line. Until this weekend, President Trump had only imposed tariffs on stuff. But a film is much more like a 'service', especially if it streamed. Will the rest of the media be next? Or financial services, or consultancy? The UK has a surplus in services with the US worth £68bn annually – and we know the president hates surpluses. If Trump targets this imbalance, it would come as a devastating blow to an already fragile economy. In reality, the Starmer government has been far too slow to wrap up a trade deal with the Trump White House. It has spent far too much time obsessing over the relationship with the EU, and it has not been willing to offer up the headline concessions – such as allowing chlorinated chicken or scrapping the tech tax – that would get a deal over the line. A deal might well have exempted the UK from film tariffs and rescued the industry. But right now, it looks as if an inept government has blown it, and risks leaving the British industry to wither as a result. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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Telegraph
05-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
If Trump has his way, the next Bond will be set in California
The next James Bond movie might have to be filmed in California. Producers will have to find somewhere in Massachusetts or Maine that can double up for Hogwarts for the new Harry Potter series. And Notting Hill II, if it ever happens, might have to shift Hugh Grant's bookshop to Greenwich Village. In a move that was audacious even by his standards, President Trump has announced plans for 100pc tariffs on films shot outside the US – which would be devastating for what has emerged as one of the UK's most successful industries, and one that has already been subsidised by billions in tax breaks. If Trump follows through with his threat, it will illustrate just how high a price the UK is paying for Sir Keir Starmer's failure to land a trade deal – because the film industry could soon be wiped out. If the UK has had an industrial policy over the last decade – and you would need a pretty big magnifying glass to have much chance of finding one – supporting the British film industry has been one of its main planks. Over many years, successive chancellors have handed out generous tax breaks to films shot in the UK, regardless of whether the story has anything to do with Britain at all. The result? Studios such as Pinewood have expanded massively. Amazon shot much of its Lord of the Rings series – the most expensive TV show of all time – in Britain, while movies such as 'Wicked', 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore' and 'Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning' were all filmed at least partly in the UK. Indeed, while Rachel Reeves hammered most businesses in her Budget last year, she handed out a helpful new tax credit to the sector. With all that help, the UK has built a globally successful film industry, with spending estimated at more than £5bn a year. President Trump has now put all that at risk. After the likes of George Clooney and Meryl Streep campaigned so passionately against him, Trump could be forgiven for not having much affection for Hollywood. However, the president clearly has an affection for the golden age of American film-making. 'The movie industry in America is dying a very fast death. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!', the US president wrote on a Truth Social posting, slipping into the characteristic capitals that he reserves for his most strongly held opinions. His solution to this problem? A draconian new tax on the industry. Any movie that is not filmed in the United States could soon be subject to a 100pc tariff. That won't just apply to a handful of French or Korean art house movies, which probably don't do much business in the multiplexes of Tennessee or Texas anyway, but to all the blockbusters filmed elsewhere. It is, of course, only a threat right now. President Trump often does not follow through on his more eccentric tariff proposals, or reverses them once a few billionaire friends point out how much damage they might do. By the end of the week, Jeff Bezos, whose Amazon now owns the MGM studio and the rights to Bond, might well have managed to get the policy reversed. That said, Trump has a point. There has been a huge decline in American film production – as not just the UK but Canada, Spain, Hungary and many other countries lure production away with generous tax breaks. It is one of the many ways in which the US faces competition that is often far from fair. But if the film tariff goes ahead, it poses two major risks to the British economy. First, it will wipe out the industry here faster than the villain's lair is demolished in the final scene of a Bond movie. Sure, you might be able to get some generous tax breaks when you shoot a film in the UK. But if you have to pay a tariff of 100pc when it is shown in the US, it simply won't be viable. No one will want to pay an extra $10 (£7.52) at the multiplex for a Marvel film that appears completely American just because it happened to be shot in Buckinghamshire instead of Hollywood. The industry will be destroyed. The huge investment in sound stages, in post-production facilities, in props, costumes and special effects will all go up in smoke. All the well-paid jobs the industry creates will disappear, along with the roles for the actors. And of course, all the tax breaks that the Treasury has lavished on the industry will turn out to have been for nothing. The industry might still be able to make the occasional niche movie for Channel 4. but the blockbusters will all be gone. Next, and just as seriously, Trump's targeting of films suggests that services may be next in line. Until this weekend, President Trump had only imposed tariffs on stuff. But a film is much more like a 'service', especially if it streamed. Will the rest of the media be next? Or financial services, or consultancy? The UK has a surplus in services with the US worth £68bn annually – and we know the president hates surpluses. If Trump targets this imbalance, it would come as a devastating blow to an already fragile economy. In reality, the Starmer government has been far too slow to wrap up a trade deal with the Trump White House. It has spent far too much time obsessing over the relationship with the EU, and it has not been willing to offer up the headline concessions – such as allowing chlorinated chicken or scrapping the tech tax – that would get a deal over the line. A deal might well have exempted the UK from film tariffs and rescued the industry. But right now, it looks as if an inept government has blown it, and risks leaving the British industry to wither as a result.
