By KLTV Newsdesk –
New data has revealed the most popular films featuring some of Yorkshire’s iconic backdrops. Wheelwrights York, a holiday home provider, has analyzed viewer rankings across IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes and each film’s weekend box office performance to create a top ten order.
Taking the top spot as the most popular film is The King’s Speech. Released in 2010, the movie made an impressive £347.2 million at the box office on the weekend of its release and gained an audience score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Filming locations included Elland Road Stadium, home of Leeds United FC, and Odsal Stadium in Bradford, home of the Bradford Bulls rugby league team.
Two Harry Potter films feature in the top ten, with Deathly Hallows Part 1 taking second place. The movie bagged an enormous £790 million at the box office, the largest of any film on the list, and has an IMDB average rating of 7.7. The movie features iconic scenes from Yorkshire, including Malham Cove, near Skipton.
Other movies in the top ten include The Princess Bride, Billy Elliot, Barry Lyndon, Paddington 2, Stardust, Downton Abbey, Atonement, and Pink Floyd: The Wall. Locations such as Harrogate and York feature multiple times in the list, with the historic and picturesque destinations proving popular backdrops for the big screen.
Train stations and railways across Yorkshire also proved popular in the top ten, as Harry Potter, Barry Lyndon, Paddington 2, and Downton Abbey all chose to film at iconic railways across the region.
In addition to the films within the top ten, Yorkshire is also featured in other popular movies such as Robinhood: Prince of Thieves, Transformers: The Last Knight, and Garfield 2, which all ranked in the top 100. The historic city of York is also home to The Shambles, which is said to be the director’s inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.
Jerry Rebbeck from Wheelwrights York said, “We’re not surprised to see York featured so heavily in the top rankings. The historic city has everything from quaint streets to an impressive cathedral, City Walls, and bell towers, all offering a sense of history and grandeur, standing out on screen.”
In the coming months, the region is expected to hit the silver screen again. Mission Impossible 7, Indiana Jones V, and The Railway Children Return have all chosen key locations across Yorkshire to film. So keep a lookout and see if you can spot any Yorkshire landmarks in these major Hollywood and feature films.
The complete list of films is listed below.
Rank | Film | Yorkshire Filming Location |
1 | The King’s Speech | Elland Road Stadium in Leeds, Odsal Stadium and Queensbury in Bradford |
2 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: part 1 | Malham Cove in Malham, near Skipton |
3 | The Princess Bride | Hathersage Moor, Sheffield |
4 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | Goathland Station, Whitby, and York Train Station |
5 | Billy Elliot | Tee Transporter Bridge, Middleborough |
5 | Barry Lyndon | Castle Howard, York |
6 | Paddington 2 | Nidd Gorge Viaduct, Harrogate |
7 | Stardust | Menwith Hill, Harrogate |
8 | Downton Abbey (film) | North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Pickering Train Station, Wentworth Woodhouse, Harewood House, and Dalton Mills |
9 | Atonement | Redcar Beach, Cous Steelworks, Regent Cinema, Redcar |
10 | Pink Floyd: The Wall | Bradford, Keighley, Ingrow, and Keighley Railway |
11 | Darkest Hour | Wentworth House, South Yorkshire and Brodsworth Hall, Doncaster |
12 | National Treasure (2016) | Leeds, Kingston upon Hull and Bradford City Hall, Bradford |
13 | The Meaning of Life | Ilkley Moor, Ilkley, Manningham, Bradford, Keighley and East Riddleston Hall. |
14 | IP Man 4 | Church Fenton Studios, Busk Lane, Church Fenton, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire. |
15 | A Monster Calls | Peel Street, Woods Terrace in Marsden, Huddersfield. Linthwaite and Gillroyd Lane in Huddersfield. |
16 | The Full Monty | All across Sheffield, including Crookes Cemetery |
17 | Official Secrets | Leeds, Otley Police Station, Shipley, Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, Haworth, Keighley, Bradford, Doncaster Sheffield Airport, City Hall Bradford, Chapel Allterton |
18 | Chariots of Fire | York Railway Station and Harrogate |
19 | The Dark Crystal | Brimham Rocks, Harrogate, Gordale Scar, Malham and Ilkley Moor |
20 | Jane Ayre | Howarth, Keighley, Bradford, and Sheffield |