Bestselling author and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz and his wife, TV producer Jill Green, have backed Suffolk’s bid to be put on the filmmaking map – and urged industry professionals to bring productions to the county.
The couple, who spend part of the week at their home in Orford, were involved in a special talk at Christchurch Mansion on Friday with former London Film Commissioner Sue Hayes.
The Screen-Suffolk organised event featured the couple discussing their experiences of filming in Suffolk before an audience of Suffolk film professionals, and aims to encourage other productions to bring work to the region.
The 62-year-old Anthony, who has written the Alex Rider series alongside Sherlock Holmes and James Bond novels, said that Suffolk was often an inspiration for settings in his screenwriting work, which includes Foyle’s War, New Blood and Vexed – series his wife Jill Green has produced.
Ms Green added: “The incredible thing about Suffolk is it has amazing history but it is also quirky – that’s what is unique.
“Everybody is converted when they are here. There is so much to offer here in terms of visuals, and there is no traffic in Suffolk for a start!”
The couple pointed to Suffolk’s clear skies free of aeroplanes, variety of rural and urban locations and willingness to accommodate productions as key selling points.
An industry drive to divert production into regions outside of London is a promising prospect for the county, with a target 75% of all productions in the UK set to be filmed outside of the capital by 2025.
Ms Green added: “Period drama would be really good here – if you follow the road along Rendlesham there are no road markings, no yellow lines, no signs – it’s absolutely brilliant.”
The couple fondly recalled the experience of filming part of their 2011 series Injustice around Felixstowe docks, and said the openness and willingness to help was important.
There are also plans to film “about 60-70%” of the adaptation for Anthony’s 2016 novel Magpie Murders in Suffolk in the future.
Anthony added: “Suffolk has a very unique quality. London is just another red bus, just another phone box, but if one is looking to create original drama then Suffolk has something really wonderful.”
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