Two stately Suffolk homes provided the “mysterious” backdrop for a horror film starring former Superman Dean Cain.
Crew-members involved in The Seven, which includes scenes shot in Seckford Hall and Woodhall Manor, hotels near Woodbridge, said their visit to Suffolk provided “a lot of inspiration” – and plans for more movie making in the county.
It is the latest sign of Suffolk’s burgeoning film industry, which has seen scenes from Jurassic World filmed at Rock Barracks, A Child in Time shot in Shingle Street and Detectorists filmed around Framlingham.
The Seven visited Suffolk to capture its historic buildings for an opening scene set in the ‘60s.
Produced by award-winning Essex film-maker Amar Adatia and Dean Cain, who starred in the ‘90s Superman TV series, The Seven tells the tale of teenagers locked up on the site of a former mansion, which had been burned down by Devil-worshippers 60 years ago.
Assistant producer Ada Chyrowska said Seckford Hall and Woodhall Manor were “exactly what we were looking for – old, beautiful and mysterious mansions”. “With the right lighting both mansions, inside and out, looked absolutely thrilling,” she added.
Although the Suffolk scenes account for only a small part of the film, the crew said it was still “very significant” - and could pave the way for more filming in the county. “We already have ideas for our next films that can be filmed entirely in the county,” Ms Chrowska added. “The location has given us a lot of inspiration.”
Seckford Hall said it was a “privilege” to have the cast and crew staying during filming.
“With Seckford Hall under new ownership, we were more than happy to be involved with supplying our venue and grounds for filming,” said marketing manager Daniel Nickells. “We are no stranger to hosting celebrities and VIPs, and we were delighted to look after the cast and crew. As Suffolk becomes an increasingly popular location for film producers and directors, this was a fabulous opportunity to showcase our stunning county and venues to a worldwide audience, so it was important for us to ensure they were well looked after.”
The Seven is due for release in October with a Leicester Square red carpet premier. Alongside Cain, it stars Amar Adatia, Jess Impiazzi, Amber Doig Thorne, Sinitta, Alex Reid, Matt Lapinskas and Dave Courtney.
Follow The Seven on Twitter for updates on the film.
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