Fantastic beasts and where to find them set

Leading up to the 18 November release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign and VisitBritain have teamed up with the highly anticipated new big screen adventure to promote the UK as a must-visit destination for filmmakers and tourists alike through an original video series. 

Featuring Eddie Redmayne, the film’s Newt Scamander, along with director David Yates and producer David Heyman, the videos highlight the best of British talent, locations, design and creativity.

According to the British Film Institute (BFI), between January and September of this year, more than 135 films have started filming in the UK. Last year international film production contributed over £1bn to the UK economy, and is a key driver for the UK's creative industries.  The sector is worth over £84 billion annually to the UK and employs more than 1.7 million people, proving film really is great for the UK economy. The benefits also extend to tourism; VisitBritain research indicates that 40% of potential visitors would be “very likely” to visit places that have been featured in films or TV.

Using #FilmIsGREAT and #OMGB (Oh My GREAT Britain), the hashtag at the heart of VisitBritain’s ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ global marketing campaign, the videos show Eddie Redmayne, David Yates and David Heyman talking about their experience filming in the UK and why they think it is a fantastic destination for the industry and tourism.

Eddie Redmayne said:

“My #OMGB moment was probably shooting in Liverpool. That’s a city that I just love and find endlessly inspiring through its history but also through its architecture, and we had the most wonderful time there.

“One of the things that used to blow my mind about the Harry Potter films was getting to see parts of this country and I think it’s done amazing things for tourism. And whether it’s Leavesden or Kings Cross or up into Scotland, it’s showing our country off in the best possible way.”

The series of videos will be featured on VisitBritain and the GREAT Britain campaign’s websites and social media channels.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which premieres in the UK on 18 November, marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, whose beloved Harry Potter books were adapted into the top-grossing film franchise of all time. Her screenplay was inspired by the Hogwarts textbook of the same name, written by her character Newt Scamander.  It was filmed primarily at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the production home of the Harry Potter films, and on location in Liverpool.
• The GREAT Britain campaign is the Government’s most ambitious international marketing campaign ever and showcases the very best of what our whole nation has to offer in order to encourage the world to visit, study and do business with the UK. The campaign focuses on China, India, Brazil, USA, the Gulf, France, Germany, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Emerging Europe and is also active in over 144 countries worldwide.
• The #OMGB ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ marketing campaign and the Film is GREAT campaign are part of the UK Government’s global GREAT Britain campaign, which showcases the very best of what Britain has to offer as a place to visit, study, invest and do business.
• Visitors drawn here by the appeal of our culture and heritage spend billions – for example international visitors who visit castles or historic houses in Britain contribute around £6.5 billion annually, supporting around 120,000 jobs.
• Last year set a record for inbound tourism to Britain on visits and spend with 36.1 million visits, 5% up on 2014, and spending up 1% to £22.1 billion.
• About Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them takes us to a new era of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, decades before Harry Potter and half a world away.  Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) stars in the central role of wizarding world Magizoologist Newt Scamander, under the direction of David Yates, who helmed the last four Harry Potter features.  The film also stars Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo, and Colin Farrell.  Marking the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, the film reunites a number of people from the Harry Potter franchise, including producers David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram.  Tim Lewis, Neil Blair and Rick Senat served as executive producers.  Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be released in 2D and in select 3D and IMAX cinemas worldwide beginning November 18, 2016, by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.  fantasticbeasts.net