Writer Richard Curtis says he would love to call his new film being shot in the region ‘Suffolk Lad’ – but he doesn’t think Americans could pronounce the county’s name.
The title of the film, currently filming in Suffolk and Norfolk, is rumoured to be All You Need Is Love and is understood to be set in a world where The Beatles never existed.
Filming for the movie is set to culminate with at least 5,000 extras at a concert on Gorleston Beach – which could possibly be headlined by Suffolk pop superstar Ed Sheeran.
In an interview with Screen Suffolk, the official film office for the county, Curtis said: “My first film was called Camden Town Boy because I lived in Camden.
“And then I made a movie called Notting Hill because it was set in Notting Hill. I’d like to make a movie called Suffolk Lad but I don’t know whether anyone in America can pronounce Suffolk.”
Curtis, who is working on the film with director Danny Boyle, also heaped praise on the county’s people and locations.
“Well this movie is set in Suffolk because I wrote it about Suffolk. But the reason why I would set something in Suffolk is because it’s such a lovely place in terms of the people.
“If you work in Suffolk you know you’re going to have a good time, people are going to be cooperative, people are going to be delightful and friendly.
“The amazing thing about Suffolk is just how it looks. It’s such a beautiful county. If you live here you get really used to the unbelievable beaches, the curve of the land, the beauty of the villages.
“It seems to me that if you’re making a movie about England you can find everything you want and more here.”
Karen Everett, Screen Suffolk chief executive, said: “As we strive to develop Suffolk’s reputation among location managers and to put the county firmly on the global map for filming, it’s invaluable to have resident goliaths of the business such as Richard Curtis literally putting his money where his mouth is.
“Richard set the entire the film here in the writing. This production is an extremely important milestone in Suffolk’s growth as a film centre.
“We have seen the impact of Richard Curtis’s other hit films, where still hardly a day goes by for locals in Notting Hill, for example, without them being asked for directions to the eponymous movie’s locations.
“More than that, the production has made available about 80 days work for 20 local crew across production departments. This sort of experience on a production of this scale is a fantastic local opportunity.”
For more information on Screen Suffolk, visit www.screensuffolk.com
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