{"id":11656,"date":"2022-03-01T17:43:51","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T16:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1594572"},"modified":"2022-03-01T17:43:51","modified_gmt":"2022-03-01T16:43:51","slug":"where-was-the-batman-filmed","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/where-was-the-batman-filmed\/","title":{"rendered":"Where was The Batman filmed?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Patrick Cremona\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 01 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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When you think of Gotham \u2013 the fictional city Batman calls home \u2013 the real-life place that most immediately springs to mind is New York City.<\/p>\n

With its striking skyline, Gotham has always been heavily modelled on The Big Apple, so it might surprise you to learn that the bulk of filming for Matt Reeves\u2019 new film The Batman<\/a> actually took place somewhere else: the UK.<\/p>\n

Locations in London, Liverpool, and Glasgow \u2013 in addition to some second unit filming in Chicago \u2013 were all used to bring this new version of Gotham to life, alongside several impressive sets built at Leavesden and Cardington Studios.<\/p>

James Chinlund, the production designer for the film, spoke exclusively to RadioTimes.com<\/a> about the reasons behind choosing those locations \u2013 and admitted that he wasn\u2019t always convinced about the decision to shoot in the UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew it had to feel like an American city,\u201d he explained. \u201cSo I think inherently we were slightly nervous about the idea of taking it out of America \u2013 and did extensive searches in various American cities looking for our locations.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I will say, the real turning point for me was Gotham Square. We knew we needed this large footprint where we were creating Gotham\u2019s version of Times Square, and as I was Google searching, I came upon Wellington Square in Liverpool, and really started to comb in on that, started looking at pictures and realised what an incredible resource it was.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, you had all this beautiful ornament and incredible pieces of architecture with this heavy dark patina,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd then obviously, the weather of the North all combined to create this amazing atmosphere for us. As we started to explore around that area, we realised how many treasures there were for us, and that really unlocked the country for me \u2013 I realised what a mind-blowing resource the UK was in terms of moments that would help us build our world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\""Batman"\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Batman<\/span><\/figcaption> WB<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

As the production team started looking for more UK-based locations, Chinlund said they were very soon \u201coverwhelmed with opportunities\u201d \u2013 finding incredible places in Manchester and Glasgow and quickly realising they wouldn\u2019t even be able to shoot all the places they\u2019d like to.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean in the end, we shot a lot less than we loved,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we used the cemetery in Glasgow (The Glasgow Necropolis), which overlooks the city \u2013 an incredible place. And the Liver Building in Liverpool is the top of the Gotham City Police Department and the sight of an amazing stunt that Batman performs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen the exterior of St. George\u2019s Hall in Liverpool played as Gotham City Hall and Gotham Bank. So yeah, it was a real treasure trove of locations for us in the North.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, while British conditions might not always be ideal, in this case, Chinlund said that the wintry weather suited the production down to the ground \u2013 even if it wasn\u2019t always the most fun to stand around in all night.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt certainly provided the atmosphere that we needed,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, Gotham is a dank and cold place, and at times the UK is as well. So it really was our friend, and we appreciated it. And the long nights were very helpful!\u201d<\/p>\n