Already the backdrop to timeless franchises including the Harry Potter film adaptations, Oxford will this weekend serve as the filming location of Transformers: the Last Knight.
Crews have arrived in the city and have cordoned off key areas such as Radcliffe Square and Lincoln College. The locations will be used to shoot scenes for the upcoming action blockbuster.
Though residents have welcomed the filming of the fifth Transformers film in Oxford, one element has proved controversial. Debate has raged over the redecoration of Blenheim Palace – the birthplace of Prime Minister Winston Churchill – as a Nazi base, with swastikas and a full-sized Panzer tank being brought into the palace grounds.
Oxford’s enchanting architecture and the unspoiled English scenery of the surrounding area have long been a magnet to filmmakers. Numerous well-known features, from 2006 comedy The History Boys to classic war drama Saving Private Ryan, have been filmed in the city.
The exposure given to the town by its cinematic outings has long been a major boon for tourism. Oxford is home to a number of dynamic tourism firms, most prominently Footprints Tours, whose famous Free Oxford Walking Tour continues to enjoy pole position in the city’s TripAdvisor rankings.
Martin Walker, head of marketing and development for council body Experience Oxfordshire, commented: “If you look at the number of films and series filmed in the city, such as Inspector Morse and Endeavour, it does a great job of getting the location out there.”
Walker added: “People want to know where these films and series are filmed after seeing what a beautiful place Oxfordshire is – it raises awareness and is a great way in for us.”
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