New Hollywood movie '28 Years Later' filmed partly in locations in Harrogate area
Fountains Abbey is one of several locations in the Harrogate area appearing in the big new movie release of the week 28 Years Later.
The World Heritage site hosted filming involving Hollywood stars when films crews arrived to shoot 28 Years Later, the latest high-octane instalment of Danny Boyle's post-apocalyptic zombie trilogy.
A spokesperson for the National Trust said: “Filming took place for three days on the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate.
"Appearing in a film, allows Fountains Abbey to be seen and enjoyed by a large and often new audience, which in time can help to bring more people to the local area.”
Starring Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Schindler's List) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass, Bullet Train), scenes for 28 Years Later were also filmed in the Yorkshire Dales National Park at locations including Aysgarth Falls and Redmire.
A "bone temple" set was constructed next to the River Ure and a public footpath closed for the duration of the shoot.
Released in 2002, the original 28 Days Later, directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting/Slumdog Millionaire), told the story of a "rage virus" which swept through the UK.
The second film was 28 Weeks Later in 2007.
The latest episode, written by Alex Garland (Civil War/The Beach), focuses on a group of survivors of the rage virus who live on a small island off the quarantined British mainland.
When a boy and his dad leave the island on a mission into the mainland, they discover secrets about the nature of the threat to the remaining unaffected humans.
Speaking about the Fountains Abbey scenes, Bec Evans said film makers had wanted to play with the idea of the abbey "as a place of peace and sanctuary" in contrast to the manic zombie scenes elsewhere.
However, she said during filming she had been very careful to ensure visitors to the historic landmark were not surprised by naked zombies lurking in the grounds of the Grade I listed landmark.
The island scenes in 28 Years Later, which has a 15 certificate, were filmed at Holy Island in Northumberland.