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Danny Boyle: Gorleston was ‘perfect’ location for filming of Yesterday
Ed Sheeran chats to director Danny Boyle at the Gorleston Palace cinema for the local premiere of the film Yesterday. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2019
Director Danny Boyle has spoken of his love for Gorleston as he returned for the East Anglian premiere of his new film Yesterday - describing the seaside town as a 'perfect' movie location.
Director Danny Boyle at the Gorleston Palace cinema for the local premiere of the film Yesterday. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2019
The Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting director teamed up with Suffolk-based writer Richard Curtis for the project, which was largely filmed in East Anglia and was inspired by The Beatles.
It stars Himesh Patel and Lily James and tells the story of an unsuccessful musician who find himself injured in a traffic accident, only to wake up and realise he is the only person in the world who knows The Beatles existed.
Some 6,000 people were recruited to appear in scenes shot on Gorleston beach in June last year, with Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Southwold and Halesworth all featuring.
And the stars of the film returned to Gorleston for the movie's East Anglian premiere at the town's Palace Cinema on Friday, with Suffolk popstar Ed Sheeran also putting in an appearance.
Director Danny Boyle, with writer Richard Curtis, left, at the Gorleston Palace cinema for the local premiere of the film Yesterday. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2019
Mr Boyle said: "It's lovely, trying to complete a story, rather than just dropping into a location and you never hear from us again."
The Oscar-winning director revealed that he considered several locations for the film, but that Gorleston stood out.
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"The location manager Camila was showing me around various places and as soon as I saw the beach, it was unbelievable," he said.
"Then there was a hotel right on it, which had just been renovated.
Actor Kate McKinnon at the Gorleston Palace cinema for the local premiere of the film Yesterday. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2019
"Unfortunately we didn't want it renovated, it was meant to be closed down and it was reopening, but then I saw the port behind it and I thought: 'That's Liverpool out there.'
"This is like a wonderful typical British asset - an enormous, wondrous beach and this traditional hotel on the corner of it that we all know from our childhood.
"Gorleston was perfect, we stayed here for about six weeks."
He said he was shocked to have never come across Gorleston beach before, adding: "I was like, how did I not know about this beach, cause I pride myself on having got about a lot."
Ed Sheeran at the Gorleston Palace cinema for the local premiere of the film Yesterday. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY - Credit: Copyright: Archant 2019
Mr Boyle now hopes the film can have a long-lasting positive effect on the town.
"You can bring some money into the local economy," he said.
"But also you want to create not a kind of legacy as such, but also an imprint that tells people who may not know this place what a lovely place it is, and I think anybody who sees the film will, there will be lots of people who want to come here."
The film goes on general release on Friday, June 28.
