Walthamstow filming request for Nicolas Cage movie turned down

Walthamstow filming request for Nicolas Cage movie turned down

Waltham Forest Town Hall was originally selected as a filming location for the upcoming World War II espionage thriller Operation Fortitude, starring Nicolas Cage. However, plans to use the building were abandoned due to concerns about the display of Nazi symbols during the shoot. The movie focuses on the 1944 Allied operation designed to deceive Nazi Germany about the timing and nature of the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

The production team intended to drape the town hall in flags featuring swastikas to recreate the period setting authentically. While Waltham Forest Council had approved the project on condition that the filmmakers would engage with local residents and ensure no Nazi-era symbols were publicly visible, complications arose when the filming schedule was unexpectedly moved forward. This change left insufficient time for the agreed-upon community consultation.

A council spokesperson expressed disappointment over the last-minute change in filming dates, explaining that the shoot was brought forward from October to 15 September, which “prevented the level of consultation previously discussed.” The location team had previously notified residents near Walthamstow that Nazi imagery would be highly visible during filming, further heightening local sensitivities.

Due to these abrupt changes and the significant unease regarding far-right iconography, the council decided it had no choice but to refuse the permission. No filming permit was issued, and no fees were collected or compensation requested by the filmmakers. Ultimately, production moved to Greenwich. Waltham Forest Town Hall, which has hosted numerous notable shoots including the Emmy-winning Apple TV series Slow Horses, remains popular with the industry, with daily filming costs ranging from £2,000 to over £22,000 depending on the size of the crew. The council emphasized its ongoing positive relationship with film and television productions despite this particular incident

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