Stars flocked to the North in ‘another fantastic year for film and TV industry’

By Rebecca Black, Press Association

Stars flocked to the North during 2025 in what has been termed “another fantastic year” for the local film and television industry,

Hugh Jackman was spotted during filming of The Death Of Robin Hood in Ballycastle and Holywood, while co-star Jodie Comer took in the views at the Giant’s Causeway, and Bill Murray caused excitement during filming for a BBC/Paramount+ golf series, Off Course with a visit to a garage in Greysteel.

Kill Bill star Lucy Liu delighted audiences at the Belfast Film Festival in November with a special screening of her latest movie Rosemead, and also received the Realta award.

The cameras are set to keep rolling in 2026 with new series of Bafta-winning Blue Lights, the long-awaited seventh series of Line Of Duty and series three of Jimmy McGovern’s prison drama Time. among other productions.

Northern Ireland Screen has promised “much to look forward to”.

This includes HBO’s Game Of Thrones prequel series A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms airing on Sky Atlantic and Now TV from January 19th, and Lisa McGee’s follow up to Derry Girls, How To Get To Heaven From Belfast, launching on Netflix in February. Both filmed in Northern Ireland in 2024.

The four-part documentary series Titanic Sinks Tonight, the first project to film at Studio Ulster using cutting-edge virtual production technology, described as the world’s most advanced VP facility, debuted on the BBC over Christmas, and is now on iPlayer.

During the Cannes Film Festival in May, Northern Ireland Screen was presented with the Special Recognition Award at the Global Production Awards for its outstanding contribution to sustainable production.

Belfast was also named City of Film, beating competition from New York City, US, Sydney, Australia, and Zagreb, Croatia. The Northern Ireland capital was commended for a “cross-sectoral approach”, including how it leverages tourism opportunities, invests in skills and sustainability initiatives, and fosters both Irish language and Ulster-Scots storytelling.

Some of Northern Ireland’s most beautiful landscapes, including Dunseverick Castle and Tollymore Forest were shown on the big screen in Universal’s first live-action remake of the hit animated trilogy How To Train Your Dragon starring Gerard Butler. It opened in June with a record-breaking worldwide box office of 197.8 million dollars (£146.28m) .

Four Letters Of Love, based on Niall Williams’ international bestselling novel of the same name, starring Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham Carter and Gabriel Byrne, which was partially filmed in Northern Ireland, was released in cinemas in July.

In September, Saipan, the story of the clash between the Republic of Ireland football captain Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy during preparations for the 2002 Fifa World Cup, from local directors Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

Over on the small screen, Channel 4’s In Flight saw Belfast double for London, Bulgaria and Thailand while the same channel’s Trespasses based on Louise Kennedy’s breakout debut novel aired in November.

Downton Abbey actress Phyllis Logan swapped housekeeping for a spot of crime-solving in the Channel 5 drama Murder Most Puzzling, which filmed in Northern Ireland at the end of 2024 and aired in June 2025.

We are immensely proud of what has been achieved and excited by the strong pipeline of productions that will carry this momentum into 2026 and beyond

The second series of ITV’s critically acclaimed thriller Malpractice, which filmed in Northern Ireland, returned to ITV in spring while Hope Street series five filmed in June and hit our screens in October.

Puffin Rock from Derry-based Dog Ears emigrated to CBeebies with seasons one and two launching in February and the highly anticipated third season premiering in September.

Quiz fans were well looked after with the legendary Mastermind continuing to film in Belfast while series three of The Finish Line aired in March.

A brand-new quiz show Do You Know Your Place, presented by Vernon Kay accompanied by The Traitors star Paul Gorton, was recently commissioned by the BBC. It will be made in Belfast by local company Stellify Media.

Richard Williams, CEO of Northern Ireland Screen, said 2025 had been a “truly exceptional year for Northern Ireland’s screen industry”.

He said it reflected the “extraordinary talent, ambition and collaboration that exists right across our creative community”.

“From world-class studio facilities and pioneering virtual production at Studio Ulster, to award-winning local stories resonating with global audiences, Northern Ireland continues to punch well above its weight on the international stage,” he said.

“We are immensely proud of what has been achieved and excited by the strong pipeline of productions that will carry this momentum into 2026 and beyond.”