Blog

September 20, 2024

By Charlotte Wood

An idyllic weekend retreat in the countryside turned psychological nightmare, Speak No Evil is the latest release from Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures.

An unassuming American family are invited to spend a weekend in the English countryside by couple Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) which soon turns into a sinister nightmare; unnerving incidents, anti-social behaviour and the pushing of societal boundaries culminate in a dramatic escape plan.

The film was predominantly shot on location at a rural Gloucestershire farmstead, with additional filming further afield at Hollybush Quarries, on the Worcestershire-Herefordshire border facilitated by Worcestershire Film Office. We team delves further into the picturesque rural farmhouse that inspired the main setting and primary location of the production.

A Starring Role for the Rural Gloucestershire Farmhouse

The remote farmhouse is submerged in rolling countryside, woodland, streams and has an abundance of historic outhouses and buildings; including an eerie cellar, providing the perfect backdrop for the production to create the sinister setting for the feature film.

We heard from the location owners about the history of their farm and their experience accommodating a production for the first time:

“We have been connected to this farm since the 1890s and when a relative passed away in 2002 our father took over the family farm and it was his vision that this would be a marvelous film set. As a family this is something we were keen to explore and around 2010 we registered the property with Creative England.

However, we have been engrossed in preserving and restoring the farm buildings and house, making sure they are fit for another 100 years. Selling or developing the property into residential housing has never been of interest to us, but use as a film set is temporary, exciting and completely different from our everyday lives. We are rather “out of the way” and quiet but just 10 minutes from a motorway connection in the heart of the country with many hotels, B&B’s in the area for a crew to base themselves.

In 2021 through Creative England, we were approached for a feature film and although shortlisted it wasn’t to be. Creative England have always been helpful and sent us tips on what to expect and what was needed to be successful in this industry. This wetted our appetite again and after a visit from Charlotte Wood, Production Liaison Manager (SW) at Creative England, showing her the farm and what was on offer, the photos were updated, and the Location Agency, Farm Locations was also suggested. We then heard from Farm Locations, interviewed on Farming Today and we thought Farm Locations would be an ideal platform to showcase our property.

After contacting Farm Locations and being accepted onto their website, recces quickly followed with the farm being chosen for the thriller, ‘Speak No Evil’. An exciting project for our first adventure into hosting a film at our farm and we are proud and excited to share it and see it on the big screen. This was a fantastic production company, Location Managers and crew were all great to welcome onto our property and the attention to detail, watching some of the filming, was a wonderful experience for us. A huge thank you to Farm Locations, Jo and her team who were instrumental in obtaining this contract and for overseeing all the finer details for us so we could enjoy every minute.”

Filming in England support the further spread of filming activity within the English Regions, and it was fantastic to work alongside our Filming in England Partner, Farm Locations, showcasing the unique Gloucestershire Farmhouse that took centre stage in the psychological thriller, Speak No Evil.

Location Agency: Farm Locations

Farm Locations are a specialist location agency in Farms, Farming and Countryside locations. The team manage a varied and extensive library of rural locations, from huge farm estates to a small cottage plot within the UK and work with a varied network of clients from the BBC, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Jo Thompson, Founder of Farm Locations talks in more detail about her involvement with supporting farms as filming locations:

“For me, it’s a role I don’t take lightly, when supporting farms in their aspirations to becoming a film location; especially for a farm such as the main filming location in Gloucestershire, which is an extraordinary farmstead setting, sensitively restored and preserved by the owners. The owners have resisted modernisation so far, and ‘Speak No Evil’ is a brilliant case to demonstrate how old, traditional, unscathed farms are truly wonderful and hard-to-find for the film industry. Where I can help farmers have the confidence to host shoots whilst continuing to farm and preserve their slice of rural, historic Britain, then my job is a good one.”

Registering on the Filming in England Location Directory and with further specialist Location Agencies encourages filmmakers to discover the plethora of regional locations available to productions, ensuring communities across the nation enjoy the profile, job opportunities and economic benefits that the sector generates.

Images of the historic farmstead featured in the film:

Filming in England Location Directory

The Filming in England’s Location Directory has undergone a recent upgrade with new and improved systems which will provide enhanced features and a better user experience. The database is a free resource utilised regularly by industry scouting for locations in the regions. Creative England’s Locations & Partnerships Coordinator, Josh Coupland explains further about registering your property on the directory:

“Showcasing your property with the Filming in England Location Directory connects you directly to the heart of the film and TV industry. We work closely with partners like Farm Locations to highlight unique locations and make it easy for filmmakers to discover your space. Whether it’s a stunning landscape or a distinctive building, you can put your location on the map and in front of industry professionals seeking the perfect filming backdrop.”

Speak No Evil’s release date in the UK was on Thursday, 12^th September 2024 and is currently available to watch in cinemas.

For more information on the Filming in England Partnership and if you are interested in registering your location on the Filming in England Location Directory please visit our website: https://www.filminginengland.co.uk/locations/

If you are interested in hosting a production at your farm or rural countryside location, please also register and contact Farm Locations.

Further information on Worcestershire Film Office can also be found on their website HERE

NB: The name of the farmhouse location featured in ‘Speak No Evil’ has not been revealed for confidentiality purposes.