Global superstars Kit Harington and Liv Tyler were filming right here in Kirklees.
And the BBC has confirmed their hot new drama, Gunpowder, will hit our screens on Saturday October 21. A time is to be confirmed, but the three-part drama will be given prime time viewing.
The story is a retelling of The Gunpowder Plot, with Kit starring as Robert Catesby, the mastermind behind the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
The drama was filmed in Yorkshire and TV crews used Oakwell Hall in Birstall as a location.
A spokeswoman for Kirklees Council said: “The film crew were at Oakwell Hall from February 22 to 24 2017.
“They filmed a court scene in the Great Hall and it featured Kit Harrington and Liv Tyler.”
In a series of Q&A sessions released by the BBC, the cast speak about their roles in the drama.
Game of Thrones start Kit Harington, a descendant of Catesby and executive producer on the show, says: “The story follows such a fascinating, dark and twisted piece of British history which is very close to being forgotten in the fog of time.
“You may know the name Guy Fawkes... but many won’t know the whole story. It goes far beyond the name Fawkes and examines many fascinating characters and their desperate, tragedy-strewn lives.”
American-born Liv Tyler had just three weeks to rediscover her English accent for the role of Anne Vaux.
She said: “I moved to London last year and had a baby girl, so I was really excited to be here. I thought it would be fun to work in the UK and then my agent called saying she had “this incredible script in three-parts”... I read the script and had a video call with director, J Blakeson and then they were like “Oh by the way – it starts filming in two weeks. Can you do an English accent?”
“Thank God, I’ve done an English accent a few times before in films like The Lord Of The Rings.
“So I said yes, I would love to be a part of it and it all happened very fast. I got on the train to Leeds and there I was, in a ruff and full 17th century costume as Lady Anne.”
Gunpowder also features Mark Gatiss (Robert Cecil), Tom Cullen (Guy Fawkes), Edward Holcroft (Thomas Wintour) and Derek Riddell (King James I).
Mark Gatiss said: “Bonfire Night is a big thing, but it feels like all the fireworks and the bonfire itself makes it seem like the actual story is fading in people’s minds.
“I have talked to a lot of people who have a very muddled idea about what actually went on, so I think it’s a good time to try to tell a version of what happened.
“If you think you know what happened, it’ll teach you that there are all kinds of different aspects to the plot and the reasons why Catesby and the other conspirators wanted to blow up Parliament.”
