The Lake District: famed for its breathtaking scenery, gorgeous Lake District spa hotels, incredible fell walking routes and…a speed-flying Tom Cruise?
The 62-year-old actor – known for performing all his own stunts – shocked unsuspecting walkers in the beautiful Buttermere Valley when he took part in a dangerous speed-flying experience while filming 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
Cruise was also spotted back in the area in 2022 and 2023, filming more death-defying scenes for the last instalment of the celebrated series – Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which premiered in UK cinemas this May.
But it’s not just The Lakes that film crews flock to – check out our top 10 list of brilliant films that you didn’t realise were filmed in the UK. Can you spot a familiar location?
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1. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) & Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025) – Buttermere Valley, Lake District
The beautiful Buttermere Valley masquerades as the Australian Alps in part one of the Dead Reckoning duo! The ideal backdrop to Cruise’s incredible speed-flying stunt, the dramatic landscape fits the thrilling scene perfectly.
Plus, The Final Reckoning counts The Lake District National Park among its stunning shooting locations, with Cruise and his team also returning to Buttermere Valley to film more exciting stunts.
The Hollywood star is a regular visitor to the UK, with his work on the Mission: Impossible franchise taking him from London to the Peak District and even to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway!
2. Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) – University of Greenwich, London
Across two action-filled days, megastars Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey were spotted filming the latest instalment in the Jurassic World franchise at the University of Greenwich. Film crews descended on the Old Royal Naval College, with full-scale dinosaur and skeleton props!
With the film set to release in the UK on 2nd July 2025, this is one you’ll have to wait for – but we’ll definitely be heading to the cinema this summer to try and spot the university campus.
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens(2015) – Derwentwater, Lake District
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Another entry for the Lake District, Skiddaw, Catbells and (a digitally enlarged) Derwentwater can all be seen in the 2015 hit, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The gorgeous scenery can be seen as the Millennium Falcon lands on the planet of Takodana.
See if you can see the distinctive sweep of the Jaws of Borrowdale when Rey – Daisy Ridley’s character – steps foot onto the beautiful planet!
4. The Batman (2022) – Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
Eagle-eyed viewers might recognise the city of Liverpool, transformed into crime-ridden Gotham City for 2022’s The Batman. The city’s Walker Art Gallery – a striking, iconic building – can be spotted during the film, which was shot during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hollywood royalty Robert Pattinson, who starred in the film as Bruce Wayne, can be seen outside both the gallery and St George’s Hall in the film.
5.House of The Dragon (2022-24) – Holywell Bay Beach, Cornwall
Yes, we know it’s not technically a film, but we couldn’t resist mentioning the fantastic House of The Dragon – a series set in the same world as Game of Thrones.A lot of the filming for this fantasy epic took place at various locations across the UK, from Cornwall to Derbyshire andSurrey.
The gorgeous Holywell Bay Beach – also known as ‘Poldark’s Beach’, thanks to its inclusion in the smash-hit Poldark TV series – provided the perfect backdrop for atmospheric exterior shots. Both Emma D’Arcy and Matt Smith were spotted filming on the picturesque sands.
6. Death on the Nile (2022) – The Cotswold Lakes, Wiltshire-Gloucestershire border
Despite being set in Egypt, Kenneth Branagh’s 2022adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile was actually partially filmed in The Cotswold Lakes – a collection of lakes found on the border of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire!
The nature reserve’s incredible lakes took on the role of the River Nile, with the stallholders and tourists seen at the film’s Egyptian spice market played by around 300 locals.
7. Les Misérables(2012) – Old Royal Naval College, London
The beloved 2012 adaptation of Les Misérables is, of course, set in France. However, much of the filming actually took place in the UK, with shots captured everywhere from Somerset to Northamptonshire.
The Old Royal Naval College in London was transformed into the streets of Paris and filled with megastars, from Hugh Jackman to Amanda Seyfried. A replica of the Elephant of the Bastille was also built on location, completing the incrediblescene.
8. The Running Man (2025) – Glasgow, Scotland
Set to release in November 2025, this remake of the 1987 action film – adapted from Stephen King’s 1982 novel – features a dystopian version of New York City. However, much of the filming has so far taken place in Scotland’s Glasgow.
Star of the film, Glen Powell, was spotted on Bothwell Streetin the Scottish city shooting an exciting scene. Rumour has it that further filming will take place on Cadogan Square, St Vincent Street and elsewhere!
9. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) – St George’s Hall, Liverpool
The first film in this magical franchise – headed up by Eddie Redmayne as the creature-loving wizard, Newt Scamander – is set in New York City. However, it might surprise some fans to know that a lot of the city-based scenes were actually filmed in Liverpool.
The second entry for the northwestern city on our list, the drama of Liverpool’s St George’s Hall can be seen at various points throughout the film – perhaps most notably as the setting of the political rally for Henry Shaw Jr.
10. The Northman (2022) – Hightown Quarry, Belfast
Robert Eggers’ incredible action-drama – adapted from the legend of Amleth – takes place during the Viking-era in 10th-century Iceland. However, the majority of the film was actually shot in Northern Ireland.
The breathtaking final scene at the ‘Gates of Hell’ – the slopes of an active volcano – was actually filmed at Hightown Quarry in Belfast! It’s thought that the film’s stars were flown in to Northern Ireland locations – such as the stunning Tyrella Beach in County Down – by helicopter!
Did you spot all of these locations in these iconic films? What’s your favourite, little-known UK filming location?
