Overview
- Heads of State, released this year by Amazon MGM and starring Idris Elba and John Cena, filmed in Croydon with town-centre streets dressed as a Belarus setting.
- Location managers cite Croydon’s mix of high-rise skylines, brutalism and green spaces, allowing the borough to double for cities such as New York, Istanbul and Gotham.
- Film London reports that investment over the past four years enabled nearly 34,000 crew opportunities and generated £2.6 billion for the capital’s economy.
- Bloomberg’s estimate suggests roughly £5 million has flowed into Croydon from recent productions, with FilmFixer and the Croydon Film Office facilitating logistics and resident access to work.
- Officials have accelerated permits and support, while FilmFixer’s free Set Ready programme helps locals onto sets, though some in the industry voice concern after the US president called for a 100% tax on films made outside the US.