HOLLYWOOD AT MENAI BRIDGE
Crossing closed to film scenes for Robert Downey Jr blockbuster:
FILM crews have descended on North Wales to shoot the latest Hollywood blockbuster starring Robert Downey Jr.
Crews closed off Menai Bridge on Sunday as they shot scenes for The Voyage of Dr Dolittle.
The movie, produced by Universal Pictures, is due for release in April 2019 and sees the Iron Man and Tropic Thunder actor take the title role, with Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen and Jim Broadbent also starring.
Tom Holland, Emma Thompson and Ralph Fiennes are amongst the famous names voicing animals in the film, which is directed by Stephen Gaghan.
It is understood the scene being shot involved a character leaping from the bridge, as a giraffe runs over it, and landing on a paddle steamer passing below. The model giraffe used will later be replaced with a more realistic CGI version at Pinewood Studios.
Film crews took over the The Antelope pub, which was closed to the public, and motorists were diverted along the Britannia Bridge, causing severe congestion until late afternoon when filming finished.
Filming also took place at the nearby Treborth Botanic Gardens, access to which was restricted.
Downey Jr himself wasn’t spotted at the bridge, although he is currently in Wales.
The Marvel legend in the hugely successful film franchise, is helping raise money for the Brian Ortega Foundation and Rohhad Global by offering the chance to attend the world premiere of Avengers: Infinity War in LA to those who donate.
The appeal is made with Downey Jr standing in front of a Welsh flag, and, in one Twitter video, he even confirms he is in the country, saying: “RDJ, coming at you from my Welsh command post.” You can see the videos on his Instagram page.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Downey Jr even revealed he was challenging himself to do a Welsh accent.
He said: “I’m having a good time, though I decided to give myself, like, 40 additional challenges, like a Welsh accent — which even Welsh people say is hard to do.”
It’s not the first time Downey Jr has shown love for Wales.
He was here in the 1990s filming Restoration at Caerphilly Castle and, in 2016, he wished Wales good luck in the Euros in a video for pupils at Christ College, Brecon.
The actor also raises money and awareness for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, appealing for one million likes on his and his fellow Avengers’ Instagram pages.
ROHHAD Syndrome is a rare, life-threatening disease. It is seen in children after the age of one and the diagnosis is considered terminal.