Forest goes to war for TV drama crew
TV crews and descended on Macclesfield Forest to turn it into the backdrop for a gripping Second World War drama featuring Hollywood actors.
Filming has been taking place at the beauty spot for World on Fire, which features Sean Bean and Helen Hunt.
The seven-part drama, produced by Mammoth Screen Productions, is due to be shown on Sundays on the BBC later in the year.
It is described as an ‘adrenalized, emotionally gripping and resonant drama following the first year of the war told through the intertwining fates of ordinary people drawn from Britain, Poland, France, Germany and the United States as they grapple with the effect of the war on their everyday lives’.
Other locations for filming, which began in September last year, include Paris, St Anne’s, in Lancashire, and Manchester city centre.
When the series was announced, Sean Bean, also known for his role as a swashbuckling soldier in TV series Sharp, said: “I am thrilled to be part of this ambitious drama.
“Peter Bowker’s study of the human stories that thread through this huge global conflict is fascinating and something I look forward to being part of on screen.”
Visitors to Macclesfield Forest, which is looked after by United Utilities, have noticed the crews and some have been trying to find out more.
Mandy Cooper said: “We saw the lorries all parked up near to Trentbank Car Park (and) wondered what they are filming.”
Sarah Smith was another and said there had been some weather related difficulties.
She said: “They are trying to film like it’s in June. I spoke with them that day it snowed very bad on the Wednesday.”
A spokesman for United Utilities confirmed that film crews were in Macclesfield Forest ‘at the moment’.