Kit Harington and America Ferrera have been spotted filming across Liverpool as production continues on the new Channel 4 drama Army of Shadows.
Exclusive images were captured from the production as filming took place at Liverpool Town Hall before moving to Liverpool Marina, where crews staged a dramatic operation involving armed officers, a high-speed police boat and a small motor launch.
Army of Shadows is a new six-part thriller written by BAFTA-winning Ronan Bennett, whose credits include The Day of the Jackal, MobLand and Top Boy. Channel 4 has confirmed that filming is taking place across Liverpool, Manchester, London and Paris.
Kit Harington and America Ferrera film at Liverpool Town Hall
Filming moved into the heart of Liverpool this week, with production taking place inside Liverpool Town Hall across Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with the production also bringing in some of its own furniture and set dressing for scenes filmed inside the historic building.
Game of Thrones and Industry star Kit Harington arrived at the Town Hall, alongside America Ferrera, known for roles including Barbie and Ugly Betty.
Crews had previously been seen preparing Liverpool Town Hall for the production, with the historic civic building becoming one of the latest city landmarks to be used as a backdrop for the Channel 4 series.
After three days of filming inside the building, production moved to a very different Liverpool setting.
Dramatic scenes filmed at Liverpool Marina
On Friday, cameras rolled around Liverpool Marina and Coburg Dock, where the moorings and boatyard were used for what appeared to be a major action sequence.
Crews filmed a small motor launch making its way towards the moorings, accompanied by a high-speed police RIB carrying armed officers.
As the launch approached, a group of plain-clothes characters carrying weapons quickly moved towards the vessel in what appeared to be an arrest or interception operation.
America Ferrera, wearing a baseball cap for the scenes, could be seen at the centre of the action as the group moved in on the boat.
During filming, one of the agents appeared to fall to the ground after being hit by gunfire as the operation unfolded, while another part of the sequence saw a suitcase retrieved from the motor launch.
A further actor aboard the boat appeared to be playing the target of the operation.
Later in the day, Paddy Considine and Alex Hassell were also spotted around the quayside and boatyard, with Hassell pictured wearing a red T-shirt as filming continued around the Marina.
The scenes offer an intriguing first glimpse at some of the action Liverpool could provide when Army of Shadowseventually reaches screens.
What is Army of Shadows about?
The new drama is inspired by Jean-Pierre Melville’s acclaimed 1969 film and Joseph Kessel’s book of the same name, which told the story of the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation of France.
Rather than recreating the Second World War story, Bennett’s new series reimagines the idea in an occupied Great Britain.
Channel 4 describes a country which initially appears almost normal, but where the flags have changed, the news is carefully controlled and people have become afraid to say certain things openly.
At the centre of the story is a former soldier known as Berry, who begins creating a secret resistance network. A soldier, student, radiographer and journalist are among those drawn into the emerging movement as they decide they can no longer stand by.
Standing against them is a powerful state, a ruthless government minister and an American intelligence operative named Jessie, played by America Ferrera.
The series is directed by Lisa Gunning, whose previous credits include Black Doves and The Power, with STUDIOCANAL and Two Cities Television producing the drama for Channel 4.
Liverpool continues its run of major film productions
Army of Shadows becomes the latest high-profile production to make use of Liverpool’s streets, architecture and waterfront.
Filming for the drama had already been taking place elsewhere in the city before this week’s Town Hall and Marina shoots, while Liverpool is officially one of several locations being used for the production.
With a cast featuring Kit Harington, America Ferrera, Paddy Considine and Alex Hassell – and action sequences now taking place right on Liverpool’s waterfront – Army of Shadows looks set to be another major television production with a strong Liverpool presence.
Channel 4 has yet to confirm a broadcast date for the series.
