A HOLLYWOOD blockbuster starring Kirsten Stewart and Charlize Theron has been filmed at locations across the Lake District.
Cathedral Cave in Little Langdale and Blea Tarn in Langdale have been closed off during the past week as a segment of Snow White And The Huntsman was shot.
And A-list celebrities – including Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone and Eddie Izzard – partied the night away at a wrap party at the Wateredge Inn in Ambleside on Tuesday.
Staff at the Wateredge Inn were shocked as mega-stars Charlize Theron, who plays the Evil Queen, and Kirsten Stewart, who will play Snow White, joined a party at the hotel to celebrate their last night in the area before heading south to continue filming.
Barmaid Marie Baker said Ambleside beer Catnap, from Barngate Brewery, was a firm favourite among party goers – who are said to have drunk the bar dry.
“By 9.15pm we had 100 people in the bar and it was buzzing,” she said.
“All the stars were there drinking sambuca, vodka shots and they drank us out of Jaegermeister too.
“Everyone really enjoyed themselves. I’d never heard of Kirsten Stewart or Charlize Theron before but I know they are huge celebrities.
“At the end of the night the cast all said thank-you and gave us all kisses goodbye.”
Hotel owner Scott Cowap said: “Things wrapped up at around 11.30pm and we suggested they headed into Bowness to carry on the party.
“It was pretty wild for a Tuesday night to have so many famous people in the bar. There’s certainly lots of empties.”
Kirsten Stewart and Charlize Theron are said to have retired for the night to the Holbeck Ghyll, Windermere, while the actors playing the seven dwarfs stayed nearby at Low Wood Hotel.
Snow White And The Huntsman’s script is said to be far removed from the familiar Disney cartoon, with more dark and dramatic scenes.
In a twist to the fairy tale the Huntsman, played by Chris Hemsworth, is ordered to take Snow White into the woods and kill her. But he becomes her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.
During the week the National Trust and its tenant farmers helped film crews to transport their equipment using quad bikes.
Trust general manager for the South Lakes John Moffat said it had been heavily involved in location planning and liasing with crews and making sure the landscape was protected.
“We were approached a few months ago to see if the land could be used,” he said. “The setting and the landscape were what they wanted.
“The film crew had bases in Little Langdale, Coniston, Blea Tarn and there were dozens and dozens of crew staying up there the whole time.
“The actors came in for two or three days to film. It took longer to film because of the rain.”
He added: “We don’t know whether the Lake District will be recognisable but it is great to have them film here.”
Ian Stephens, from Cumbria Tourism, said: “Hosting filming of this magnitude in the county only enhances its international reputation.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here