A BEAUTIFUL North stately home which took centre stage in a classic TV series is to repeat the role in a Hollywood blockbuster. Castle Howard — near Malton, North Yorkshire — provided the quintessentially English setting for the small screen adaptation of the Evelyn Waugh novel Brideshead Revisited. It followed the lives of the aristocratic Flyte family and Charles Ryder from the 1920s until the Second World War. The 1981 TV series boasted an all-star cast including Jeremy Irons as Ryder, Anthony Andrews as Sebastian Flyte and Laurence Olivier as Lord Marchmain and turned Castle Howard into a huge tourist attraction. Now that looks like happening again as filmmakers have revisited the magnificent mansion to bring the book to the silver screen starring veteran screen actors Emma Thompson and Sir Michael Gambon. The Ecosse Films’ production is released next year by Buena Vista International. Cast and crew recently spent five weeks at the castle, together with dozens of local extras who were used in ballroom scenes and as soldiers . . . even the Middleton Hunt got involved in the shoot. As well as Gambon and Thompson as Lord and Lady Marchmain, it stars Matthew Goode as Charles Ryder, Ben Whishaw as Sebastian Flyte and Hayley Atwell, as Julia Flyte. Attracting Ecosse Films to North Yorkshire was a major coup for Screen Yorkshire — the regional film development agency — because when the movie idea was first floated four years ago it looked like the original setting would be snubbed in favour of a Scottish castle. Back then, the Sunday Sun revealed how the production crew wanted to use a different location from the TV show, so viewers would differentiate between the two . . . but thankfully Castle Howard — which is home to the Honourable Simon Howard and his wife and two children — won out. Producer Kevin Loader, said: “This is one of the most beautiful houses in England. There was a connection between the house and the story already. “We looked at other houses, but none of them suited Brideshead as well as this one.” Mr Howard said: “We’ve had great fun hosting the filming, and seeing Castle Howard revisit its role as Brideshead. “The crew have been fantastic to work with, and apart from a very busy schedule we've enjoyed having them here. “I’ve seen some of the rough edits of the filming at Castle Howard, and it looks excellent. I can’t wait to see the finished film at the cinema.” | 
