Inside the stunning location for Tessa Thompson drama Hedda | Films | Entertainment

The opulent period drama Hedda is set to grace our television screens soon after its cinema release, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Amazon Prime Video will make Hedda available to its subscribers on 29 October, following its US cinema debut on 22 October and UK premiere on 24 October.

The film is a reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 play Hedda Gabler, brought to life by director Nia DaCosta.

Hedda has been modernised and now takes place in the 1950s, with American actress Tessa Thompson taking on the title role.

Hedda’s former love interest Eileen Lovborg (Nina Hoss) – a character who was male in the original play – makes an unexpected appearance at her party, stirring up turmoil as she questions whether she still harbours feelings for Hedda.

Director DaCosta explained her decision to relocate Hedda from Norway to 1950s England to Deadline, stating: “When I wrote it, I thought about making a more contemporary film, but I didn’t want it to be present day, and that’s why I landed on the ’50s. It’s a decade we’re still connected to.”

DaCosta emphasised that her narrative focuses more on the characters’ internal lives rather than their outward appearances.

Many viewers are intrigued about the filming locations for the drama, with Hedda’s grand country manor playing a significant role in the story.

Where was Hedda filmed?

The majority of Hedda was shot at Flintham Hall in Flintham, Nottinghamshire, a Grade I listed stately home.

The grand residence was constructed on the grounds of an older medieval and Jacobean house, which underwent a rebuild in 1798.

This was later revamped in an Italianate style between 1853 and 1857, with Ancaster stone encasing the existing structures.

A remarkable conservatory, crafted from stone and glass, towers at a height of 40 feet.

Flintham Hall is not open to the public, but it has previously served as a filming location for productions such as the Noel Coward classic Easy Virtue, Sherlock Holmes’ The Master Blackmailer, When Did You Last See Your Father?, and now Hedda.

The estate boasts extensive gardens, including a walled garden, an aviary and a 10-acre lake with two islands, as per the official Flintham Hall website.

The film’s production designer, Cara Brower, was given the task of finding the perfect location, and noted that DaCosta was “extremely specific” in her scripts about what she wanted for the film, including a grand staircase, a lake, a ballroom and a library, among other features.

Brower scouted 200 homes and personally visited many of these to see the locations firsthand, eventually enlisting location manager Emma Pill to assist in her search for the ideal place.

Brower revealed that upon their arrival at Flintham Hall and seeing the balcony in the great room, she “just knew”.

Speaking to the Motion Picture Association, Brower added: “The owners thought it would be fun to make a movie there, so we came in and took over the house and transformed it.”

The owners even permitted the crew to repaint the walls for the film, prompting them to opt for some “putrid” colours and a “somewhat faded” aesthetic.

Brower remarked on the overall atmosphere of Hedda’s home: “It should be sexy and beautiful, but also cold.”

Reflecting on the experience of creating the film, Brower stated: “The fun thing about Hedda was that there were no set builds, no green screen, just one location, and it was very contained.”

Hedda will be released on Prime Video on October 29