It’s no surprise that the county has featured in hundreds of films over the last century, but which of those films are the most favoured?
New data gathered by Wheelwrights York has revealed the most popular films featuring some of Yorkshire’s most iconic backdrops.
Analysing a combination of viewer rankings across IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes along with each film’s weekend Box Office performance, a top ten ranking has been created.
Taking the top spot as the most popular is The King’s Speech. Released in 2010, the film made an astounding £347.2 million at box office on the weekend of its release, gaining an impressive 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Filming locations included Elland Road Stadium, home of Leeds United FC, and Odsal Stadium in Bradford, home of Bradford Bulls rugby league team.
Jerry Rebbeck from Wheelwrights York said: “We’re not surprised to see York featured so heavily in the top rankings. The historic city has everything from quaint streets, to an impressive cathedral, City Walls and bell towers, all which offer a sense of history and grandeur, standing out on screen.”
Interestingly, train stations and railways across Yorkshire also prove popular in the top ten, as Harry Potter, Barry Lyndon, Paddington 2 and Downtown Abbey all chose to film at iconic railways across the region.
In the coming months, we expect to see the region hit the silver screen again, as films such as Mission Impossible 7, Indiana Jones V and The Railway Children Return have all chosen key locations across Yorkshire to film.
So keep a lookout and see if you can spot any Yorkshire landmarks in these major Hollywood and feature films.
*Pictures supplied by Wheelwrights York
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: part 1
Two Harry Potter films feature in the top ten, with Deathly Hallows Part 1 taking second place. The movie bagged an enormous £790 million at box office, the largest of any film in the list, and has an IMDB average rating of 7.7. The movie features iconic scenes from Yorkshire, including Malham Cove, near Skipton. Photo: s
2. The Princess Bride
The film was first released in 1987 and was well received by critics at the time. After only having modest success at the box office at first, it has over time become a cult film and been considered as one of the best films of the 1980s. It tells the story of a swashbuckling farmhand named Westley, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, who must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck. Filming for the Hathersage Moor, Sheffield Photo: s
3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus, based on the 1997 novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series. Filming took place in Goathland Station, Whitby, and York Train Station. Photo: s
4. Billy Elliot
Billy Elliot is a 2000 coming-of-age comedy-drama film set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the film is about a working-class boy who discovers a passion for ballet. His father objects, based on negative stereotypes of male ballet dancers. The film stars Jamie Bell as 11-year-old Billy, Gary Lewis as his father, Jamie Draven as Billy's older brother, and Julie Walters as his ballet teacher. Filming included scenes at Tee Transporter Bridge, Middleborough. Photo: s