Here’s how Liverpool played a star role in Sexy Beast, the new Paramount+ drama

The much-anticipated TV prequel to cult classic gangster film Sexy Beast premieres this Thursday on Paramount + and Liverpool plays a starring role.

The eight-part series of Sexy Beast sees Gal Dove and Don Logan, the characters originally played by Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley, as younger men living their best lives as mates and small-town thieves.

It’s set mostly in 1990s east London, but was actually filmed in Liverpool over six months between autumn 2022 and February last year.

And that means for anyone planning to watch, there’ll be plenty of well known locations to spot, and there won’t be a long wait to see the first.

The opening scene, paying homage to the iconic sunbathing one featuring Ray Winstone in the movie, was shot on a rooftop near Titanic Hotel at Stanley Dock.

Instead of stretching out on a sun lounger poolside, actor James McArdle who plays the younger Gal was filmed in a paddling pool on the top of a disused warehouse building.

It was left to CGI to fill in the background, adding a London skyline to shift the setting.

Lauren Jones, marketing and communications manager for Liverpool Film Office, says that was one of many locations chosen for the series.

Sexy Beast was also the first major tenant of the studio The Depot, adjacent to the old Littlewoods building, where Macbeth was housed for its sell-out run at the end of last year.

“The Depot is an amazing space, it’s so tall and adaptable which I think was what they really liked about it,” says Lauren. “It’s such a vast space, there are two units that mirror each other, so productions can just go in, build sets and transform it to whatever they want. 

“With Sexy Beast, a lot of the interior shots were done in there so for instance there’s a club scene with Teddy, who’s played by Stephen Moyer. It looks like a private members club with lots of plush red leather, but that’s actually a set built at The Depot. 

“The Cross Keys pub just off Old Hall Street also features, they renamed it for the series, and they used Croxteth Hall and Knowsley Hall as well for the country house scenes. There’s one in particular where they have a big party and there are some nice exterior shots so the locations should be easily identifiable for anyone who’s ever visited either of them.”

Sexy Beast was one of 301 productions facilitated by Liverpool Film Office in 2023, making it its best ever year despite the strikes in the US.

“We were very fortunate because we have a lot of domestic production in the North West and in Liverpool which helped us because major feature films just stopped shooting but our productions carried on and we ended up having the busiest year in Film Office history,” adds Lauren.

Having a long-term production like Sexy Beast is good news not only for the overall city economy, but for lots of talented local creatives who are brought onto the crew.

“When a production is here for so long, one of the benefits we offer is being able to say, there’s no need to bring crew from London or the US, why don’t you use ours?  It saves on the hotel or apartment costs because they go home at night, and it creates great opportunities for local crew.

“Our business development and partnerships manager also works closely with productions, finding accommodation, linking them with bars and restaurants, and suggesting places for wrap parties. 

“When a production comes to Liverpool, we always give them that rounded package, that’s what a lot of people comment on and why they love it here. We try and create a family for them and be as welcoming as we possibly can. Whatever they need we work it out, it’s never a no, it’s about problem solving and finding options to keep them here.” 

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