THE news that further filming for a major blockbuster is taking place in Northumberland has been welcomed across the county.

Work is currently underway to prepare Plankey Mill Farm near Langley as a set for the upcoming 28 Years Later film. While it is understood that filming on 28 Years Later wrapped in July, work on Part II began on August 19, filming back-to-back with Part one.

While Danny Boyle directed the initial sequel, Part II will be helmed by Nia DaCosta, known as the director of The Marvels superhero movie. Public access to the site has been blocked until December while the scenes for the latest sequel are shot.

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Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Northumberland County Council leader Glen Sanderson hoped that the film would showcase the best bits of the county.

He said: “It’s really good to see this, absolutely. It’s not just the publicity it gives, I’m sure everyone who sees it will want to visit Northumberland.

“Everyone benefits. The more people who discover Northumberland, the better because it is a land of great opportunities.

“We’re happy and willing and waiting to share the beauty of this land. It’s great, it really is.”

Cllr Jeff Watson, the council’s cabinet member with responsibility for culture, admitted it was “surreal” having such A-List names so close to home. But he agreed that it had the potential to act as a major boost for the county.

He said: “We do get quite a lot of filming in Northumberland, but it’s different when they need to close an area down for months like this.

“I just welcome the opportunity to further publicise the wonderful towns and areas in Northumberland. Hopefully, this film will be a success and it will increase the visibility of our county, and bring some much-needed revenue to a rural area.”

28 Years Later is a post-apocalyptic horror serving as a sequel to 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007). The movie will star the likes of Peaky Blinders’ Cillian Murphy and Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer. Filming took place in other parts of Northumberland including Rothbury and Kielder.

As well as Murphy and Comer, it also stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes. Little details are currently known about the sequel, although filings with the US Copyright Office suggest its title will be 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple.