Is Alnwick Castle all set for new Dungeons & Dragons filming?
Get the latest Northumberland news and updates delivered straight to your inbox Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice  There will be huge excitement among Dungeons & Dragons fans over rumours that filming for the fantasy film series is about to start in Northumberland. Alnwick Castle is thought to be the location picked for the latest scenes in the new movie and preparations have been under way there since May 26 for what it calls a "private event". The castle will close to visitors for three days from Monday and local Dungeons & Dragons fans will be keeping fingers crossed that they might spot some of the cast's stars who include Star Trek's Chris Pine and The Fast and the Furious actress Michelle Rodriguez. (Image: Netflix UK)  Bridgerton favourite Rege-Jean Page is also in the cast of the US movie which is based on the hugely popular game series. Hugh Grant is another Brits who has signed up and he will be playing a character called Forge Ledger. The cast also includes the likes of Sophia Lillis, Daisy Head and Justice Smith. Rege-Jean Page is a star of bodice-ripper drama Bridgerton which became Netflix's most-watched series on its debut, pulling in 82m households of viewers in its first 28 days. Alnwick Castle has a link to that too, with the Percy family's London home Syon House being used as a setting for several Bridgerton interiors, with marble busts of its Northumberland family ancestors on display. The dramatic backdrop of the castle itself has often been used as a setting by film and TV crews and it famously featured in two Harry Potter movies and in Downton Abbey specials. As the castle says on its website, it is "no stranger to film cews" and over the years its film roles have included Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and, most recently, Transformers: The Last Knight which brought Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg to Alnwick alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins. A role in Dungeons & Dragons would prove a further boost and filming would coincide with preparations further north at Bamburgh Castle for the start of work there on the new Indiana Jones film. A post on the local Northumberland Newsdesk Facebook group included a picture of the castle and some of the film's cast, adding: "Preparations underway at Alnwick Castle for the filming of the new Dungeons and Dragons movie before the cast arrive next week?" And the castle would certainly seem an appropriate choice of setting for the film given that it has both dungeons and a dragon, in the form of its dragon lair attraction. Dungeons & Dragons is being produced by Paramount and entertainment company eOne which is owned by Hasbro, the parent company of the Dungeons & Dragons role-play game. Filming is in its early days and, with the pandemic having caused delays, it is not expected for release until March 2023. On its website Alnwick Castle said that preparations have been under way there since May 26 for what it calls a "private event" which will be taking place around the castle and its grounds until June 12. The statement on the site confirmed it will be closed to visitors from Monday, June 7 for three days until Wednesday, June 9 inclusive, adding: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused." Since reopening from lockdown, the castle is inviting visitors to book tickets online and, in line with social distancing, it has a limited number of daily tickets available with staggered entry timeslots.