When Hollywood came to Yorkshire - the year the region took a starring role

From the rolling hills of the Dales, to the high arches of Knaresborough's railway viaduct and through York's cobbled streets, this year Yorkshire has taken a starring role on our screens.

Before 2025, the idea of spotting an A-list actor like Margot Robbie in a tiny rural village near Hawes would have seemed improbable.

Harder still, perhaps, would be believing that Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland would enthuse about the residents of Knaresborough, let alone promise to return.

2025 has been the year that major production companies have come knocking on the doors of some of Yorkshire's most picturesque filming locations.

The year started with a festive bang, when film crews rolled into Knaresborough and Wetherby to shoot a Christmas film.

Tinsel Town was released this month and stars Keifer Sutherland, Rebel Wilson and Danny Dyer.

The film features recognisable town landmarks, including the viaduct, Castlegate and Green Dragon Yard.

Speaking to BBC Radio York ahead of its premiere, Sutherland was full of praise for the county, and said his favourite memory was people being "so nice and welcoming".

Asked whether he would return, he said: "Yes absolutely...I made some friends in the area so will definitely come back."

Filming in the town may have wrapped in February, but Knaresborough is looking to celebrate its newfound limelight.

The town council has just approved free walking tours which will visit the different filming spots in the area, in anticipation of increased tourism.

Councillor Margy Longhurst said the tours - set to launch next year - aimed to "support the town's growing tourist industry, local businesses and to give people a good visitor experience".

"I think this film really will bring people in, and we want to be prepared for them," she explained.

"Tinsel Town is the biggest exposure we've had so far, it highlights some of the beautiful aspects in the town and the iconic view over the River Nidd."

She added that residents were "very proud" to see their town on the silver screen.

In April, Hollywood descended on the Yorkshire Dales, for Emerald Fennell's adaption of Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

Based on Emily Bronte's classic 1847 novel and set in bleak moorland, the production gave visitors and locals a glimpse of Robbie, playing Cathy, filming in a white wedding gown.

She, and other cast members, stayed at hotel Simonstone Hall, near Hawes.

A staff member said Robbie was "very lovely" and enjoyed a Sunday roast and afternoon tea there with her husband and new baby.

Filming locations also included Arkengarthdale, Swaledale and the village of Low Row, with the base camp near Reeth.

Rebecca Yorke, director of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, located at the former Bronte family home in Haworth, said that every "screen or theatre adaptation brings something fresh for contemporary audiences".

"It is a testimony of Emily's legacy that her writing continues to inspire creatives today and we look forward to seeing what Emerald Fennell's adaptation adds to the mix," she said.

Wuthering Heights is slated for release on 13 February 2026.

Towards the end of the year, a number of other notable productions took to - and in some cases - shut down the streets of Yorkshire.

September saw the cast of Dowton Abbey arrive in Harrogate, to shoot scenes at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Eight young actors from Yorkshire Stagecoach Performing Arts in Garforth, Selby, Wetherby and Pontefract even got to play a small part in the franchise's final film.

In October, Skipton played host to actors from the new Harry Potter TV series, and Christmas came early to York city centre when Richard E. Grant was seen filming Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint, due for release in 2026.

Businesses on Colliergate were given a festive makeover, including table salt being used as a substitute for snow, and the street was temporarily closed while scenes were shot.

Jo Patton, owner of the Totally Awesome Toy Shop, said at the time there was "a good buzz about the place".

He even caught sight of John Bradley, best known for his role as Samwell Tarly in Game of Thrones.

"To have a film star stood literally on your doorstep, in some ways wasn't too strange, because in York you expect the unexpected," he added.

Cinemagoers can also expect to see Bradford take the spotlight in January, for the fourth instalment in the Danny Boyle franchise 28 Days Later.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, featuring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O'Connell, used the backdrop of the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre as a derelict wasteland.

Other scenes were shot in Redmire, North Yorkshire.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.