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Council turns down Cage film over Nazi swastikas

Sebastian MannLocal Democracy Reporting Service
News imageGetty Images A close-up of Nicolas Cage seen with dark hair wearing a black jacket and white shirt, photographed at a red carpet event with a dark backdrop and yellow and blue logos behind him.Getty Images
Nicolas Cage is set to star in WWII espionage thriller Operation Fortitude

Plans to film part of a Nicolas Cage war film at Waltham Forest Town Hall fell through over fears about Nazi iconography.

The shoot for the upcoming movie Operation Fortitude would have involved draping the building in flags bearing the swastika.

The film tells the story of the eponymous 1944 operation undertaken by the Allied forces to mislead Nazi Germany about the nature and timings of D-Day, the storming of Normandy.

Waltham Forest Council approved the project under the provisos the production team would consult with nearby residents and ensure "Nazi-era flags and symbols were not publicly visible" but production was "abruptly" brought forward meaning there was not enough consultation time.

A spokesperson for the east London council said it was "very disappointed" when the shoot was brought forward from October to 15 September, "preventing the level of consultation previously discussed".

Letters had been sent by the location team to residents near the filming location in Walthamstow "stating explicitly that Nazi symbols would be highly visible during the shoot", the spokesperson said.

News imageGetty Images A wide view of Waltham Forest town hall, large pale stone civic building with a central columned entrance and a green clock tower rising above it, seen across a circular fountain and manicured gardens with red and yellow flowerbeds under a blue sky.Getty Images
Waltham Forest Town Hall in Walthamstow was set to be a filming location

"Because of these significant changes that did not honour our agreed conditions, and given the high level of sensitivity to far-right iconography, we felt we had no other choice than to refuse permission," they added.

No filming permit was ever granted, the council did not collect any fee for the proposed filming and no compensation was offered to or requested by the filmmakers.

In the end, production went ahead in Greenwich.

Waltham Forest Town Hall and Fellowship Square have featured in several high-profile shoots in recent years, including the production of the Emmy-winning Apple drama Slow Horses.

A full day's shoot at the town hall with a crew of more than 50 people can cost over £22,000, while it would cost a team of five £2,045 for the same time.

"The council has a longstanding and positive relationship with the film and television industries," the spokesperson added.

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