Spider-Man may be New York City’s friendly neighborhood hero, but Tom Holland spent much of his latest turn as Peter Parker nowhere near the Big Apple.
The revealed in a recent interview last week that much of the record-breaking “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” was actually shot in the U.K. instead of New York City, with filming taking place at London’s Pinewood Studios and in Glasgow, Scotland.
So why did Sony choose to shoot across the pond? According to Holland, one major reason was that filming rules in London are much more relaxed than in New York City.
“We shot at Pinewood, you know, the historic film studio here in London, which was a real treat,” Holland told “Dish” podcast hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett. “We essentially built New York on the back lot of Pinewood. Humongous set. Gave us so much freedom to sort of explore life in New York because when you shoot in New York, for whatever reason, you can’t shut down streets.”
Holland was quick to point out that filming on a closed set not only made securing a “city street” easier, but also meant fewer interruptions from fans and passersby. The massive Pinewood backlot gave the production the ability to recreate New York without having to contend with the unpredictability of filming on actual city streets.
Watch the interview below:
“In London, you know, the studios I’m sure pay an arm and a leg to shut down a street in London and then you own that street for the day,” the “Odyssey” actor explained. “You can’t do that in New York. So when you’re filming there, it just, you know, you’ll be in the middle of a scene and someone will just walk right in and be like, ‘Oh my god, can I get a picture of you?’ And you’re like, ‘No, not right now. No, not right now.’”
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” picks up with Peter Parker living a more isolated life after the events of “No Way Home,” as he continues trying to balance his responsibilities as Spider-Man and his reality as Peter.
Holland returns as Peter Parker, with Zendaya reprising her role as MJ. The cast also includes Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, alongside Sadie Sink and Liza Colón-Zayas. Destin Daniel Cretton directed the film.
Clearly the filming decision paid off both for the actor and for Sony. Holland’s fourth turn as Spider-Man is shattering box office records. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has now earned the highest opening weekend in domestic box office history with $360 million, topping the $357 million opening earned in 2019 by fellow MCU film “Avengers: Endgame.”
You can watch Holland’s full interview in the video above.
