A TASTE of Hollywood came to Bradford as scenes for a star-studded Netflix movie were filmed in the city.
Six Triple Eight, a drama starring Kerry Washington, is set during the height of the Second World War, and was filmed in Bradford’s Little Germany today (Thursday, February 16). The film follows the story of the Second World War’s only all-black, all-female unit.
Miss Washington was in Little Germany to film scenes during the morning session, dressed in a green uniform. Dean Norris, who played DEA agent Hank Schrader in popular US TV series Breaking Bad, was also spotted filming scenes in Little Germany.
The film’s cast also includes Oprah Winfrey and Susan Sarandon, who were not spotted during the filming in Bradford. Sarah Jeffery, who has previously starred in a reboot of TV series Charmed, was spotted on-set dressed in military uniform.
Tyler Perry, the film’s writer and director, was also seen on set in Bradford. No release date for the film has been announced.
The film spotlights 6888th unit, made up of 855 women, who contributed to the war effort by sorting through a three-year backlog of undelivered mail and delivering the post to American soldiers serving during the conflict. On February 15, 1945, the unit was inspected and marched in review and then carried out their work in Birmingham.
The group of women helped to deliver 17 million pieces of mail to troops during the war which lasted between 1939 and 1945.
Scenes for the movie were filmed throughout the morning, in particular, as Little Germany was turned into wartime Birmingham for the shoot.
One of the main scenes filmed saw dozens of military-uniform-clad women marching down Burnett Street in Little Germany, led by one of them holding the USA flag. This scene was rehearsed and filmed on a number of occasions during the morning.
The impressive and detailed areas of the set included a pub, greengrocers shop and a fire station.
A bomb-ravaged red double-decker bus and other vintage vehicles were also placed on-set.
The red bus, a Midland double decker, gave further clues to the scenes being set in Birmingham during the Second World War.
Part of the roof of the bus and a section of an advertising board on the second level of the vehicle have been removed to indicate bomb damage.
A number of military vehicles also drove around the closed-off streets of Little Germany to film scenes.
Hundreds of cast and crew were on-set throughout the day’s filming in Bradford, including an actor dressed as a vicar.
The filming attracted crowds of Bradford residents to the scene to take a closer look at the action.
Kerry Hanley, of Rooley Lane, Bradford, came down to watch the filming with her 14-month-old son, Obi. She said: “It’s really exciting. My husband and I both love Netflix, so we can’t wait to see it.
“I just wanted to come and have a look at how they have done it. I’ve seen Little Germany kitted out before.
“It’s nice to be able to come and see a little bit behind the scenes.”
Barrie Robinson, from Heaton, and his dog Noodle, also watched the filming taking place.
Mr Robinson said: “It’s interesting. It’s exciting seeing it in Bradford. They are around here all the time filming.”
David Wilson, Bradford City of Film director, who was also on set, said: "We are once again delighted to welcome Netflix back to Bradford for Six Triple Eight.
"It’s been a few months in the planning and many Bradford businesses have been involved and supportive.
"I’ve walked around the set several times in the past week and it just keeps getting better and better.
"We will certainly look forward to the finished result."
The impressive set also included a washing line featuring a host of sky and navy blue shirts has been put up between two buildings on another street in Little Germany.
A defiant banner which reads: ‘Business as usual. We are open, Hitler Can’t stop us!’ was also put up.
A number of streets in Little Germany were dressed by the production company to fit the theme of the Second World War for four weeks before the day of filming. The streets affected were Scoresby Street, Burnett Street, Cater Street, Vicar Lane and Currer Street.
Six Triple Eight is the latest TV or movie to be filmed in Little Germany.
Downton Abbey, Emmerdale, Peaky Blinders and ABC Murders are just some of the productions which have used the location for some of its scenes over the years.
The first series of BBC drama Gentleman Jack also shot scenes in Little Germany.
It will also be a return to Little Germany for Netflix which saw scenes shot for the eight-part series Bodies, which is set to star Line of Duty actor Stephen Graham, shot last year.
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