Productions in Wales

With its striking natural beauty and wealth of historic landmarks, Wales has long been a magnet for both UK-based and international film and television productions. 

Several James Bond films have showcased the country’s stunning scenery, including The World is Not Enough (1999), which featured Snowdonia National Park; Die Another Day (2002), with scenes filmed at Penbryn Beach; and Quantum of Solace (2008), which returned to Snowdonia and captured the atmospheric beauty of Llyn Peris. Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood (2010) made use of Freshwater West to film the epic battle sequence; Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) features the dramatic coastline of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park; and in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Henrhyd Falls — South Wales’s tallest waterfall — doubled as the entrance to Batman’s legendary Batcave.

The 2025 action thriller film Havoc was predominantly shot in Cardiff and throughout South Wales, while Mr Burton (2025), a biopic that explores the early life of the legendary Welsh actor Richard Burton and his mentor Philip Burton, was shot in and around Burton’s hometown of Port Talbot.

Wales is also a key filming hub for television: The long-running sci-fi favourite Doctor Who (2005-2022) has filmed extensively across the country, so has the Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman detective series Sherlock (2010 - 2017). HBO’s House of the Dragon (2022-) transformed various locations in North Wales into key fictional settings, including the Riverlands, The Vale, and Dragonstone, while Wye Valley and South Wales countryside took centre stage in Netflix’s breakout hit Sex Education (2019-2023).

Other productions with PGGB Member involvement include Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), The Crown (2016-2023), His Dark Materials (2019), Mr. Bates vs the Post Office (2024) and Submarine (2010).

Film & TV in Wales in numbers

In 2023, the turnover of the Welsh film & TV Industry was £460m – one-third of the total value of the creative industries in Wales, which employs 35,000 people. Turning to Cardiff specifically, business turnover in the Welsh capital’s audiovisual media sector between 2021 and 2023 grew by 55% – the highest for any UK city outside London. The £28.6 million of production funding Creative Wales has invested so far in the screen sector has delivered 420 trainee placements and apprenticeships, ensuring a thriving pipeline of skilled professionals.