Naman Shrestha
Written and helmed by the Academy Award-winning filmmaker Emerald Fennell, ‘Saltburn’ is a dark comedy psychological thriller movie that takes us on a journey detailing the differences and similarities between privilege and desire through the eyes of Oliver Quick. Struggling to fit in at his college, Oliver’s luck changes when he crosses paths with a handsome and aristocratic man named Felix Catton and gets infatuated with him. As the two become good friends, Felix decides to invite him over to Saltburn, his family’s sprawling and luxurious property.
All set to spend some time at Saltburn, Oliver makes his way into the property and ends up having an unforgettable summer filled with him getting deeply involved with Felix and his family. While Barry Keoghan portrays Oliver and Jacob Elordi essays the role of Felix, a number of other talented actors feature as supporting characters, including Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, and Archie Madekwe. Set in the mid-2000s, the comedy film mostly unfolds in and around Saltburn as well as Oxford University where Oliver goes to study, which makes the audience curious about the actual shooting sites of ‘Saltburn.’
Saltburn Filming Locations
‘Saltburn’ was filmed in its entirety in England, primarily in Northamptonshire, Oxford, and London. According to reports, the production of the Emerald Fennell directorial got underway in early July 2022 and continued through the following couple of months, before getting wrapped up around mid-September of the same year. So, let’s traverse through all the specific sites that make an appearance in the movie!
Northamptonshire, England
The shooting for most of the pivotal sequences for ‘Saltburn’ took place in Northamptonshire, a ceremonial county located in the East Midlands of England. To be specific, the luxurious and spacious Drayton House, a Grade I listed country house located near the village of Lowick, stood in for the main estate where most of the drama unfolds. Dating back to the 14th century, the house has reportedly gone through several changes in each century. Besides its impressive interiors, the property also comes with an enormous eponymous park, which now stretches to about 200 acres.
Apart from wanting to capture the scenes at an unfamiliar estate to viewers, the filmmaker Emerald Fennell also wanted to set and shoot the film in one location. She elaborated on it, “It was important to me that we were all in there together, that the making of the film in some way had that feeling of a summer where everyone loses their mind together… I didn’t want to be constantly picking up and moving.”
Moreover, keeping locations at a minimum allowed the director and her team to avoid the need for many post-production adjustments. They met their objectives successfully as a major chunk of shooting occurred in and around Drayton House, which had not been used for filming purposes ever before. Despite the expansive size and depth of the property, which consists of cantilever staircases, a library, multiple bedrooms, and a dining room, the cast members reportedly got used to the interior over the course of the production process, so much so that they started to make themselves at home while reminding themselves that it was normal for their respective characters.
Oxford, England
A significant portion of ‘Saltburn’ was also taped in Oxford, which is the only city in England’s Oxfordshire. The filming unit took the production to a private 18th-century country house and park — Shotover Park — another property that had never made an appearance in any film. The cast and crew members reportedly spent about eight weeks recording several scenes in and around the house.
Furthermore, they were spotted lensing a few key sequences around Radcliffe Square, which is situated in the central region of the city of Oxford. In the later stages of production, in early September 2021, the production team of the Barry Keoghan starrer set up camp in and around the University of Oxford on Wellington Square to record various pivotal scenes.
London, England
Additional portions of ‘Saltburn’ were lensed in the capital of England as well as the United Kingdom — London. From the looks of it, the production team utilized various streets and neighborhoods to shoot important scenes against suitable backdrops. Besides ‘Saltburn,’ London has hosted the production of many other film and TV projects, including ‘Hot Fuzz,’ ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard,’ ‘Now You See Me 2,’ and ‘Death in Paradise.’
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