Stuti Gokhale
Directed by Morten Tyldum, ‘The Imitation Game’ is an intriguing biographical drama movie. Based on the life of Alan Turing, it chronicles celebrated English mathematician and cryptanalyst’s attempts to decipher the Nazi Enigma Machine’s messages during World War II. As he works on developing a machine to crack the Enigma code with his associates, he grapples with his hidden sexuality on the side.
Boasting stellar cast members like Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, and Matthew Goode, ‘The Imitation Game’ enthralls the audience with its thrilling narrative peppered with the visuals of wartime England. Now, if you’re keen to find out about the exciting places where this historical movie was filmed, worry not as we‘ve got you covered. Let’s begin!
The Imitation Game Filming Locations
‘The Imitation Game’ was filmed in different parts of England, specifically London, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Dorset. Principal photography for the movie commenced on September 15, 2013, and was wrapped up on November 11, 2013. To add to the authenticity of the narrative, some of the real locations from Alan Turing’s life were featured in the movie. Here is a detailed look at the filming sites.
London, England
‘The Imitation Game’ was primarily filmed in London, the capital city of England. The interiors of the MI6 Headquarters were recreated at the Lethaby Gallery in the Central Saint Martins College campus in Granary Square. Important scenes were also lensed at the Aldwych Tube Station in the City of Westminster in London and the famous King’s Cross Station in Camden.
Furthermore, scenes depicting the Admiralty Records Center were shot in the Royal Courts of Justice in Strand. Additionally, some scenes were taped around Carey Street. A few memorable sequences were also lensed outside the Law Society Building in Chancery Lane and around Cloth Fair. Production then moved to the West London Film Studios located on Springfield Road in Hayes. The studio sits on 105,000 square feet of space and offers six sound stages.
Situated on the River Thames, London has a history dating back to Roman times. The global city is a major economic, cultural, and political hub. Some of its most iconic landmarks are Buckingham Palace, London Eye, St. Margaret’s Church, Trafalgar Square, and Westminster Abbey. Over the years, London has hosted the production of numerous movies like ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ ‘The Batman,’ ‘Belfast,’ and ‘No Time to Die.’
Oxfordshire, England
The exteriors of Bletchley Park seen in ‘The Imitation Game’ were actually shot at Joyce Grove, a Jacobethan-style country house in the Oxfordshire village of Nettlebed. Completed in 1908, it is owned by the Sue Ryder National Charity and served as its palliative care facility till March 2020. Pivotal scenes were filmed at the Bicester Aerodrome as well, which is situated in the village of Launton, Bicester.
Apart from this Benedict Cumberbatch-starrer, many movies and TV shows like ‘Darkest Hour,’ ‘A Clockwork Orange,’ ‘Mary Queen of Scots,’ and ‘A Discovery of Witches‘ have been filmed in the beautiful county of Oxfordshire.
Buckinghamshire, England
The cast and crew of ‘The Imitation Game’ lensed the interior scenes of Bletchley Park at the actual building in Bletchley, a constituent town of Milton Keynes. It is this very place wherein the real Alan Turing and his colleagues worked to crack the Enigma Code during World War II. The bar shown in the movie is actually the ballroom in the building.
Furthermore, the town of Bletchley was recreated at Church Street in Chesham, and a few segments were taped particularly at 73 and 68 Church Street. Other movies that were filmed in Buckinghamshire are ‘The Infiltrator,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ and ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary.’ The famous TV series ‘The Crown‘ is also filmed in the county.
Dorset, England
The scenes featuring young Alan Turing’s school in ‘The Imitation Game’ were lensed at the actual Sherborne School on Abbey Road in Sherborne. The prestigious school was founded in 705 AD and has been functioning at the same site for more than 1300 years now. In 1926, Turing enrolled at the school when he was thirteen years of age. An important site of geological history, the county of Dorset has witnessed the filming of the hit movie ‘Dunkirk‘ and the TV series ‘Wolf Hall.’
Read More: Is The Imitation Game Based on a True Story?
