January 11, 2010
On the Set of “The Young Victoria” with Jim Wright
The Young Victoria, a sumptuous period film, is now showing in theatres nationally. Award-winning actress Emily Blunt stars in the title role as the young heir to the British throne with up-and-coming Rupert Friend as her consort, Prince Albert. Initially an indie film, The Young Victoria has gathered much attention from the press, viewers, and industry alike. Emily Blunt has been nominated for a Golden Globe in the “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” category. Critics are hailing it as “A delicious historical romance.”
Jim Wright travelled to West Sussex to photograph the cast of The Young Victoria for publicity photos and the one sheet. The shoot took place in the midst of filming at the stately Arundel Castle. Located two hours outside of London, the castle has housed many members of the royal family, including Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert.
Currently, the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk reside in Arundel Castle. Special permission and clearances must be obtained to film at the historic site. Young Victoria has the honor of being the first full-length feature film to be shot at the castle. Some of the scenes were filmed in the rooms where actual events transpired.
Wright reminisces about location scouting at the castle, “I stepped behind a curtain and it was like being transported back in time. There was a royal dinner set up for 200 people dressed in royal garb and I felt completely out of place.”
Responsible for Wright’s sense of anachronism was Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell, an oft-collaborator with Martin Scorsese. Along with Scorsese, Graham King, Tim Headington, and Sarah Ferguson produced the film.
Says Wright of the costumes, “The costumes were very true to their time. The coats that the men wore and the dresses that the ladies had on were so heavy that movement was very limited, so when were shooting it became a lot about their facial expressions.”
The final image chosen for the movie poster is an intimate portrait of Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt) laying her head on Prince Albert’s chest (Rupert Friend). “The concept was to show that there was a serious love affair,” says Wright. “[Emily and Rupert] had such a good rapport because they are really good friends, so they were very comfortable posing intimately – but every other frame was them laughing!”
Young Victoria is playing in theaters across the nation now. To see more of Jim Wright’s work in celebrity, music, film, and more, click here.
-Helen Shih
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Links:
Jim Wright’s Portfolio
The Young Victoria official website
PDN Faces 2009: Celebrity and Editorial
