Edinburgh residents sent warning letter as Hollywood film Borderland, featuring Star Wars actor Felicity Jones, set to bring mock explosions to Capital streets

Residents in parts of Edinburgh have been sent a letter warning them of disruption as filming for Borderland, a 1970s set revenge thriller, takes place in the Capital this weekend.
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The film stars Felicity Jones, best known for roles in Star Wars spin-off Rogue One and her Oscar-nominated turn in The Theory Of Everything.

Based on Dr Steven S Moyse’s true crime book, The Road to Balcombe Street, other cast members include Jack Reynor and Jodie Turner-Smith.

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Directed by Tom and Charlie Guard, Borderland is the tale of an IRA unit placed under deep cover in London in 1975.

Borderland stars Felicity Jones, best known for roles in Star Wars spin-off Rogue One and her Oscar-nominated turn in The Theory Of Everything.Borderland stars Felicity Jones, best known for roles in Star Wars spin-off Rogue One and her Oscar-nominated turn in The Theory Of Everything.
Borderland stars Felicity Jones, best known for roles in Star Wars spin-off Rogue One and her Oscar-nominated turn in The Theory Of Everything.

Describing the film, its directors said: “Borderland is a vengeance fuelled chase movie, fusing some pulse ticking action with a powerful message for our times”.

In a letter to residents of Calton Road, the production company wrote: ‘We are keen to establish contact directly with all residences and businesses that may be immediately affected by our filming works and within our filming boundaries.

‘In addition, we are working closely within parameters as set by Edinburgh City Council and with their guidance and advice endeavour to minimise the impact filming will have as much as possible’.

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Filming will take place on Sunday (April 10) between 8am and 6pm at Calton Road between Leith Street and New Street/rear entrance of Waverley Station’.

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The letter to residents continued: ‘Please be advised that we have been granted permission by Edinburgh City Council to put in place a stop/go traffic management on Calton Road between Leith Street and New Street.

‘The TTRN we have been granted also includes clearance of all the car parking spaces on Calton Road between Leith Street and New Street and the identified parking areas are kept vacant to facilitate filming and to allow our crew to work safely.

‘This includes the private car park on Calton Road.

‘As well as filming scenes within the area and bringing in period vehicles to set the scenes, we have a variety of equipment vehicles that travel with us to facilitate filming.

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‘For filming to take place and for our equipment vehicles to park as close to the locations as possible we have been granted permission from Edinburgh City Council to occupy parking spaces on Waterloo Place’.

The production team also warned residents that special effects that will take place during our scenes on Calton Road.

‘There will be at least one, if not two mock explosions as well as mock gunfire throughout our filming day, specifically between the hours of approximately 9am and 4pm.

‘We will have four officers from Police Scotland and one officer from the British Transport Police assisting us on the day’.

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Last month, filming for Neil Gaiman’s 2005 fantasy novel Anansi Boys, which is being adapted for television by Amazon, took place in Edinburgh.

Much of Anansi Boys was shot at Leith's First Stage Studios, but in March film crews and extras were spotted around Torphichen Street and Canning Street in the city centre as filming continued.

In recent weeks, Good Omens – another Gaiman book in collaboration with Terry Pratchett – was shooting on the streets of the Capital.

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