Whether it’s classic British kitchen sink dramas or modern blockbuster epics, Manchester is a popular choice for film crews looking for the right location.
In recent years parts of the city have been used in everything from Captain America: The First Avenger to acclaimed TV drama Peaky Blinders.
But Manchester has a long history of being put on screen, and someone who understands and knows this is Gary Lunt who runs Reel Tours, which offers walking trips around Liverpool pointing out where the city has featured in film.
We teamed up with Gary to go through the decades and find eight times when Manchester was depicted in the cinema, ranging from gritty dramas to historical epics to films telling some of the most iconic stories of the people and places that make the city famous.
We’ve also found an intriguing example of a film about an event in Manchester but which was not actually made in the city. See how many locations you’ve spotted on screen for yourself!
5. There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble
Manchester City’s old Maine Road stadium is one of the local locations in There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble, which also featured places in Oldham and Salford as filming locations. Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
6. 24 Hour Party People
The Ritz is one of a host of Manchester locations in this retelling of Factory Records and The Hacienda’s story, with filming also being done at the old Granada TV Studios, the Mancunian Way, Piccadilly station and the area around where the legendary club was. Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps
7. Control
Control, the Ian Curtis and Joy Division biopic created by fan of the band Anton Corbijn, had some of the filming done in the city that made the group famous. Photo: DDP/AFP via Getty Images Photo: DDP/AFP via Getty Images
8. Victor Frankenstein
Manchester’s Town Hall is not just one of the jewels in the city’s crown, it also featured in Victor Frankenstein, the 2015 science horror film based on the central character in Mary Shelley’s classic gothic novel Frankenstein. Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images