The Batman and 6 other movies that turned Liverpool into Hollywood

The Batman isn't just an exciting showcase for Robert Pattinson's debut as Bruce Wayne. The DC thriller also puts Liverpool on the map, as it stands in for the murky, crime-infested Gotham City, so can we get a cheer from the locals at Cineworld Speke?

Director Matt Reeves and his crew shot in the city (plus various other locations around the UK) during the COVID-19 pandemic with key locations including St George's Hall and the famous Liver Building (which one can glimpse in the trailer).

Click here for more details and screenshots, and check out the following clip, which makes atmospheric use of the aforementioned St George's Hall.

This got us thinking: what are the other blockbuster movies that put Liverpool on the moviemaking map? In anticipation of the Batman, here's our round-up.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010)

As the Harry Potter franchise reached its breakneck, two-part conclusion, the range of locations expanded to include a host of UK cities. Merseyside, and Liverpool specifically, took centre stage during a thrilling chase scene. The city's Queensway Tunnel was utilised for the Battle of the Seven Potters sequence in which Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) attempt to escape the Death Eaters.

2. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Joe Johnston's stylised and nostalgic Marvel adventure brings us the origin story of the plucky Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). However, don't be fooled by the arrestingly retro depiction of 1940s-era New York. The Marvel blockbuster was, in fact, largely shot in the north of England with Manchester and Liverpool standing in for the Big Apple. Liverpudlians no doubt got a big kick out of seeing Stanley Dock substitute for Rogers' home neighbourhood of Brooklyn.

3. Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

Mumbling platitudes about family, gravity-defying set-pieces and more V8 engines than you can throw a Jeremy Clarkson analogy at. Yes, it's the sixth Fast & Furious movie, which pits Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew against the nefarious Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). The movie attained much publicity for being allowed to shoot in and around Picadilly Circus in London, but Liverpool also gets a look-in, with the aforementioned Queensway Tunnel (substituting for the capital) again taking centre stage during a chase sequence.

4. Creed (2015)

Ryan Coogler's triumphant resurrection of the Rocky franchise took everything back to first principles, evoking the street-level grit and plausible emotion evident in the very first Rocky movie. Anchored around Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) and his relationship with the ailing Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), the movie decamps to Liverpool for its final, bruising bout. The city's Goodison Park acts as the venue for the showdown between Donny and the fearsome 'Pretty' Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew).

5. Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)

In this sweet-natured and ultimately heartbreaking true story, a sublime Meryl Streep plays aspiring operetta star Florence Foster Jenkins. The problem is, she has no singing voice whatsoever, and no one quite has the heart to tell her, not even her philandering partner St. Clair Bayfield (an excellent Hugh Grant). Despite being set in New York, the Scouse capital again came good with featured locations including Drury Lane.

6. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

The debut adventure of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) makes extensive use of Liverpool's streets. Ostensibly set in a magical 1920s New York where nostalgic art deco overlaps with fantastical creations, Fantastic Beasts again showcases the nooks and crannies of this versatile city. The ubiquitous St George's Hall is prominent, as is the Cunard Building. (Don't forget that Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is on its way in April.)