Keira Knightley and Ambika Mod were spotted around St. Mary-Le Strand filming scenes for an upcoming Netflix series on Monday, 19 January.
The actresses were seen shooting scenes in front of the church throughout the day, with crew on site from approximately 6am to 4.45pm.
Most of the day’s filming outside St Mary-le-Strand focused on a stationary dialogue, followed by shots of the two characters conversing whilst walking beside the side of the church facing Bush House South from around 3.30pm.
Whilst crew members declined to officially confirm the actresses’s presence or name the production, the pair are starring in the new series of Netflix’s ‘Black Doves’ in which Knightley plays Helen, a ‘super-spy’ who gives away national secrets to the Black Doves organisation. Mod is set to join the cast as Laila, a Black Doves agent sent to help Helen on a mission.
The shoot involved approximately fourteen actors and extras. In addition to Knightley and Mod’s dialogue, there were also ‘live-action’ shots of actors running along the side of the church closest to the King’s building.
Photo by Ewan White.
The shoot required a significant security presence, including private security staff and police officers. Crew members deterred pedestrians from entering the production area, erecting fences and encouraging those stopping and observing the shoot to keep moving. When Mod and Knightley walked beside the church, crew members requested that those sitting next to the church not look at the camera.
Photo by Ewan White.
The fences and security staff in front of the entrance to Bush House South East created significant traffic for students entering or leaving the building. Signs across the Strand apologising for the disruption informed passers-by that “there is a chance you may appear in the background of our shot” and advised those more camera-shy to wait for a pause in filming.
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