Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Hollywood star Rebel Wilson has chosen Croydon’s Whitgift Centre as the set for her new movie, putting the landmark shopping hub in the cinematic spotlight.
The Whitgift Centre in Croydon, which was once the town’s pride but is now known for having “more buckets than businesses,” is being used this week as the backdrop for a film helmed by Rebel Wilson, a Hollywood star.
According to Wilson’s comments to some members of the public observing from the first floor around the stage, which has been set up near the location of the former Superdry store, filming of Girl Group, which may be a working title, drew a sizable audience of fervent Croydon fans yesterday morning.
The set is anticipated to be in use for the remainder of this week.
Signs around the near-deserted shopping centre read:
“Filming In Progress. Businesses open as usual”.
“We love being here in Croydon,”
Wilson shouted out to one fan.
“This is our favourite mall here in Croydon,”
said the world-famous comedian…
“We’re here all week,”
she told another, and replied,
“You have to see,”
when asked for more details about the film.
During the rock band’s Friday performance on the Main Stage, 45-year-old Australian Wilson, best known for Pitch Perfect, did a cover of Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise.
Wilson stated in a recent interview that she never intended to pursue a career in comic writing or acting. The truth is, she wanted to be like Judi Dench.
“When I started acting, I always wanted to be like Dame Judi, because I thought I was going to be a serious actor. It just turned out that people like laughing at me,”
she said in a Grauniad interview.
Wilson has not yet made any remarks regarding the experience of filming a movie indoors when it is raining.
Another of the Whitgift’s longest-standing tenants, the English and Continental cafe (up on the first level, not far from the movie location), posted a farewell notice over the weekend, but Hollywood’s arrival came just too late.
“We just want to send a great big thanks to everyone who has been supporting us on this great 30 years journey!”
the note stuck to the door says.
Signed by Nuno Afonso, the message continued:
“We are going to close English and Continental not by our choice, but because of everything that is happening in the Whitgift shopping centre in general.
We take many good memories of all of you, our best wishes from our family to you.”
What is the plot of Rebel Wilson’s new film set in Croydon?
Wilson portrays a former girl band member from two decades ago who is forced to be the mentor for a group of teen wannabes getting ready to audition for a record label. The movie explores the comedy and challenges of the mentor-mentee process as the group issues and challenges arise as they attempt to fulfill their musical aspirations.
The themes in the story are music, youth empowerment and redemption, with a combination of heart and humour as Wilson’s character returns to the music scene, by mentoring the next generation.
The location at Croydon’s Whitgift Centre, rustic and urban, with an edgy and nostalgic atmosphere are an interesting and evocative area for the film’s plot.