Rom-com fans in Edinburgh were thrilled when it was announced that the production of the film One Day was coming to the city in 2010.
The film, based on the 2009 David Nicholls novel of the same name, begins and ends in the Scottish capital. The story tells the tale of Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess) who meet on their graduation day from Edinburgh University, and continue to meet one day every year, for the next 20 years.
When Hollywood star Anne Hathaway arrived in the city to begin filming, you would’ve expected crowds to flock around her - but she flew under the radar, for the most part.
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That being said, she didn’t shy away from hitting the town according to her co-star. Speaking about his experience with the Hollywood star, Jim Sturgess said: “Anne and I had some wild nights out in Edinburgh after filming.
“I took her out to see a band called Rat…something. She loved them and a lot more bonding was done over some whisky.
“The people in Edinburgh couldn’t have been more supportive. There’s a bit where we run down some steps in the Old Town, it was fun but we did it six times so it was pretty exhausting.
“There was a big crowd of people waiting at the bottom and every time we came down, they gave us a huge cheer.”
The crew arrived in the capital in July 2020, for four days of shooting in Scotland. Edinburgh Film Focus gave the whole production team a warm welcome, adding: “This is a very exciting production for us in what has been a very busy year.”
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Not only was the Princess Diaries actress thankful for the finest that Edinburgh’s nightlife has to offer, but she also thanked the ‘discreet’ Scots who kept some revealing pictures to themselves. Whilst in between filming takes for the well known skinny-dipping scene for One Day, Hathaway took it upon herself to flash her rear to her co-star.
Upon noticing that onlookers were catching the moment on their phones, she feared the snaps would make their way online. She said at the time: “I did it, and I was feeling really good about myself until I realised we were shooting on a street in Scotland every single resident of the building we were shooting in front of was filming us.
“But the Scots are nice, and haven’t posted the footage online. They have manners and they are discreet, I’m so grateful.”
In March this year it was announced that Netflix is set to produce a series based on the novel, following the success of the 2011 film. Reports have said that Edinburgh will play a starring role in the series.
Anne Mensah, vice-president of original series at Netflix, added: “Working in Scotland for us is so easy. It is a lovely place to work and The Crown has been shot there and is shooting there again.
“We are looking at a new version of One Day, by Scottish writer Nicole Taylor, and obviously that had to be in Edinburgh.”
