section_path: Production/Filming
section_name: Filming
paragraph_text: Filming
  
  Filming began in London, England, at the end of November 2020, with the production based at Pinewood Studios. The series was filmed under the working title Pilgrim, and was the first live-action Star Wars series to not make use of the StageCraft digital background technology. This was done because the scripts were more suited to being filmed on locations and large sets, and Luna noted that taking a different filming approach for the series made it similar to Rogue One, whose filming style was distinct from other Star Wars films. Toby Haynes directed the first three episodes, with Benjamin Caron, Susanna White, and Haynes each directing another "block" of three episodes. Jonathan Freeman and Adriano Goldman served as cinematographers. The series was previously reported to begin filming in 2019, and then June 2020, but was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both UK and U.S. COVID-19 protocols were followed on set, including daily temperature checks and tests for COVID-19 three times a week. Filming at Pinewood Studios was expected to end in July 2021.
  
  By late January 2021, a large village set had been built on the grounds of a former quarry in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, not far from Pinewood Studios, with filming expected to last there until April. Filming in April also took place at the Coryton Refinery in Corringham, Essex, and in East London at Canary Wharf where the plaza under the bridge to the Elizabeth line station served as the entrance to the Imperial Security Bureau on Coruscant. Canary Wharf had also been a filming location for Rogue One. The concrete walkways of the Barbican Centre were used to represent buildings on Coruscant. Several days of filming occurred in Cleveleys on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire in early May, with the town's promenade and beach area dressed as an alien location, later revealed to be the resort planet of Niamos followed by another several days filming in the disused Winspit quarry in Dorset. Second unit and location filming began for at least a week at the end of May in Black Park, a country park in Buckinghamshire near Pinewood Studios which was also used for filming Disney's Star Wars films. By the end of May, main production on Pilgrim had moved to Glen Tilt in Perthshire, Scotland, and was expected to continue there until late June. Around 500 crewmembers traveled to Oban, Scotland, for filming at the nearby Cruachan Dam. This started by June 18, with sets built around the dam and filming also happening in its tunnels. From June 22 to 24, filming took place at Middle Peak Quarry near Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Production was expected to wrap in mid-2021, and Luna confirmed that it had finished by September 27.
  
  The second season began filming on November 21, 2022, and was expected to last until August 2023, with Gilroy anticipating a year for post-production as with the first season. Episodes were once again filmed in "blocks" of three episodes at a time, with each block moving the story a year closer to the events of Rogue One. Gilroy stated he would not direct in the second season because of his commitments as showrunner. Ariel Kleiman, Janus Metz, and Alonso Ruizpalacios directed episodes of the second season, with Kleiman directing six episodes. In March 2023 Season 2 was revealed to be filming in Xàtiva and Valencia with director Metz among the cast and crew including actor Benjamin Bratt indicating he had joined the series. In April 2023, filming was suspended in Winspit Quarry, near Worth Matravers in Dorset due to landslip concerns. The next month filming was suspended again due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. By that June, production had been approximately halfway completed. In June 2023, filming took place at Hever Castle in Kent. In July 2023, filming was cut short for the duration of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, with plans to resume production after both strikes concluded. Filming resumed in early January 2024 and wrapped on February 9, 2024.
  
  Filming began in London, England, at the end of November 2020, with the production based at Pinewood Studios. The series was filmed under the working title Pilgrim, and was the first live-action Star Wars series to not make use of the StageCraft digital background technology. This was done because the scripts were more suited to being filmed on locations and large sets, and Luna noted that taking a different filming approach for the series made it similar to Rogue One, whose filming style was distinct from other Star Wars films. Toby Haynes directed the first three episodes, with Benjamin Caron, Susanna White, and Haynes each directing another "block" of three episodes. Jonathan Freeman and Adriano Goldman served as cinematographers. The series was previously reported to begin filming in 2019, and then June 2020, but was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both UK and U.S. COVID-19 protocols were followed on set, including daily temperature checks and tests for COVID-19 three times a week. Filming at Pinewood Studios was expected to end in July 2021.
  
  By late January 2021, a large village set had been built on the grounds of a former quarry in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, not far from Pinewood Studios, with filming expected to last there until April. Filming in April also took place at the Coryton Refinery in Corringham, Essex, and in East London at Canary Wharf where the plaza under the bridge to the Elizabeth line station served as the entrance to the Imperial Security Bureau on Coruscant. Canary Wharf had also been a filming location for Rogue One. The concrete walkways of the Barbican Centre were used to represent buildings on Coruscant. Several days of filming occurred in Cleveleys on the Fylde Coast of Lancashire in early May, with the town's promenade and beach area dressed as an alien location, later revealed to be the resort planet of Niamos followed by another several days filming in the disused Winspit quarry in Dorset. Second unit and location filming began for at least a week at the end of May in Black Park, a country park in Buckinghamshire near Pinewood Studios which was also used for filming Disney's Star Wars films. By the end of May, main production on Pilgrim had moved to Glen Tilt in Perthshire, Scotland, and was expected to continue there until late June. Around 500 crewmembers traveled to Oban, Scotland, for filming at the nearby Cruachan Dam. This started by June 18, with sets built around the dam and filming also happening in its tunnels. From June 22 to 24, filming took place at Middle Peak Quarry near Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Production was expected to wrap in mid-2021, and Luna confirmed that it had finished by September 27.
  
  The second season began filming on November 21, 2022, and was expected to last until August 2023, with Gilroy anticipating a year for post-production as with the first season. Episodes were once again filmed in "blocks" of three episodes at a time, with each block moving the story a year closer to the events of Rogue One. Gilroy stated he would not direct in the second season because of his commitments as showrunner. Ariel Kleiman, Janus Metz, and Alonso Ruizpalacios directed episodes of the second season, with Kleiman directing six episodes. In March 2023 Season 2 was revealed to be filming in Xàtiva and Valencia with director Metz among the cast and crew including actor Benjamin Bratt indicating he had joined the series. In April 2023, filming was suspended in Winspit Quarry, near Worth Matravers in Dorset due to landslip concerns. The next month filming was suspended again due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. By that June, production had been approximately halfway completed. In June 2023, filming took place at Hever Castle in Kent. In July 2023, filming was cut short for the duration of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, with plans to resume production after both strikes concluded. Filming resumed in early January 2024 and wrapped on February 9, 2024.