David Lowery's The Green Knight was filmed in Ireland and uses a number of memorable locations from the British Isles' medieval past. The real-world locations contribute to the film's gritty and moody depiction of Arthurian life. While magic and mystery abound in The Green Knight, the stunning Irish locations keep the movie grounded in the material world of the real Middle Ages.
For a limited-release film, The Green Knight has had box office success and received positive reviews from critics. The Green Knight is an adaptation of the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, one of the texts that have most fascinated scholars over the past seven centuries. It stars Dev Patel as Sir Gawain and Alicia Vikander in a dual role as two of his lovers. And the story's supernatural elements and inscrutable symbols have long been a subject of debate.
The Green Knight was filmed entirely in Ireland between March and May 2019, with reshoots taking place that September. The Republic of Ireland has become a popular filming destination, with Game of Thrones one of the most notable productions to use its rolling hills to emulate a medieval fantasy setting. The movie's unique settings also include a pair of historic castles.
Cahir Castle, Ireland
The first castle used in The Green Knight is Cahir Castle, located in County Tipperary. First constructed in 1142 by Prince of Thomond Conor O'Brien, the castle is very well preserved and a popular tourist destination. The Castle has been used as a location in the 1981 film Excalibur and the 2000s TV series The Tudors, as well as for the upcoming Ridley Scott movie The Last Duel.
The ominous castle, located on an island in the River Suir, is the home of King Arthur's court in The Green Knight. It is here that Gawain takes up the Green Knight's strange challenge, and spends much of the first act. The movie begins in this location, with Gawain's mother summoning the Green Knight. The castle's stony walls are also used for a number of interior scenes.
Charleville Forest Castle
The other castle used in The Green Knight is Charleville Forest Castle, also known as simply Charleville Castle. Charleville was built seven centuries later than Cahir Castle, and as such has a Gothic revival design with more elaborate construction. It was created as less of a medieval castle and more of a nineteenth-century idea of a medieval castle. The castle is located near Tullamore in County Offaly. In the past, it has been a filming location for Northanger Abbey and the pilot episode of Reign.
Charleville Castle is used in The Green Knight as the home of the mysterious Lord who makes an unusual wager with Gawain. Its somewhat anachronistic architecture contributes to the dreamlike feel of the sequence. It is here that Gawain is tempted from knightly chivalry by a seeming doppelganger of his lowborn lover Essel, a crucial moment to the themes of the medieval story.
Ardmore Studios
Located in Bray, Ardmore Studios is Ireland's only "four wall" studio and one of its most prominent shooting locations. The studio's history goes back to 1958, and it has been used for everything from classic films like My Left Foot and Braveheart to modern TV series such as Penny Dreadful. In addition to sets, it provides digital sound and lighting facilities for film production.
The Green Knight shot at Ardmore Studios, and it's likely that many of the interior scenes were shot on sets at the studios. This could include the climactic scenes in the Green Chapel, and the cottage where Gawain encounters the ghostly Winifred. Weta Digital also contributed CGI effects to the movie, meaning that some of the outdoor scenes could have also been filmed on a soundstage with a backdrop added later.
Wicklow County
In addition to shooting in studios in Bray, The Green Knight also shot around the surrounding Wicklow County. The county is located on Ireland's east coast and is known as the "Garden of Ireland", reflecting its green scenery and rolling hills. Many past projects have filmed in Wicklow to help depict a medieval world, including the TV series Vikings and Into the Badlands.
The natural environments of Wicklow could have been used in many of the scenes in The Green Knight, such as the memorable moment where the Arthurian hero encounters a tribe of giants. The idyllic but moody landscape contributes to the sense that the film takes place in an ancient world that exists without the rational laws of modernity. The infamous Irish weather also makes its presence known in the heavy mists that appear at numerous points in the film.
Sligo
The Green Knight also filmed around the city of Sligo, a well-known Irish seaport. The city is located in the northeastern Republic of Ireland near the border with Northern Ireland and is a popular tourist destination for its waterfront views and connection to Celtic culture. Sligo was also a filming site for the TV adaptation of Normal People, which is partly set in the city.
There aren't many clear waterfront scenes in The Green Knight, but the county of Sligo was likely used for some of the external scenes as Gawain wanders across a highly Christian Middle Ages England. Social media posts from during the shoots in 2019 show the cast and crew traveling to Sligo as the "Knights of the Red Bus."
In an interview with THR, director David Lowery described the shoot of The Green Knight as "a great time" but also "a nightmare" for himself and Patel. The film's release was also delayed over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed Lowery to re-edit the movie. Ultimately, the overseas shoot created a memorable movie, with the use of scenic Irish castles and backdrops contributing to the evocative and immersive Arthurian world of The Green Knight.