Powerscourt On Screen
Powerscourt Estate is one of the most filmed locations in Ireland for major film productions. Over 50 movies & TV series have been filmed or partially filmed here. On this page you’ll discover some of the big-name pictures and stars that have graced our grounds over the years, plus some insider stories about the filming!
Powerscourt’s tumbling waterfall and iconic views have inspired filmmakers since Powerscourt was used as a location in the 1920’s. The waterfall has an enchanting quality on screen. From the 1981 dramatic sword and sorcery film ‘Excalibur’ to the world of Nordic legend in ‘Vikings’ in 2015, Powerscourt provides a stunning location. The recently released movie “Cocaine Bear” was shot at Powerscourt Waterfall with a cabin built at the carpark for the film and most of the outdoor scenes filmed in the native woodland. Did you know that the legendary “sword from the lake” scene in Excalibur used the bottom of the waterfall in place of a lake?
Not to be side-lined, Powerscourt House has also seen its fair share of the spotlight. Legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick shot many scenes for Barry Lyndon in the Grand Ballroom and at other locations in the house. Perhaps the most iconic Powerscourt movie moment was the scene in The Count Of Monte Cristo, where Jim Caviezel makes a big entrance in a hot air balloon, and lands on the steps of the Italian Garden with Powerscourt House lit up as a backdrop. This scene was later parodied and made more famous in The Simpsons!
Out in the gardens, the Jurassic Park film “Battle at Big Rock” chose the Powerscourt River Walk as the location due to the giant Redwood trees, as they resembled those found in a California National Park. The location managers said they were the best grove of towering Redwoods they had seen outside of California. Jonathan Rhys Meyers was also filmed swimming in the Dolphin Pond which acted as an ornamental swimming pond in the Tudors.
One of the earliest iconic films shot at Powerscourt was Henry V in 1944 which was directed by and starred the legend, Laurence Olivier. Most of the film was shot with Powerscourt Waterfall as a backdrop. Olivier was injured on set when he directed a rider to gallop straight towards the camera he was looking through. The horse failed to veer away, and the collision left a permanent scar on the star’s lip, which he disguised with a moustache.
Powerscourt has had a host of stars visit for filming including Ryan O’Neal, Tom Cruise, Rock Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Sally Field, Guy Pierce, and Clive Owen. Popular TV series such as The Tudors starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Camelot featuring Joseph Fiennes have also been shot on the Estate. Other famous folks who have visited Powerscourt over the years include Princess Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, The Queen of Denmark, Neil Armstrong, David Bowie, Dolly Parton, Ridley Scott, Val Kilmer, Nicole Kidman, Joan Rivers, and Matt Damon.
Filming - movies & commercial
If you have an enquiry regarding filming opportunities (movies & commercial) at Powerscourt, please contact us by e-mail or phone us on 01 204 6000.
