Transformers 5 films on location in Newcastle

Supercars and military vehicles were used for location work in central Newcastle in recent days.

Filming has also taken place further north of Newcastle in Northumberland locations including Alnwick Castle, which has been a popular movie location over the years appearing in the Harry Potter franchise and the BBC’s recent Shakespeare adaptation The Hollow Crown.

“A hundred local people a day were here during the filming of Transformers, working with the crew and cast as runners, security and PAs,” said Gayle Woodruff of Northern Film and Media, in comments to ITV News.

“It has been a fantastic experience for all those involved. We know it's massively helped hotels near filming locations - just a small example of how economically these types of events can benefit the region. Last year film and TV brought £13m to the north-east.”

The new Transformers movie shot extensively in the US over the summer, with producers securing a $20m filming incentive to film in Detroit. London was also recreated in the northern-US city for a selection of stunt scenes in July.

Bay and his production team have a history of filming on location in cities around the world and then returning to the US to shoot action scenes set in the same cities. Transformers: Age of Extinction – the fourth in the franchise – filmed scenes in Hong Kong and then built a separate set of the Chinese city in central Detroit to shoot intense pyrotechnic footage.

Steven Spielberg is an executive producer on the Transformers franchise and has also been on location in the UK in recent weeks directing his dystopian sci-fi Ready Player One.

The UK remains one of world’s top production hubs because of its generous filming incentives, world-class studio facilities and experienced crew.

For more on filming in the UK see our production guide.