When Hollywood came to Devon. How the coastal county became the backdrop to a worldwide box office hit.
The Roses, a darkly comic reimagining of the 1989 classic The War of the Roses, has recently been named the highest-grossing UK independent film in the world for 2025.
The film was shot along the Devon coast, and its global success is a remarkable moment not just for British cinema, but for Devon itself – a county that stepped in as a stand-in for sunny California, alongside filming that also took place in Los Angeles and Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire.
The numbers
According to official figures published by the British Film Institute (BFI) and reported by industry trade publication Screen Daily, The Roses grossed £33 million ($45 million) across 20 territories worldwide, making it the highest-grossing UK independent film released in 2025.
At the UK-Ireland box office specifically, it earned £10.3 million, according to BFI statistics.
To put that in context, the next highest-grossing UK independent films at the UK-Ireland box office were We Live in Time (£8.8 million), The Salt Path (£8.1 million, and also filmed in Devon), I Swear (£6.1 million) and The Choral (£4.2 million).
It also surpassed the films that had topped the UK independent chart in recent years. In 2024, the top-grossing UK independent film was Back to Black, Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Amy Winehouse biopic, which grossed £12.3 million, followed by One Life (£10 million) and Wicked Little Letters (£9.6 million).
The film and its stars
The Roses is a dark comic tale based on the 1981 book The War of the Roses by Warren Adler, which was also made into a film in 1989 starring Danny DeVito, Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. This new take stars British actors Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch as Ivy and Theo, a couple who appear to have it all – until their marriage begins to fall apart, leading to chaos, competition, and sharp-tongued battles.
The supporting cast includes Ncuti Gatwa, known especially for Doctor Who and Sex Education, as well as Andy Samberg of Saturday Night Live and Brooklyn Nine-Nine fame.
Directed by Jay Roach – perhaps best known for the Meet the Parents franchise – the film was produced by Colman’s own production company, South of the River Pictures, and Cumberbatch’s SunnyMarch, for Disney’s Searchlight Pictures.
While the film is set in California, much of the filming actually took place in the coastal town of Salcombe in South Devon.
Devon’s starring role
Salcombe, located on the South Devon coast, and named as one of the UK’s most beautiful seaside towns, was chosen for its golden beaches, pastel-coloured houses, and winding estuary paths.
In addition to Salcombe, the film also featured some of the cliffs of Combe Martin on the North Devon.
One of the most recognisable locations in the film is The Winking Prawn, a much-loved food spot among locals and visitors alike, which was transformed into the fictional seafood restaurant ‘We’ve Got Crabs’ for the production.
“…the whole community collaborated with our crew in ways I’ve never experienced in a location before.”
North Sands, the sheltered bay just outside Salcombe’s centre, is used as a backdrop for one particularly emotional scene.
Cliff Road in Salcombe, which winds along the coast linking the town centre with North Sands, also features prominently, its sweeping estuary views captured on screen for audiences around the world.
Director Jay Roach was highly complimentary about his time in Devon. He said: “We scoured the coasts of England and after months found The Winking Prawn in Salcombe, South Devon….the whole community collaborated with our crew in ways I’ve never experienced in a location before. We and our film’s characters found a very happy home for a while in the magical Winking Prawn in Salcombe.”
In a article by the BBC he said “It’s paradise and everybody is so friendly. The people in Devon were amazing.”
Local crew
A number of local Devon crew were involved in the production’s filming, with Devon Film Logistics (DFL) providing location equipment and crew members for the shoot. They were also able to give some local Devon film students experience on set – something the team at DFL are consistently passionate about.
“It was a joy working with such an accommodating production team.”
“It was a joy working with such an accommodating production team. We managed to arrange several hands-on experience places for local crew, including some much valued experience for Plymouth University film students. We owe The Roses production a huge thank you for the work and the experience” said Giuseppe Rossi, owner of Devon Film Logistics.
For Devon, this is further confirmation that the county’s coastline can compete with anywhere in the world as a cinematic backdrop – and that when the world’s best filmmakers go looking for somewhere extraordinary, they may find it right here.
Main photo credit: Jaap Buitendijk, courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
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