Kiefer Sutherland spotted on Christmas film shoot

Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland has been spotted shooting a Christmas-themed film in a North Yorkshire town.

The Canadian actor was captured walking out of a hotel in Knaresborough as part of a scene on Wednesday, waving and smiling at passers-by.

Film crews have set up shop in the car park at Conyngham Hall - but the official title of the film and who else might be involved is currently under wraps.

One of the scenes shot in the afternoon featured a group of people dressed as Father Christmas running along the street, leaving several residents unaware of the filming bewildered.

Reports suggest the Knaresborough Chamber business organisation was approached by a film production company with the request to keep Christmas decorations in the town up to help with the the festive film.

The activity in town has left residents curious to know what film it might be.

One woman told the BBC: "We asked a couple of the security guards and one said it was a Christmas film, someone else said it was something for Sky.

"Then we sat in a cafe and Googled and somebody said Kiefer Sutherland has been seen in Leeds so that he might be here."

Sutherland is known for starring as counter-terrorism agent Jack Bauer in drama series 24 and has most recently featured in Clint Eastwood's Juror #2.

North Yorkshire has been used by many film and TV shoots.

Last summer, sites near Ripon were used as locations for a sequel to British zombie shocker 28 Days Later.

In 2021 Hollywood star Tom Cruise touched down in Levisham, near Pickering, to shoot scenes for the latest instalment in the Mission: Impossible series.

The popularity of the county with TV and film producers has not gone unnoticed by tourism bodies.

A new TV and film location trail is due to be unveiled later this year in an effort to boost tourism.

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