The red carpet will be rolled out as Bolton - known in TV circles as the Hollywood of the North - hosts the premiere of a new BBC new horror series.
And it is only apt that Red Rose has its first screening in the town as it was filmed in the borough and penned by Bolton TV writer twins.
The premiere will take place at the Light Cinema in Market Place Centre - with people from Bolton having a chance to enjoy the glamour of a red carpet for free.
Red Rose is an original horror series penned by Paul and Michael Clarkson – known for their previous work, ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ - who grew up in the Halliwell and Smithills area of Bolton.
The drama explores the intoxicating relationship between teenagers and their online lives.
Red Rose: Film crews in Bolton shooting BBC horror series
Set in the long hot summer following GCSEs, friendships are infiltrated by the Red Rose app threatening them with dangerous consequences if they don’t meet its demands. The app exposes the group to a seemingly supernatural entity and the seductive, terrifying power of the dark web.
Former students at St Joseph’s RC primary school then Thornleigh Salesian, the brothers have taken inspiration from the people and places they grew up around, with the hopes of displaying their love of Bolton to the world.
Paul said: “It’s set in Bolton – unapologetically so.
“We grew up watching films like Scream and The Ring and Mike and I would often discuss, ‘what would Scream look like if instead in LA in these mansions, it would be in Bolton?’ It would be a very different nature.
“You can imagine the Scream trying to kill someone in a terraced house while people next door are banging on the walls telling them to shut up.”
“This really is a love letter to Bolton,” Paul said.
“It’s very much inspired by the personality types of our nearest and dearest, and I’d like to think if they watch this, they’ll see what we painted of them and what we see them as. We’ve been inspired by them.
“I don’t think Bolton will be prepared to see itself in the way it’s portrayed in Red Rose. "It’s not been shown like this. It’s been portrayed in other forms of media like ‘Alma’s Not Normal’ as well as Peter Kay’s work, but we’ve brought that cinematic American energy lens to Bolton.
“I’ll be very intrigued to see how people may see the town differently when it’s through sounds tracks, compositional music, drone footage shots going all over.
“I ran into a friend’s mum, and they were like, ‘oh God. Bolton on screen, no thank you’. And then I showed them the opening 30 seconds of a drone shot and they went, ‘we do have a beautiful town’. I love that U-turn.
“We’ve tried to represent Bolton in all of its different characters. Both the urban side and the natural side, in terms of forest and its countryside.”
He added: “As long as the people watching it enjoy it. My dream is to be sat in a café somewhere, and no one knows who I am, and overhearing people talking about it in a positive manner. Just nonchalant between friends and family.”
The premiere for the series is being hosted by The Light cinema in Market Place on Saturday, August 9 at 7pm, at which the twins and cast from the show will be present for a special preview event, followed by a Q&A.
Paul said: “It was something we fought for. It wasn’t a given that that was going to happen.
“By custom, everything takes place in London, but we were like, ‘thanks for everything London but sit down now and let the regions start to be represented as the once were’.
“I’ve moved back to Bolton. I’ve lived all over the world, and I wanted to return here. There’s no place like home.
“To bring some representation to Bolton has been incredibly moving.
“We had to move to do everything we wanted to do in life because Bolton just doesn’t have that, and we got to a position in our careers where we could actually bring our industry to Bolton.
“When I used to play in the cobbled backstreets with Michael, and we’d just talk stories, LA just seemed like this weird fantasy world. And then 30 years later we bring it to us.”
Cinema Business Manager at the Light, Vikki, said: “It's a huge honour for us to be hosting this event and with Michael and Paul being real drivers in celebrating all things Bolton. We couldn't be happier to be involved and celebrating the show's release, it's a real love letter to the local area.
“We can't reveal too much but what we will say is between ourselves and the BBC we will be going all out for this event, so expect a proper Red Rose takeover with the full red-carpet treatment for the premiere. Guests are in for a treat.
“We love showcasing local talent and are always happy to get involved with our local community and not just on the big screen.
"We recently partnered with Bolton University's Special Effects Modelmaking for Film and Television department and have been showcasing some of the amazing props they've created. We also proudly host the Bolton International Film Festival here each year.”
For a chance to get free tickets visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/red-rose-premiere-9aug22?
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