Made in the North East: Cast and crew get a preview of The Fortune at special screening
Actors Eleanor Tomlinson and Callum Woodhouse join co-stars and behind-the-scenes talent in Newcastle to get a first-look at the latest drama series to come out of the region
Cast and crew gathered at Tyneside Cinema this week for a special preview screening of The Fortune – a new psychological thriller for 5 that puts the North East firmly centre stage.
Produced by Newcastle-based Lonesome Pine Productions, the four-part drama was filmed entirely across the region in autumn 2025, with locations in and around Hartlepool and the wider Northumbrian landscape shaping its distinctive atmosphere.
The screening, hosted by North East Screen, brought together cast, creatives and crew ahead of the show’s expected transmission later this spring. For many, it was as much a celebration of the region’s growing screen industry as it was a first look at the series itself.
Written by Lonesome Pine co-founder Aschlin Ditta, whose previous drama The Feud became a hit for both Channel 5 and Netflix, The Fortune follows Amanda Blakefield, a woman whose life is upended after she unexpectedly inherits a vast estate from a man she has never met, drawing her into a web of family secrets.
Leading the cast, Eleanor Tomlinson, who brought her six-month-old baby, husband and mum with her for the eight-week shoot, spoke warmly about her time filming in the region, describing the production as “one of those happy bubble jobs that stays with you”.
“I just absolutely adored the time that I was here,” she said. “I feel very emotional to be back… I’ve never met such friendly people and the professionalism of every member of the crew was incredible.
“There’s so much talent here,” she continued. “We need to fund more projects in the North East. One hundred percent. I would come back in a second!'“
Among those joining Eleanor at the screening were Stockton-born Callum Woodhouse, Paula Wilcox, Stephen Tompkinson, Danielle Walters and young actor James Younger.
For Callum who is perhaps best known for his long-running turns in The Durrells and All Creatures Great and Small, the production marked a particularly personal milestone.
Not only did he film close to home, enjoying the luxury of staying with his parents during the shoot, but The Fortune also gave him the chance to perform in his North East accent for the first time on screen… and flex some darker acting chops.
Callum plays Anthony Worrall in The Fortune - the only son of the late Martin Worrall who has mysteriously left his estate to Eleanor’s character. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that Anthony is not too happy with the change in his dad’s will.
He said: “I’ve been wanting to show a bit of versatility for quite a while. The Durrells and All Creatures are two shows I am incredibly proud of and two characters I am incredibly proud of but there is not much villainy and in both I am playing posh characters.
“This series I’m speaking in my own Northern accent for the first time, and I am essentially playing a villain. Getting to flex those nasty muscles for acting, which I haven’t really done since drama school… it was a lot of fun playing someone so wildly different.”
During filming, Callum also served as an informal guide for fellow cast members - the impressive ensemble cast also includes Rebecca Front, Nina Wadia, Matthew Lewis and Denis Lawson - recommending local spots and helping them make the most of their time in the region.
The strength of that local connection was reflected behind the scenes too. Several crew members arrived late to the screening, having travelled directly from the location set of Lonesome Pine’s next production, The Northumbria Mysteries, a forthcoming BBC daytime drama starring Robson Green.
Speaking during a post-screening Q&A (which I had the pleasure of hosting), writer Aschlin Ditta highlighted the importance of regional support in making projects like The Fortune possible, pointing to the role of the North East Production Fund in enabling the company to base its work in the region.
That support, administered by North East Screen, has been central to building a sustainable pipeline of production in the North East, allowing companies like Lonesome Pine to create back-to-back projects while nurturing local talent and crews.
For those gathered to celebrate the region’s latest small screen production in Newcastle, the biggest takeaway was less about plot and more about place.
As the region continues to attract investment and build its reputation on screen, events like this week’s screening offer a clear sense of direction: a growing, confident industry with the talent, and the stories, to match.