Highly anticipated new Paramount+ original series The Road Trip is ready to warm audiences’ hearts this Christmas, when it launches on Boxing Day (26th December) in the UK, Canada and Australia.
The six part contemporary rom-com about giving love another shot is based on the best-selling book by Beth O’Leary, and was filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location in Bristol with support from the city’s Film Office in late 2023. Filming also took place in Gran Canaria, Spain.
Addie (Emma Appleton) and her sister Deb (Isabella Laughland) are on a road trip to a friend’s wedding in Spain when they are forced to offer a ride to Addie’s ex Dylan (Laurie Davidson), his irrepressible best friend Marcus (David Jonsson) and complete stranger Rodney (Angus Imrie). With nowhere to hide but a creaky campervan, the group must confront their buried history as secrets and revelations cause many a bump in the road.
Peppered with spiky conflict, alongside surreal escapades, the journey to the wedding proves to be an unforgettable ride. Everyone in the van has one question on their lips – what exactly was the real reason behind Addie and Dylan’s breakup? Who was to blame? And will their journey back to where they first fell in love bring a happy-ever-after?
Studio filming took place at The Bottle Yard and Bristol Film Office assisted the shoot across the city at locations including Totterdown (Richmond Street and St Luke’s Steps), Armada House (where characters load up their campervan for the trip), and various Clifton spots including Canning Road (which set the scene for a car stunt filmed using a spinning rig, with emergency vehicles arriving in the aftermath), private residences on Worcester Terrace and Berkely Square and street filming on Chandos Road. Bar scenes were shot at The Gallimaufry Pub on Gloucester Road and café scenes in the Harbourside Kitchen at SS Great Britain on Gas Ferry Road. Filming also took place in Gran Canaria, Spain.
Eight local industry entrants gained work experience with The Road Trip’s production team, arranged by The Bottle Yard Studios, shadowing camera, costume, make up, script supervisor and art departments. Tyron (age 22) said “I genuinely had so much fun, meeting new people and being creative. I feel much more confident entering into the scripted TV world especially as a minority. I will definitely cherish this opportunity.” Grace (age 21) said: “I enjoyed every second. I learnt so much from everyone around me. I feel this experience has very much confirmed my decision to script supervise in this industry.” Students from Bristol Film School (boomsatsuma) also gained valuable online work experience with the team.
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Image courtesy Paramount+/42
With all the fun of Planes, Trains and Automobiles and the romantic yearning of One Day, The Road Trip is a beguiling, modern story about love in your late twenties. A kaleidoscopic rom com, it explores love in all its guises through a trio of unforgettable relationships: a class-divided romance, a codependent bromance, and a knotty but affectionate sisterly bond.
The Road Trip is written and created for television by Ryan O’Sullivan and Matilda Wnek (Vigil) and lead directed by China Moo-Young (Everything I Know About Love). It is executive produced by Miriam Brent, Eleanor Moran and Rory Aitken for 42 in association with PTIS – the international studio division of Paramount Global.
It is the second Beth O’Leary adaptation by Paramount+ and 42, following the global success of the adaptation of O’Leary’s debut bestseller The Flatshare, which also filmed at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location in Bristol.
The Road Trip launches exclusively on Paramount+ on 26th December 2024.