London's the star: Twilight director hails capital as perfect film location as latest A-list movie starring Drew Barrymore and Dominic Cooper comes to town

 
On set: left, Drew Barrymore, Toni Collette and Dominic Cooper filming Miss You Already in Southwark
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Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke says she has been bowled over by London after shooting her first film here with Toni Collette and Drew Barrymore - and already wants to come back.

Hardwicke, 59, has spent seven weeks in locations from the Shard and Southwark to the canal at Little Venice for Miss You Already, written by Morwenna Banks, the actress and partner of David Baddiel, based on her true-life experiences of losing friends to cancer.

The American director, who helped make Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson’s global stars in the first of the Twilight vampire movies, said she joined the project because she laughed her head off and broke down in tears when reading the script with its “rollercoaster journey” and “crazy British wit”.

But despite adoring her cast, which also included Dominic Cooper, Paddy Considine and Jacqueline Bisset, it was the buildings and gardens of London she fell in love with this autumn.

“I feel like I’m in the most beautiful city in the world. I trained as an architect and London is flat-out inspiring. It has the oldest architecture to the most outrageous beautiful modern architecture,” she said. “And the weather has been warm. It’s just been delightful.”

London location: Barrymore and Collette in a scene from Miss You Already

Hardwicke, who recorded the score for Twilight in London and whose partner is Jamie Marshall, a British producer and assistant director on Twilight, said she felt the project had been “a wonderful treat”. And she is already planning to return, possibly for a series on monuments of the world.

The film tells the story of best friends Milly (Collette), who has a highflying job and a beautiful home but discovers she has cancer, and Jess (Barrymore), who lives on a houseboat and is struggling to have a baby.

Collette, 42, said the story line was one anyone could identify with. “Everyone knows someone who has had some kind of cancer,” she told the Standard.

The Australian star of Muriel’s Wedding, Little Miss Sunshine and About a Boy, said Barrymore was a big draw. “I really do love her.” But she praised Banks for creating a story “both British and universal” in its attitudes and wit.

“Morwenna is an incredible writer who has turned something painfully personal into something positive for all - altruism at its best. It captures something very real whilst still being entertaining. I hadn’t come across a story representing female friendship so honestly since Bridesmaids.”

Miss You Already is slated for release in October next year.

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