Forget the resurgence of the studio rom-com. Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch herald the comeback of the studio ‘anti-rom-com’ with the wickedly funny The Roses. The ever-reliable British actors star in Jay Roach’s tragicomedy as a married couple on the brink of divorce in The Roses.
While the film draws direct inspiration from Warren Adler’s novel The War of the Roses and Danny DeVito’s 1989 film adaptation of the same name, The Roses updates its source material with debates on gender norms, violent slapstick antics with modern gadgets, and a cast that’s stacked with the who’s who of TV comedy, including the likes of Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, and Ncuti Gatwa.
What’s also different is a change in setting. The original film settled for an upscale mansion in Washington DC as the marital battleground, while The Roses is set in a swank state-of-the-art house on the north coast of California. Architecture, in fact, plays a major part in the story as Cumberbatch’s Theo Rose is a passionate architect who obsesses over tiny details like Irish moss being better than the one in the States.
But in reality, the cast and crew remained in the UK with a seaside getaway in southern England doubling for California. Here’s where they filmed it all.
Where were the California scenes filmed in The Roses?
The Roses briefly opens in the heart of London, complete with the mandatory shots of red double deckers and Big Ben. But after our mismatched lovebirds have their meet-cute in London, a time jump reveals their journey to Mendicino in California, where they settle down and start a family.
But The Roses was actually mainly filmed in the British resort town of Salcombe in the Devon district. The town’s expansive waterfront and scenic ports all feature significantly in the film, standing in for the northern California coastline. Some of Devon’s forested interiors also feature in scenes where Theo takes his two children on sweat-soaked, muscle-straining runs, hoping to turn them into professional athletes.
As for Theo’s restaurateur wife, Ivy Rose, she too sets up base at one of Devon’s culinary hotspots.
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Is Olivia Colman’s seafood restaurant real?
Yes, there’s an actual seafood restaurant in Devon that was used for filming Ivy’s meteoric rise as a chef. However, it must be mentioned that the restaurant isn’t actually named ‘We’ve Got Crabs’ as seen in the film.
In reality, The Winking Prawn in Devon is a popular spot for serving up buckets of prawns and platters of shellfish. Located just over the road from the North Sands in Salcombe, the restaurant has been a Devon mainstay since 1997.
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The restaurant got a makeover and a new signboard when The Roses crew began filming in July 2024. Now, as the film heads for the cinemas, the ‘We’ve Got Crabs’ board is thankfully down and the restaurant is back in business. So, if Olivia Colman’s cooking in The Roses left you craving for crabs, you know where in Devon to drive down to.
Who stars in The Roses?
Olivia Colman (The Favorite, Broadchurch) and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Doctor Strange) play the titular Roses, passionate lovers-turned-passionate enemies. They are joined by American actors like Allison Janey (Mom, I, Tonya), Saturday Night Live alumni Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon, Zoë Chao (Creature Commandos, Nightbitch), Sunita Mani (GLOW, Mr. Robot), and popular British TV actors like Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education, Doctor Who) and Jamie Demetriou (Cruella, Fleabag).
When can I watch The Roses?
The Roses opens in cinemas on Friday, August 29.