Attack the Block

Writer/director Joe Cornish interviewed various kids in youth groups to find out what kinds of weapons they would use if an alien invasion occurred.

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The filmmakers used CG effects only when strictly necessary and to enhance the creatures' practical effects rather than completely replace them. Even the smaller female alien seen before the credits was a petite woman in a creature costume. A puppet-type head was used in some of the attack shots, such as when Moses is suddenly bitten. The creature's head was an elaborately made mask with no eyes, and even the mouthful of large, carnivorous teeth was achieved by animatronics (including twelve "servos") rather than added later. The filmmakers acknowledge that this helped save money but also provided an unexpected benefit. The actors admitted that, instead of reacting to something that wasn't there, they were genuinely and unexpectedly frightened by the appearance and movement of the creatures that were actually present (especially during the chase scenes in which a creature or creatures pursued them at full speed). Nearly every actor said they were especially frightened by the physical presence — most surprisingly so — and that they would not have been if the creatures had been added digitally later. The same was true for most of the settings; the director said that shooting on set rather than in front of a green screen added authenticity and atmosphere.

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Writer/director Joe Cornish was inspired to make this film after being attacked in real life one night (just as Sam is depicted in the film). He realized that the five teenagers who attacked him were as scared as he was, and he began researching their lives.

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Most of the young actors were found through their schools and through online open auditions.

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Joe Cornish mostly used unknown people, that is, kids who were involved in drama clubs or showed an interest in acting. "1,500" teenagers auditioned repeatedly; this partly ensured that Cornish knew the aspiring actors would arrive on time and be self-disciplined. Over the course of the process they learned lines and improvised. After the casting, the last two drafts Cornish wrote were influenced by the actors and allowed them to go through the dialogue and discuss the changes they wanted.

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John Boyega learned about this film from an advertisement posted online.

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Joe Cornish was "very keen" that only Hi-Hatz use a gun. "He's the real bad guy, the only bad guy. He's the only one who shoots anyone. If I put guns in the other characters' hands, it would be a completely different film."

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The alien design was based on the aliens depicted on the Space Invaders arcade cabinet.

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Joe Cornish based the character Brewis on himself when he was in his twenties.

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Writer/director Joe Cornish had to cut fifteen pages from the script before filming due to budget constraints.

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The film takes place on Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Bonfire Night (5 November).

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Writer/director Joe Cornish did in-depth research on language in order to accurately convey the way south London street kids speak.

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When designing Pest's (Alex Esmail) costume with small rocket packs, Joe Cornish always had Boba Fett from Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) in mind.

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Only two suits were made for the aliens.

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While shooting a scene with five boys and five girls, all of them with dialogue, Joe Cornish watched many Larry Clark films to understand how Clark filmed scenes of teenagers talking in such a natural style.

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The blocks and surrounding roads are named after well-known British science fiction writers: Wyndham Tower (John Wyndham); Moore Court (Alan Moore); Huxley Court (Aldous Huxley); Wells Court (H. G. Wells); Clarke Court (Arthur C. Clarke); Ballard Street (J. G. Ballard); Adams Street (Douglas Adams); Clayton Street and Clayton Estate (Jo Clayton); and Herbert Way (Frank Herbert). James Street may allude to horror writer M. R. James. Frank Herbert was actually American; if the reference was meant to be to a British writer, it could also be another reference to H(erbert) G(eorge) Wells. Herbert Way is most likely a nod to horror writer James Herbert, who wrote most of his books in London.

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In this film Nick Frost is still wearing the long hair he grew for Paul (2011).

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In the scene where the meteorite is broken open, a female alien cocoon is revealed. Director Joe Cornish stated that he wanted to keep this prop as backyard decoration.

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Writer/director Joe Cornish grew up in south London, where this film is set, and lives there.

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Jodie Whittaker was a little annoyed that John Boyega always called her "Mrs. Whittaker" on set, which turned into a playful running joke between the two. She said the "Mrs" made her feel much older than she actually was.

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Quentin Tarantino included Attack the Block in his list of the top 10 films of 2011.

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The film was largely shot in chronological order.

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The film was shot largely in South London, at the Heygate Estate in Walworth, Southwark. The estate was demolished in 2014.

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Simon Howard performed his own stunt when the character Biggz jumps onto the roof of a van.

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Filming the chase sequence in the walkway took ten days.

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(At around 29 minutes) The scene in which the police van hits the BMW was shot in a single take.

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It is director Joe Cornish's first feature film.

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After a screening held by Sony Pictures in Toronto to decide whether the film would be released in North America, Ron Sparks suggested they change the title to "Space Bears" or "Space Gremlins" to appeal to a wider audience.

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Although the film is set in South London, most of the shooting took place in Islington in North London.

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The robbery scene was shot on the first day of filming.

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Franz Drameh, who plays Dennis, was originally considered for the role of Moses.

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The joints that many of the characters smoke in the film were actually made from herbal tobacco.

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The film contains more than 100 effect shots, completed over 4 months by the Swedish CGI team Fido.

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A large part of the film was shot in 67 days.

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The knife Moses (John Boyega) uses in the film is a Mikov 241 Predator, a fairly rare and expensive switchblade from the Czech Republic. It is specifically the modified model with bayonet grinding, filing and premium RWL-34 steel. Similar knives were used in Casino Royale (2006) and Largo Winch (2008).

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All the interiors were built on sets.

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(At around 26 minutes) Three takes were shot to get the scene right in which Alex Esmail throws a firework under a police van.

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There are various accounts of the inspiration for the alien creatures; Joe Cornish said at different times that they drew on the 'wolf' sequence in '300', the Ring Wraiths in LOTR and the creatures in Delphine Studios' video game 'Another World', and that they bear a striking resemblance that any 90s gamer could confirm.

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Jodie Whittaker and John Boyega have since starred in two of the biggest science fiction franchises of all time: Whittaker in Doctor Who and Boyega in Star Wars.

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