2. Paddington 2’s Prison & The Italian Job’s Opening
Kilmainham Gaol, Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland
Firstly, we need to air an opinion: Paddington 2 is one of the greatest sequels of all time. The film sees the lovable bear framed and sent to prison, where he works his magic on his fellow inmates. The film’s prison scenes were shot inside the distinctive Kilmainham Gaol in Ireland.
As well as Paddington, the Gaol also once briefly housed another British legend (in a movie, not as a prisoner). Sir Michael Caine graced its halls in the opening on 1969’s The Italian Job, with the film’s introductory scene clearly depicting the interior of Kilmainham Gaol. (They didn’t drive through its halls, though – probably an insurance issue.)
It’s no surprise that the Gaol has been used in multiple movies – after all, it’s gorgeous (which is maybe a strange thing to say about a prison, we realize). The decades between the two movies, and the vast gap in tone and genre, make it all the more difficult to notice their shared location. Even so, we’re going to push for a crossover in which Michael Caine breaks Paddington out of prison.