Heritage site marks 100th anniversary in film with iconic screen character gathering

Two long-standing institutions united their legacies to deliver a cinematic celebration in the largest gathering of people dressed as screen characters.

The Old Royal Naval College and Elstree Studios (both UK) brought together a colourful array of people for a day of fun, celebrating film and TV.

Stormtroopers, Roger Rabbit, and Superman are among the beloved characters who were part of 874 people in their best fancy dress.

This was a new record with a minimum of 500 to beat.

The collaboration between the famous Heritage site and TV studio came about as a joint 100-year celebration.

Both share a connection of having been part of the UK’s rich history of film and TV production.

The Old Royal College (ORC) has been the set of many productions.

From Oscar-winning films to streaming blockbusters directed by Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott and Kenneth Branagh, to name a few.

This record reflects their unique connection to the big and small screen.

The journey began back in May, when the ORC worked with cosplayers and influencers to get the word out.

On the day, participants arrived at ORC at 10 a.m., and were registered and issued a wristband.

The event was bursting with passion, excitement and pride from all ages as participants stepped into their beloved characters.

To make the most of their costumes, several prop stations were dotted around the site for participants to have fun with, ahead of the record attempt.

These prop stations contained tons of easter eggs from famous franchises: Tuan Taun from Star Wars, a Pirates of the Caribbean setup and an archaeological dig from Indiana Jones and Lara Croft.

The detailed sets allowed everyone to really get into character!

The event saw whole families dressed as their chosen screen characters across generations.

Participants were issued a wristband within designated zones, and once in these groups, they were manually counted by a team of volunteers.

The most popular costumes were Cruella, Princess Leia and various pirates from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Once the number was confirmed by Official Adjudicator Carl Saville, the Guinness World Records certificate was presented.

ORC hopes that from this attempt, their site will be recognized as a true community cultural hub.