London’s Film Locations: Famous Settings from the Big Screen

London is home to the most recognizable landmarks. It’s remarkable skyline and unique architecture are well-known all over the world. The city has become a place for shooting epic films like Harry Potter, Notting Hill, Sky Fall, and Mary Poppins. London is photogenic and has been a perfect setting for an array of film genres:

  • musicals;
  • gangland thrillers;
  • action films;
  • historical movies;
  • rom-coms;
  • films for kids;
  • period dramas.

5 Most Filmed Locations in London

Extremely popular landmarks of London have been chosen by professional filmmakers hundreds of times. City’s hieratic monuments, historic buildings, and galleries create a marvelous atmosphere for shooting.

By the way, to get there you will need a taxi, public transport or you can apply to a car rental company. You can choose a 7 seater car hire in London for a big company or large family. Also offered compact 2-door cars with seating up to 4 occupants at a humid price. Click here to hire a cheap car and enjoy your trip to the movie world of London.

There are several iconic film locations in the city worth visiting:

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square is located in the center of the city, in a five-minute walk from the Piccadilly Circus. It has been a place for shooting a variety of films, such as:

  • ‘Skyfall’. A high-octane movie in the James Bond series. The National Gallery was used as a setting for a scene where James Bond meets with Q at Rm. 34.
  • Wonder Woman. In February 2016 Trafalgar Square was transformed into a shooting stage for a Hollywood blockbuster. The film directors recreated London during the First World War times. Actors wore period costumes, the streets were packed with antique cars, and buildings were festooned with union jacks.

V for Vendetta. The well-known political action was filmed in London. To create the final scene, the area from Trafalgar Square to Parliament and Big Ban were closed for 3 nights.

buckingham palace

Buckingham Palace

The King’s residence needs no introduction. It is the best-known sight in the world. The palace is difficult to reach as it is always surrounded by crowds of tourists and security guards. It has occupied an honorable place among the famous movie settings in London. Buckingham Palace has been a picturesque film set for such movies as:

  • The Crown
  • The Queen’s Corgi
  • Dolittle
  • The Young Victoria
  • BFG

The film about adorable British personage Mary Poppins was received with a bang. Myriads traditional London landmarks got into the shot. Buckingham Palace was one of them, as well as St Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ban, and Tower Bridge. By the way, the new story about the world-famous nanny ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ has been recently filmed by Disney. Read here about a fresh sequel to its fabulous original.

Westminster Abbey

A mystery thriller ‘The Da Vinci Code’ has been shot here. The film editors chose Westminster Abbey as an entourage for their most smashing hit. According to the scenario the main characters headed for Newton’s grave to find the clues for the answer.

If you follow the footsteps of Professor Robert Langdon, you will also see King’s College Library, Horse Guard’s Parade, Westminster Abbey, and Temple Church.

Piccadilly Circus

The road junction Piccadilly Circus is an iconic landmark of London. It’s no wonder that it has been featured in plenty of films. Recognizable electronic ad boards appear in ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Deathly Hallows: Part One’.

Piccadilly Circus appears in the romantic comedy ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’. A variety of different city neighborhoods, such as Trinity Church Square, Italian Fountains in Hyde Park have also become the backstage for the plot.

picadelly circus

Big Ben

The famous clock tower Big Ben chimes in lots of films. The instantly remarkable London landmark has played bright cameos in countless popular movies.

It episodically appears in such legendary movies as ‘The Thirty-Nine Steps’, ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘V for Vendetta’, ‘Mars Attacks’, ‘Reign on Fire’, ’28 Days Later’, ‘Spectre’, ‘The Avengers’, ‘Army of Darkness’.

London’s Role in the cinematic world can’t be overestimated. Discover the most famous London’s locations that have been chosen for shooting films here. All of them deserve an Oscar statuette. Learn more about film-making in London here.