Exploring the Film Fan Magnet that is London’s Leicester Square

The UK continues to be a hotspot for film productions coming in from all over the world. From quaint English towns to the sprawling hills so often drawn from for works of fantasy, Great Britain has a setting for just about every story put to the big or small screen.

One place that’s become of particular importance to the film industry is Leicester Square. The famed hub of tourism and entertainment in London has played host to and heavily featured in the movies for quite some time now, and it’s easy to see why when you explore the setting itself.

A Famous Entertainment Haven

Leicester Square draws visitors from far and wide thanks to its extensive offering of entertainment venues and vast shopping centres. You could catch a show at Café de Paris, or even try your luck in the oldest and most enduring games. In fact, the Hippodrome has become such a draw that it’s had to expand online. Now, it’s both Leicester Square’s premier casino and the leading live casino in the UK, beaming its table games to any and all casino players with an internet connection. With these high-class pillars of entertainment at its centre, the area has then been loaded up with everything film, which is why many London premieres and awards are held here.

Leicester Square boasts three major cinemas: Empire Cinema, Vue West End, and Leicester Square Odeon. The Odeon has a huge screen that can seat over 1,600 people. Outside of these venues, you can spot a whole host of film character statues, including Charlie Chaplin, Paddington Bear, Batman, Mary Poppins, and Mr Bean.

Leicester Square on the Big Screen

Not only does Leicester Square boast an exceedingly big screen, but you can also see it pop up on the big screen in several films. Now, it’s a very busy, well-known, and particular kind of location, so it doesn’t always work out. This was the case for the filming of Luther: The Fallen Sun, as the skyline obstructions would’ve impeded the scene.

Still, it’s always open to filming if productions can get the right permits, and many moviemakers have made the most of this opportunity. Some are happy with soaring shots over big landmarks like Big Ben and the London Eye, but others want the ground-level London feel of running through the streets and to the iconic areas.

Easily the biggest of the bunch – both for film count and revenue at the global box office – is the Harry Potter series. The quintessentially British film and setting, naturally, had to run through London early and often to showcase the difference between muggle and magical.

In the films, we’ve seen the Death Eaters soar through Exit Three of the underground, turning out onto Great Newport Street en route to Diagon Alley. Much more recently, Leicester Square has played host to the filming of the Netflix hit show Baby Reindeer. For this production, they went to the famed Comedy Store in the square.

It’s not easy to make Leicester Square work as a filming location, but plenty of productions have, and even beyond the cameras, the corner of London has fully embraced film fans and the movie industry.