There’s one London street which directors turn to again and again when they want to conjure up a slightly eccentric and very English kind of old-school charm. When director Patty Jenkins needed to recreate the war-torn world of 1917 for hit 2017 superhero outing Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot’s superhero walks past an unusual row of classical columns along a very quirky diagonal street - Sicilian Avenue, among the first pedestrianised streets in London, and a perfect place to conjure up the atmosphere of wartime Europe.
Movie Locations says, “Leaving her trusty sword with Etta, Diana walks with Steve across Bloomsbury Way and into Sicilian Avenue, the tiny, quirky pedestrian shopping street with an unusual entrance of classical columns, which runs diagonally between Bloomsbury Way and Southampton Row. It’s here Steve becomes aware of German spies.”
What Films Were Shot on Sicilian Avenue?
While the Amazon princess and her companion stroll down the street , the period atmosphere conjured up is very time-appropriate). Built in 1910 by architect R. J. Worley (creator of other listed London landmarks) the street aimed to conjure up a Sicily that probably never existed, with its unique entrance of classical columns.
The quirky nature of the diagonal street has made it irresistible to location scouts, with its colonnades and its unique, diagonal pedestrianised sweep making it just as convincing as a modern-day West End in the gritty spy drama Slow Horses and conjuring up post-war Britain in the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, where green-screen effects helped to transform the location into a post-war street scene.
Is Sicilian Avenue Reopening?
Like a movie hero making a comeback in a sequel, Sicilian Avenue is set to inspire a new generation of film-makers as it reopens this year as a vibrant consumer destination packed with retail and eateries.
Whether dressed to resemble a Britain of the past, or the Britain of the 21st century, Sicilian Avenue is set to fire the imaginations of a new generation - with research this year finding that 38% of diners say a prime location is an important premium element when choosing a place to eat. Having played host to Bloomsbury’s intellectuals, shoppers and students, its launch with 70,000 square feet of offices above 17,500 feet of lifestyle, food and beverage space will spark the imagination of a new generation of film-makers. Here’s looking at you London School of Film in The Yards Covent Garden!