BBC News Online: Entertainment

Tube's movie stardom

More than 200 requests to shoot scenes in Tube stations were received in 2000.

The Tube's trains and stations have featured in films like Superman IV, Mission Impossible II, Sliding Doors, The End of The Affair and most recently, Billy Elliot.

Mission Impossible II was filmed at Liverpool Street, the new Harry Potter movie includes a scene at Waterloo, while Sliding Doors, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, was filmed at Waterloo and Bank stations.

The End of the Affair was filmed at Southgate station, Bridget Jones' Diary at Picadilly Circus, Killing Me Softly at Marylebone, Waterloo and High Barnet, while Billy Elliot arrived at Westminster tube station for his London ballet audition.

London Underground has now produced its first brochure to promote the stations, which offer design that ranges from 30s architecture to the futuristic Jubilee Line Extension.

"The Tube must be one of the most versatile filming locations in the world because of the wide variety of locations on offer and the multitude of moods that can be created," said commercial filming facilities manager Kate Blow.

"We don't make a vast amount of money from filming but at £200 an hour it is certainly a useful money-spinner."

The futuristically designed Canary Wharf station was the most popular set last year, but for adverts rather than feature films.

Some of the longer scenes have had to be filmed at night or in stations which are closed at weekends to avoid disruption to services.

The Waterloo and City line, closed on Sundays, has been popular for this reason.