One of London’s tube stations is hiding a surprise for Star Wars fans, offering a closer encounter with the iconic franchise than they might expect. If you walk down the escalator at Canary Wharf, tap your card and go to the Jubilee line platform, you’ll be stepping into the very setting of Rogue One!
That’s right – Canary Wharf’s Jubilee line platform also doubles as the Scarif Imperial Security Complex, featuring in two scenes of the film, around the 1 hour and 30 minute mark, and in the teaser trailer.
When the trailer was revealed, Londoners with a keen eye for detail were quick to recognize the familiar dark corridors depicted in the film, where Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor and K-2SO make their daring escape. Some may notice a strange detail: the images are actually horizontally flipped in the trailer!
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At Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016, director Gareth Edwards confirmed what many suspected: Canary Wharf was the backdrop for Rogue One’s action-packed sequences. He said: “My first job in television was just around the corner from (Canary Wharf). I thought, this is something from the future. This is like a sci-fi movie. If I ever get to do a sci-fi film of my life, I will film this one.”
In the Star Wars universe, the Scarif Imperial Security Complex is a center of research, engineering, and manufacturing for the Death Star project. Canary Wharf already has an imperial feel about it, but in the film the CGI magic makes it even more futuristic, turning it into an environment that feels light years removed from everyday life.
Gareth Edwards found inspiration in the station’s sleek chrome interiors and glass roof, enhancing the film’s atmosphere with its dimly lit, metallic structures – a perfect match for the secret facility on Scarif.
And there’s more! Exiting the station towards the Adams Plaza Bridge, fans can step straight into the entrance of the Imperial Security Bureau Headquarters from Andor and immerse themselves further into the Star Wars universe.
If you come out of Canary Wharf tube station and onto the street, head towards Canada Place on your left. Continuing straight through the expanse of the mall, you will experience the feeling of stepping out of ISB headquarters, conveniently located next to the Elizabeth Line!
From Dedra Meero’s debut to the monumental meeting between Syril Karn and Dedra Meero, Canary Wharf emerges as a veritable backdrop for galactic drama. While the bridge and surrounding areas serve as tangible filming locations, the buildings, including the ISB headquarters and the Coruscant Skyline, are all computer-generated.
In Andor, the ISB headquarters is a large pyramidal building with ten curved structures surrounding the main building, all connected to the rest of the COMPNOR Arcology complex by transparent skybridges. Imperial stormtroopers guard the ground and cannons are set up around the perimeter to stop any aerial threat.
Canary Wharf brings the world of Star Wars closer to home and shows how cinematic magic can transform everyday places. Whether it’s the secret corridors of Scarif or the impressive ISB headquarters, these locations allow fans to step into the Star Wars universe in their own city, proving that imagination can take you anywhere, even in the middle of a busy city.