Two of the top 5 festive films were partly produced in the capital: The Golden Compass and Fred Claus.

The Golden Compass occupies the number one spot, somewhat ironically, as the Vatican has labelled it ‘the most anti-Christmas film possible’ in the official Vatican newspaper, l'Osservatore Romano.

The big budget adaptation of the Philip Pullman fantasy has so far earned £12million and is holding off competition from the newer releases like Enchanted and Bee Movie.

Oscar®-winning production designer Dennis Gassner (Road to Perdition, Big Fish) was faced with the challenge of bringing the re-imagined worlds of London and Oxford to the screen for the film. Magnificent architecture in Greenwich, Chatham Historic docks and Oxford supported a raft of imaginative sets at Shepperton Studios.

Fred Claus, a tale about Father Christmas’ wayward brother, is number 4 at the box office. Unlike The Golden Compass, which featured London’s historic architecture and buildings, the film heavily relied on the facilities at Pinewood Studios. The production created Santa Claus’ North Pole home in the studios.

To find out what’s on in your local cinema over Christmas visit the View London website.