WOODY ALLEN is to direct his third London film. The 69-year-old writer-director is expected to begin filming next year. His first production in the capital, Match Point, starring Scarlett Johansson, will be released in Britain in January. It has already proved a box-office hit in France.

Allen’s second film in London, Scoop, which charts the romance between an American journalism student and an English aristocrat, is currently in post-production.

A film source said that Allen has been impressed by the response to his two London works, both backed by BBC Films, and is now seeking funding for a third.

BBC Films, which was criticised for supporting the American over British talent, will not back the latest film.

Allen has used several London landmarks, including Tate Modern, the Royal Opera House and the Saatchi Gallery.

As in his two previous films shot in the capital, Johansson is tipped to play the starring role. But Allen, who has repeatedly complained about the determination of the Hollywood film studios to intrude upon his creativity, has refused to discuss any details about his plans.

Allen is thought to have been encouraged by reviews of Match Point, which was heralded as a return to former glory. A number of his more recent works have flopped and have been criticised for failing to live up to his Oscar-winning comedies, Annie Hall and Hannah and her Sisters.

The director, unlike most of the capital’s inhabitants, also adores the overcast skies, which make the light better for filming. Commenting on Britain, he said recently: “I’m able to work on a low budget there. It doesn’t look low-budget.”

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