Bolton: Ewan McGregor in town for A Gentleman in Moscow

The area around the town hall was shut to the public from Monday and is set to remain so 'for a few days'.

Filming is taking place in front of the town hall and Le Mans Crescent.

The reason is to film for 'A Gentleman in Moscow', a Paramount+ series with Ewan McGregor, an actor whose credits include Moulin Rouge and Star Wars.

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Also in the cast is Mary Elizabeth Winstead, an actor whose own credits include Birds of Prey and Die Hard, and who married Ewan McGregor last year.

Based on a 2016 novel by Amor Towles and set at the time of the Russian Revolution, around 100 years ago, 'A Gentleman in Moscow' follows the fictional Count Alexander Rostov after he is spared execution, but sent to the Hotel Metropol on house arrest.

Today fake snow was being sprayed onto the town hall steps to set the scene.

McGregor is understood to be a replacement for Kenneth Branagh, who was in the role initially.

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McGregor said: "It is an amazing, wonderful story and I am excited to play such a fabulous role."

Bolton is no stranger to the TV cameras and is seen by some as the 'Hollywood of the North' after it appeared in series such as Happy Valley.

Although set in West Yorkshire, the series with Sarah Lancashire came to the town centre and used locations such as Amico Cafe and Market Place shopping centre for scenes screened a matter of weeks ago.

And at the end of last month, an area of Hotel Street was transformed into a bank and a corner of Victoria Square was taken over by trucks as cast and crew worked on the BBC's Undoing Martin Parker.

This series stars Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones) and Sian Gibson (Car Share).

'A Gentleman in Moscow' is scheduled to start on Paramount+ later this year.

It is directed by Sam Miller (Luther) and written by Ben Vanstone (Merlin).