Brad Pitt fever is abating in Scotland’s biggest city, Glasgow, as the filming of blockbuster movie World War Z ended yesterday.
Part of Glasgow doubled as Philadelphia for the two week shoot of the zombie film, in which the Hollywood actor stars.
Its producer Jeremy Kleiner said the filming had been “very successful” and thanked Glaswegians for being “incredibly welcoming”.
A cast and crew of around 1,200 were involved in the shoot which was centred in the Merchant City area, where various car crashes were staged.
On some days actors dressed as soldiers could be seen standing next to military vehicles, as camera crew filmed crowds fleeing in terror. Fans were out in force hoping for a glimpse of Mr Pitt, and regularly gathered at barriers placed at the entrance to the set.
Streets around George Square were transformed into an American city for the shoot, with US road signs and traffic lights.
Roads were lined with yellow taxis, Philadelphia police cars and other vehicles, including tanks, while vending machines selling American newspapers were also dotted around the area. It is estimated that the impact on the local economy was around £2 million.
Filming also took place in Grangemouth.
Councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “The past fortnight has been memorable for Glasgow. Our great anticipation of what World War Z would bring to the city was matched by the amazing transformation of George Square and the surrounding streets into the centre of Philadelphia.
“One of the most satisfying elements of this time was Glasgow proving that we have the infrastructure to host a production on such a scale, a showcase that will hopefully bring many more major films here.”
The film is based on the novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks, which is set in Philadelphia in the aftermath of a war between humans and zombies. Filming already took place in Malta and England. It is due to be released next year. The council said they would support any call to have the UK premiere in Glasgow but have not approached the film production office about it.