To zombie, or not to zombie, that is the question

IT’s a wrap. After two weeks of Brangelina, zombies, car chases and smoke-filled explosions around Glasgow’s George Square, the Hollywood circus has left town.

Brad Pitt flew out of Scotland yesterday, leaving behind legions of devoted new fans. All that remains for the makers of World War Z is to film a handful of extra scenes before the street signs, yellow cabs and American street lights are packed up and the city returns to normal after its brief starring role as downtown Philadelphia.

It is no exaggeration to say the spectacle of watching a big budget Hollywood movie being made in Glasgow has had people transfixed. Hundreds of onlookers hung around the periphery of the set every day, hoping for a glimpse of Brad or, when things were quiet, his stand-in.

But yesterday, as the smoke from the last scenes cleared, local businesses were counting the cost of having Hollywood royalty on their doorstep.

Glasgow City Council has already estimated that World War Z it will generate £2 million for the city’s economy.

For local traders at the heart of the action, there are many who have revelled in the spectacle and seen income rise with a stream of new customers.

Coffee chains, including Costa Coffee and Starbucks, took advantage of the crowds by handing out free samples to lure people inside. Staff from a nearby bar donned “Brad masks” to hand out flyers to the crew.

One of the businesses most directly affected by the filming was the Piper bar. Located on the corner of Cochrane Street, facing on to George Square and flying an American flag, it was the ideal spot to watch the action unfolding on the street outside.

Yesterday staff said that the production had been a welcome boost, with more customers lingering over their drinks in the hope of glimpsing Pitt.

Bar worker Lynsey Milroy said: “We’ve definitely busier. It’s been coming in waves, generally it picked up when filming was on, but it’s certainly benefiting us. We’ve had a lot of the crew coming in to us but also lots of tourists.

“We’ve been printing WWZ T-shirts, which lots of the American crew have been buying.

“Generally, it’s been a good vibe, but I would have to say that our trade has been up around 50 per cent.

“In part, I think because where we are is a quiet part of the square, people don’t come over this side; so we’re benefiting from this area being very busy. We’re seeing a lot of new customers coming in, and hopefully they will come back to us. As it is, we’ve had people phoning up to book tables to make sure that they got a window seat so they could watch the filming.”

Ms Milroy added that in terms of public exposure, the Piper could not have asked for more, having appeared in the majority of newspapers as well as television and radio coverage.

But even outside of zombie Ground Zero, shops were enjoyed a busy fortnight. Gillian Parker, the owner of the Metro sandwich shop, garnered attention for her Brad Pitt panini, a spicy snack of chorizo, cheese, onion and jalepeno peppers. The actor himself reportedly enjoyed the panini so much that he gave the staff a signed poster.

“The closure of Cochrane Street meant morning sales were down, but come lunchtime with the extra crowds coming to catch a glimpse of the production, we saw a definite increase in trade,” Ms Parker said.

The Greggs bakery on the far side of George Square reported a rise in passing trade, with extras from the film queuing alongside locals for sausage rolls, pies and sandwiches.

However, not everyone thrived during the zombie invasion. For George Ieronimidis, owner of Elia, a family-run Greek restaurant in George Square, the impact has been disastrous: “We are somewhere between 50 and 70 per cent down on our normal takings.

“Our normal clientele aren’t coming into town because the way it’s being presented, the general perception amongst my customers is that George Square has been shut.

“The last two weeks in August are very important to us. The schools are going back and so people come into town to buy new uniforms for their children or reward them for their exam results, it’s usually really busy for us and we just haven’t seen it. We’ve basically missed these two weeks.”

But Glasgow City Council believes that overall the experience has been a positive one. “The filming of World War Z is bringing well over £2m to the local economy, and no businesses at all have had to close over this period,” said a spokesman.

“Both the production and the council have been in detailed consultation with local businesses and residents over the past couple of months to ensure awareness of the temporary arrangements.

“There have been thousands of visitors to the square and surrounding streets to see the filming, and this in itself would have offered opportunities to local businesses.”

And as preparations for the big clear up began, there was a sense that Glasgow will feel like a duller place once the glamour of tinsel town has disappeared. “It will be really strange when they go,” said Ms Milroy. “It’s been great fun.”