A WAR of words has erupted between Glasgow and Philadelphia over the filming of Brad Pitt’s movie Word War Z.
The Scottish city has been transformed to replicate “Philly” by film-makers with yellow cabs and American street signs and traffic lights taking over the streets.
But the transformation has annoyed the American city’s natives.
The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper has accused Glasgow of “gloating” over bagging the shoot.
And the paper says it is not helped by the fact the movie is being shot in George Square.
“Annoyingly City Chambers are in a square named for King George II, the very despot Philadelphia led the [American] Revolution against.”
The film was originally going to be shot in the American city but the film makers pulled out after a row over tax breaks.
The UK became more economically viable and Glasgow was the city chosen that could most easily be converted to look like Philly’s streets.
Writer Barry Mucha said: “They’re gloating a bit these days in Glasgow. They have Brad Pitt filming a movie there – and it’s supposedly set in Philadelphia.”
He added: “So Glasgow has fresh-eating, virus-revived corpses and Angelina Jolie’s tallest adoptee.”
Another staff member at the Inquirer said: “There’s some hit to local pride to see some other city pretending to be our city.
“I think most people here aren’t aware this happened. When the movie comes out, that’s when it will hit them.”
And the newspaper’s film critic Carrie Rickey added: “Glasgow’s a lovely city and so is Philadelphia, but they’re not alike.
“Let’s get this straight. We won’t trade Ben Franklin for Charles Rennie Mackintosh.”
Glasgow is said to be raking in around £2million from the fortnight-long shoot.
Sharon Pinkenson, of the Philadelphia Film Office, said: “I was devastated about this. We lost jobs that people were counting on.”
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “Certainly, there has been no gloating. We wouldn’t gloat.
“We are just delighted that such a huge production has chosen to film in Glasgow and feels the streets of Glasgow can replicate a US city. That’s no surprise to us because of our grid system.”
World War Z was filming in Glasgow last week with large parts of the city centre closed to traffic.
And film crews descended on Grangemouth last night (Saturday) to continue production of the Hollywood movie.
Producers are expected to use the town’s refinery-dominated skyline as a backdrop to the action.
The production began with road closures at 8pm last night (Saturday) which will last until 7am tomorrow (Monday).
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and their six children are staying at the 16th century Carnell estate in Ayrshire during the shoot.
