Entertainment

New Steven Spielberg film gets permission to film in Glasgow

Described as ‘a historic drama based during the First World War’ a set will be located at Govan Graving Docks.
Described as ‘a historic drama based during the First World War’ a set will be located at Govan Graving Docks.

Steven Spielberg has been granted permission to film scenes for a new war movie in Glasgow.

Described as “a historic drama based during the First World War” it is thought to be 1917, which has Sam Mendes – fresh from his work behind the camera on James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre – lined up to direct.

Crews will be in place at the Govan Graving Docks from April 22 for 10 weeks with filming taking place for four days in early June.

A set, including a bridge over a canal, will be built on the site with the film company planning to hire Govan Shed warehouse as a workshop for construction.

Map of Govan
How the area will be divided for the filming production (Google Maps/Glasgow City Council/PA) (Douglas Barrie)

The initial planning support statement says the same approval was being sought as the World War Z production in Glasgow which starred Brad Pitt.

Filming took place at George Square in 2011 with more than 1,000 cast and crew – but Spielberg’s production visiting the city this year has “significantly less people and risk”.

It also says a “series of locations around the UK are being used to film specific aspects of the production, including land in MOD ownership on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire”.

A previous residential application for housing at the Govan docks was rejected last year.

Sam Mendes
Sam Mendes is due to direct 1917 (Matt Crossick/PA)

Permission for filming was granted on Monday with the decision stating a condition “limited to 29th June 2019, at which date the use of the area/premises shall stop.

“The site shall be restored within one month of that date to its pre-development condition or an upgraded condition which has been previously approved in writing by the planning authority.”

Last year Glasgow city centre was also used for filming scenes of a new Fast and Furious spin-off, Hobbs and Shaw, starring Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and Idris Elba.

Glasgow Film Office said the film helped bring in £19.1 million to the local economy last year with £320 million since the office was created in 1997.