Apocalyptic Pitt stop in the wilds of Glasgow

BRAD Pitt was given a traditional Scottish welcome this week on the first day of filming for his latest project.

BRAD Pitt was given a traditional Scottish welcome this week on the first day of filming for his latest project. Glasgow's famously grey and reliably incontinent skies opened, and torrential rain flooded the set of World War Z, halting filming on director Marc Forster's latest post-apocalyptic vehicle.

Pitt, who managed to stay afloat during the deluge, plays a UN worker fighting a global zombie epidemic on the mean streets of Philadelphia (apparently Glasgow was a cheaper, and meaner, alternative to the real thing). Interestingly, 1000 Glaswegian extras will converge on one of the city's busiest streets to play out violent battle scenes between brain-dead zombies and civilians. Why the producers thought they'd need to hire for those scenes is beyond us. Sounds like a regular Saturday night in Glasgow. World War Z is due for release next year.

THE nation's film and television industry contributed $6 billion to the domestic economy in 2009-10, according to a report released yesterday at the Australian International Movie Convention on the Gold Coast. In the report, commissioned by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft, Access Economics estimates the sector was also responsible for the creation of 49,000 full-time equivalent positions. It says the total value added by the sector grew 5.1 per cent between 2006-07 and 2009-10 while employment fell by 2.55 per cent in the same period.

THEY grow up so fast, don't they? Pixar last week celebrated its 25th birthday with the announcement of two new feature films. The Walt Disney Company revealed its successful animation arm -- responsible for the Toy Story and Cars franchises -- will release a film about dinosaurs and a feature on the workings of the human brain. The films are due for release in 2013 and 2014. Screenwriter Bob Peterson (Finding Nemo) revealed concept art featuring a child atop a dinosaur, saying the film would explore what might have happened had dinosaurs not gone the way of the dodo. Meanwhile director Pete Docter (Monsters Inc), whose next flick will explore the mind, was coy on details, but producer Jonas Rivera had the last laugh: "We can't wait to tell you more . . . as soon as we get out of psychotherapy."

SCIENCE fiction author Ray Bradbury's "most deeply personal" novel is being adapted for screen. Dandelion Wine, the writer's semi-autobiographical fantasy (yes, really) of goings-on in small-town America during the 1920s is being adapted by Black Swan director Mike Medavoy. Bradbury will work on the project with screenwriter Rodion Nahapetov, who once adapted the book as a short film.

WITH the film world abuzz at news that Ridley Scott is to direct a second instalment (a prequel or a sequel, no one is quite sure) of his 1982 cult classic Blade Runner, Reel Time was disappointed to discover it won't feature Harrison Ford. Producers say Ford, who starred in the original, will have no role in the new film, which will be a "total reinvention". Whether it was to console nostalgics or just serendipity, The Times this week ran a list of some of the fedora-fancying actor's most memorable quotes. Nestled between Ford's musings on male earrings ("Why shouldn't I have one?") and one-time nightclub bouncer Sean Connery's alleged pugilistic shortcomings ("I could definitely take him down"), was this odd little gem: "The only time that you shouldn't ask for an autograph is when I'm standing in front of a urinal. Or while I'm having sex." We'll keep that in mind.

Michael Bodey returns next week.