How did Scotland become a Hollywood hotspot?

From superhero blockbusters to Netflix romantic comedies, Scotland has become an increasingly familiar location for Hollywood consumption.

In the autumn, Twisters star Glenn Powell can be seen filming scenes for sci-fi tale The Running Man in Glasgow, while Edinburgh and Aberdeenshire will be the backdrop for a new version of Frankenstein.

Those productions join a long list of movies and TV shows filmed in the country over the past decade.

Tourism bosses hope the successful productions will see Scotland follow the lead of New Zealand – where the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films were filmed – and Northern Ireland, which has seen a surge in tourism. Game of Thrones fans Visiting the locations used in the fantasy series.

For some movies, eg Orkney-set drama The Outrun or the smash hit TV show Outlander, filming on location in Scotland is a natural option as the stories themselves are set there.

The Scottish scenery and wilderness is distinctive, and can be accessed relatively quickly from most major cities, which helps.

However, the last decade has seen cities across the country stand out for other places – Ray Tallon, head of film at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, believes the focus has shifted to architectural cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh. is given

He says it “presents beautifully” on the big screen.

Mr Tallin also points to an increase in studio supply in the country, which he likes. First Stage Studios At Leith and Wardpark film and television studios in Cumbernauld.

Mr Tallon told BBC Scotland News: “It gives productions the flexibility to not only use Scotland for its scenes but now its studio facilities as well.

“As more of these productions are successfully shot here, it adds to the credibility and reputation of the sector.”

There is another reason – money.

Scotland is like the rest of the UK. Able to offer tax breaks in productions, which adds to its appeal, as well as additional funding.

For example, Glasgow City Council gave Warner Bros around £150,000 to shoot the DC Comics film Batgirl in the city – only for the film to never see the light of day after completion. The studio owners decided not to release it..

Glasgow has been particularly adaptable, with its streets doubling for London in the Fast and Furious spin-off Hobbs and Shaw, as the iconic comic book location Gotham City at the start of the comic book adventure The Flash, and in the 1960s. For a parade scene as 1990s New York. i Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Cheryl Conway, head of the Screen Commission at Screen Scotland, told BBC Scotland News that the country has “use”, which makes it attractive to studios.

Of course, it could also work the other way around: the cheery festive romcom A Merry Scottish Christmas used Duns Castle in the Scottish Borders for exterior shots, but almost the entire movie, despite the title, was filmed in Ireland.

Plenty of Recent rent includes…

• Frankenstein (Netflix)
• Rig Series 2 (Prime Video), Fear (Prime Video),
• Lockerbie: The Search for Truth (Sky)
• One Day (Netflix),
• Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Amblin)
• The Outer (Arcade Pictures)
• Tetris (Apple TV+)
• Indoor (Disney+)
• Batman (Warner Bros.)
• California Schemer (James McAvoy)
• Avengers: Infinity War (Marvel Studios)
• Avengers: Endgame (Marvel Studios)
• Princess Switch Trilogy (Netflix)

This is a more complex issue.

When large-scale productions take over parts of a city, a regular concern is whether the disruption negatively affects local businesses.

While the Batgirl film was pulled, Glasgow City Council told the Daily Record that the production still provided “a very significant economic benefit” to the wider city.

However, businesses in the areas where filming took place were less convinced, telling the BBC at the time that their trade had been. Negatively affected.

The Social Recluse clothing store on King Street in the Trongate area was awarded £1,000 in compensation after it closed for 10 days for filming – which staff said did not amount to a “wasted month”.

Other productions, such as the Indiana Jones and the Running Man remake, have seen parts of Glasgow transformed and streets and roads closed, raising the question of whether those directly affected benefit. has been

Dr Evelina Laca, of the University of Edinburgh’s Business School, told BBC Scotland News that there was a “mixed view” of the economic benefits of films in Scotland, particularly for tourism.

He explained: “It’s not just the film being made there but whether certain conditions are met, mainly related to destination management and marketing.

“It highlights the importance of something like Visit Scotland, implementing a marketing strategy before and after filming.”

The most obvious example of a film or TV production promoting Scotland is Outlander, the hugely popular TV show based on the books by American author Diana Gabaldon.

A number of companies now run Outlander tours around Scotland, visiting used locations During the long-running series.

Dr Laca said: “It’s a diversionary effect – people plan trips, and work at filming locations as part of a wider tour.”

Mr Tillen agrees, saying: “Outlander has an amazing global reach and there is no doubt that it has had an impact on tourism in the locations where the production has been shot.”

Screen Scotland believes the local film industry benefits from touring major productions.

Ms Conway said it helped trainees and Scottish staff gain “vital experience” and secure “sustainable careers” in the long term.

Mr Tallon agrees, saying that more experienced crew members can move on to bigger productions, which in turn “gives a chance for new blood to come in” on smaller shoots.

Glasgow was recently taken for The Running Man, based on the book by Stephen King, and already once in a 1980s action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

This time Glenn Powell is the man forced to fight for survival in a ruthless game show, in which Glasgow portrays a dystopian, futuristic city. Has decayed.

Edinburgh and Aberdeenshire will step into streaming giant Netflix’s Guillermo del Toro-directed remake of gothic horror Frankenstein for 18th-century Germany.

The Hellboy director had an interesting experience while in Scotland – posting on social media that he He thought his hotel might be haunted..

New Sky Drama Lockerbie: The Search for Truth will be shown in January, shot in Lithgow.