Local business owner describes ‘Batgirl’ shoot as ‘a shambles’

DC fans have been loving the glimpses we’ve been getting at the upcoming Batgirl movie as it films in Glasgow, Scotland, but apparently the Warner Bros. production is proving to be a nuisance for the locals.

The shoot for the comic book blockbuster, which is headed for release on HBO Max, has been labelled a “shambles” by angry business owners, whose earnings have tanked due to the Hollywood project keeping away potential customers.

As per STV, Robert Chambers, who runs a local clothing and printing shop, says that having the production operating in the city hasn’t generated increased revenue as you might expect, but has instead had the opposite effect. His store, Social Recluse, was forced to close during filming due to low customer numbers brought about by road closures.

“The shop had to close for about a week. We had to close, just nothing was moving in the street, and I would probably describe the whole experience as a shambles.”

While affected local businesses have received compensation from the studio, Chambers claims that it averages at around £30 per day. He’s now calling on improvements to be made so this doesn’t happen again with future productions. STV also spoke with two other business owners who had similar experiences, but Warner Bros. did not respond when asked for a comment.

This isn’t the first time the Scottish city has been home to a major DC shoot, as the incoming The Batman and The Flash both previously set up shop in Glasgow, where it once again stood in for Gotham. The movie and TV industry’s interest in the city reportedly generated more than $42 million for Glasgow’s economy in 2021. “If it is bringing in money, it’s not doing it locally,” argued Chambers.

As directed by Bad Boys for Life‘s Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, Batgirl stars Leslie Grace in the title role as Barbara Gordon, daughter of J.K. Simmons’ returning Commissioner Jim Gordon. Brendan Fraser is on board as main villain Firefly, and Michael Keaton is reprising his Batman following as his comeback tour continues.