Spider-Man filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton has praised Scotland as a filming destination, particularly Glasgow, because the people “know how to party”.
Cretton, 47, directed the fourth movie in the franchise, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which stars Tom Holland and Zendaya. Some action scenes, including parts from the opening sequence, were filmed in Glasgow with the city transformed to look like the streets of New York City.
Filming in Glasgow
Speaking to the Press Association at the London premiere, Cretton said: “I love Scotland. I got to go to Scotland first ages ago with a short film to the Edinburgh Film Festival and I fell in love with that place.”
Filming for the blockbuster began in August 2024 and kicked off in the streets of the Scottish city. Cretton said: “When we shot in Glasgow, that was our first day shooting and that was just such an energising way to start. We had thousands of people show up who are cheering us on and getting excited and feeling that energy which was really a wonderful way to start.”
Praise for the people
Asked about what would draw him back to Scotland he said: “The people. The people in Glasgow, in particular, were so warm and welcoming and fun and knew how to party and have a good time. It was a really wonderful experience.”
Producer Amy Pascal said “everything about Scotland is great” and that it was “wonderful to make movies in the real places”. The city has become a popular filming destination, especially for superhero movies including Matt Reeves’s The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, and its upcoming sequel, with Glasgow doubling up as Gotham City.
Cast and storyline
Cretton praised Holland and Zendaya, who recently married and also play a couple on-screen, as two of the “best actors on the planet”. He said: “Tom and Zendaya are amazing people. They are so professional and so in the moment. They are two of the best actors on the planet, it’s incredible to watch them work. They light up scenes in this movie like you’ve never seen. It was a real joy and I feel really lucky to have worked with them.”
The new film follows Peter Parker as he navigates his new life four years on from the events of the last film, 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw a spell cast to make the world forget his real identity so he can save the universe. His romance with MJ (Zendaya) and his friendship with Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) have also been erased from civilians’ minds, leaving a lonely Peter to continue his crime-fighting in secret while his friends experience life at university.
