FILM fans will have to wait more than a year to see Scotland showcased on the big screen in the Brad Pitt film World War Z after its release date was postponed.

The zombie invasion movie starring the Hollywood idol was set to hit cinemas this December but has been shelved in favour of a Tom Cruise thriller.

Pitt spent more than two weeks in Scotland during August last year shooting the blockbuster in Glasgow city centre and Grangemouth, Stirlingshire.

Glasgow's George Square was transformed into Philadelphia city centre for scenes from the film, about the aftermath of a zombie invasion.

Thousands of fans flocked to the area each day eager to catch a glimpse of the star and his partner Angelina Jolie.

However, the scenes filmed in Scotland, which included thrilling car chases and crashes, will not be seen this year following the delay.

Studio bosses at Paramount have decided to release One Shot, starring Cruise, on December 21 this year instead of World War Z. They think the action film is more likely to cash in on the Christmas holiday market following the success of Cruise's movie Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol last December.

Post-production work is still ongoing on the Pitt film and it is now scheduled to open on June 21, 2013.

Paramount vice-chairman Rob Moore said it made "perfect sense" to release the Cruise film first.

However, the move has upset film buffs who have set up an online petition to get the original release date restored.

On film site screenrant one wrote: "This really sucks, I have been waiting a really long time for a large budget blockbuster zombie movie and they push it back till next summer?"

Earlier this year, council leaders revealed that World War Z boosted Glasgow's economy by £3.33 million during its 17 days on location in the city.

Last night, a spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: "The filming of World War Z brought many things to Glasgow, including a significant economic benefit and the chance to showcase the city to the world's media.

"It also brought a lot of fun to the centre of Glasgow."