Look: Steven Spielberg turns Jewellery Quarter into US city for film - Birmingham Live

Then and now pictures show Telephone House has become a North American High School for Ready Player One

Oscar-winning film director Steven Spielberg has masterminded an overnight transformation of Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter into a North American city.

With shooting on the sci-fi thriller Ready Player One set to be concentrated into four days from Tuesday, September 6 until Saturday, September 10, technicians have been rapidly dressing the outdoor set.

Features include traffic signs saying ‘No stopping any time / Bus Stop Only’, red ‘Do Not Enter’ warning signs, green street signs for Rich St, Ludlow St and Town St.

All of the signs have been made to look as heavily weathered as the set’s cars with Ohio number plates are rusting and battered.

One of the first buildings to be given a new look was Telephone House, opened in 1936 on Newhall Street exactly 60 years after Alexander Graham Bell was issued with a patent for his telephone design in 1876.

Now 80 years later, the building is being whisked into 2044 for Ready Player One.

The gargoyles at either side of the door have been retained, but it has been renamed as the Columbus North High School and now features a US flag and graffiti galore around both sides of the entrance.

Nearby, the 1930s’ Art Deco St John Ambulance building has been renamed as the United States Postal Service, again with a flag over the door.

Many other parts of Lionel Street, Water Street and Livery Street have also had walls and street corners decorated with temporary graffiti.

Rough land car parks in the Lionel Street area have been given over to giant white trucks carrying all of the equipment and props needed for the latest shoot by a director whose signature films include Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan.

Production teams have been working meticulously for months to plan every moment of the schedule so that Mr Spielberg can work quickly on set.

Mr Spielberg appeared wearing trainers, jeans, a ribbed coat with hood, scarf and a blue peaked cap.

Motorists beware – superstars at work

City road improvement schemes are already affecting everywhere from Paradise Circus to Spaghetti Junction.

After causing major disruption during every evening rush hour throughout August, roadworks at Spaghetti are now overrunning by two weeks when they should have ended on September 5.

Having a major Hollywood production using the roads around Livery Street, Lionel Street, Newhall Street, Ludgate Hill and Water Street could have a further impact on rush hour traffic.

What is Ready Player One about?

In 2044 many people are living in depressing stacks of home piled high on top of each other.

To escape this grim reality, they enter a virtual reality world called Oasis.

When the creator dies, the first to solve an Easter Egg puzzle will become the richest man in the world.

One of those bidding to win is Wade Watts (played by Tye Sheridan), whose Oasis avatar name is Parzival (his take on Percival, the Arthurian knight).

Stars of the film also include British actors Mark Rylance and Simon Pegg.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by Ohio-born Ernie Cline, a poetry slam champ who is listed as one of the screenwriters, too.

When will it be released?

While Deep Blue Productions has been asking people not to share pictures of filming on social media “until July 2018”, the film is still listed for UK release on Good Friday, March 30, 2018.