The filming of a major Hollywood movie starring Owen Wilson has angered residents of Gold Coast after roads were closed and businesses were severely disrupted.

The 56-year-old star of Wedding Crashers is currently filming his latest action thriller, Runner.

The Gold Coast Bulletin reported that residents of the suburb of Labrador were afraid their cars would be towed away after the production closed Marine Parade and when they woke up they found tow trucks “loaded with cars” on the suburban street.

One resident, Emily Pickering, shared a photo on a local community Facebook group showing two tow trucks on the street, one loaded with a car.

“If your car is still parked on Marine Parade, it looks like it will be towed tonight, so you might want to try to move your car quickly!” she wrote.

However, the publication reported that on the morning of May 20, “dozens” of cars were still parked on the road.

A spokesperson for the Gold Coast City Council said that the production company had informed local residents about the road closure and warned them not to park on a 600-meter stretch of Marine Parade from 3 p.m. on Monday (May 19) afternoon.

The public notice clearly stated where and when parking would be prohibited due to filming, the spokesperson said.

“Vehicles parked illegally in no parking or no stopping zones may be towed at any time,” he added.

In addition, local councillor Joe Wilkinson shared a reminder with a map of the affected area on his Facebook page.

Traffic control officers reported that two cars had been moved to a side street, while a member of the film crew said that the only cars towed away were stunt cars and props.

The spokesperson added that police had advised six affected residents to move their cars and that one car had been towed to a safe location.

“The production will cover the towing costs,” he added.

This comes after the production closed a major road in another Gold Coast suburb, Robina, on May 19, angering local business owners.

Local business owner Helene Jakovide told the Gold Coast Bulletin she was frustrated by the closure of the section of Robina Parkway, claiming she was only notified the day before.

“We were only told on Friday (May 16). During that time, we had to contact all our customers, we had meetings canceled. It definitely affected us and other businesses here,” she said.

Other business owners and employees also reported disruption to trade as a result of the closure.

Local councillor Dan Doran said he opposed the road closure because of the potential impact on local businesses.

“In my view, this will cause too much disruption to local residents, travelers, and businesses, and the notice period is too short,” he said.

Owen Wilson is currently in Australia filming the action thriller “The Runner” on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

He will star alongside Alan Ritchson, the star of “The Richer,” and will play the role of Ben, a medical courier tasked with transporting an organ for a life-saving transplant.

Alan will play Ben's laid-back bodyguard, but the mission turns deadly when the leader of a criminal gang starts wanting the organ for himself.

The action drama will be directed by Scott Waugh, who directed the 2014 film Need for Speed and, more recently, The Expendables 4 in 2023. | BGNES