A SoHo florist kicked some “bully” filmmakers in the bud — by covering her storefront in signs blasting the Hollywood flick and rendering the area on Thompson Street near her store unusable for a movie shoot.
“Movie shoots kill small business. Come in, we’re open!” read a neon-pink banner Julia Testa hung in protest of the disruption she says would have been caused by Sofia Coppola’s new movie, “On The Rocks,” starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones.
Because of the anti-film banners on the building, Coppola moved the film location around the block to Prince Street, leaving other business owners mad that their area lost the opportunity to be included in the movie.
“That behavior is borderline crazy,” one merchant told The Post.
The situation began last week when a Coppola scout visited businesses on the west side of Thompson Street between Prince and Spring, offering $300-$500 for stores to stay open from 3 to 8 on Monday and to hold customers for a few minutes at a time during filming.
Other businesses on the street were ready to sign when Testa balked.
“Our break even point for the day is $2,500,” Testa told a Coppola representative in an email she provided to the Post. “And that’s extremely cheap (and honest of me to even share with you). I’ve looped in my attorney here.”
Faced with Testa’s protests, Coppola moved the shoot to Prince Street, where The Post spotted Jones filming Monday evening. No businesses on Thompson were paid.
Coppola, who lives in the area, is a frequent visitor to the block, locals said.
“We were very happy she was doing shooting here,” said an area store owner. “She’s our customer too.”
Testa says neighbors who think she’s being thorny don’t understand her. “I don’t think they were experiencing the same pressure and disrespect and bullying,” she said. “I don’t have time to be going to all their community board things and bringing them cookies around the holidays. I’m working. I’m busy.”
A spokesperson for “On The Rocks” said, “We’re thankful for the vast majority of people that have been so welcoming to us and are doing everything we can to make sure the disruption is as minimal as possible.”