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'Miss Potter' to begin filming in Island next year 18 November 2005 Isle Of Man Film (IOMF) announced today that terms have been agreed to film Miss Potter in the Isle Of Man next Spring. The film tells the story of the life of Beatrix Potter, the author of children’s classics such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Miss Tiggy-Winkle. Starring Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones’ Diary, Cold Mountain, Cinderella Man), the US$25m film is anticipated to be one of Britain’s biggest independent films of 2006. Announcing the news at Los Angeles’ American Film Market (AFM), IOMF’s Steve Christian said, ‘Miss Potter has been our number one target for 2006. We have tracked the film for the past 12 months, everybody at IOMF is delighted that we will once again be at the forefront of a major movie that is sure to grab studio attention here in Hollywood.’ The film follows the life and times of the writer and will mix live action with high-end animated sequences. The film is to be directed by Chris Noonan, his first feature film since he directed the Oscar-winning Babe. As is becoming the norm for bigger budget films, IOMF will acquire rights to all North American revenues arising from Miss Potter. In return for it’s now standard investment package, 50% of the film will be shot locally, commencing in mid-March 2006. Estimated local expenditure is in the region of £2.8m. Christian further explained that, ‘experience from previous titles, such as Stormbreaker and The Libertine, suggests that we will come out anywhere between £3 and £5m ahead of our original investment on this film. IOMF continues to be a major contributor to the Island’s Exchequer.’ DTI Minister Alex Downie is upbeat about the prospects for filming in the IOM in the immediate future, Mr Downie observed, ‘The six months from the end of November could potentially see our most active period since filming began back in 1995. The international industry has shown a real enthusiasm for what we can offer. Results now speak for themselves. The next couple of months see major UK releases of The Libertine, Keeping Mum and Lassie, all IOM films starring major talent. Against a backdrop of general decline in the European film industry, IOMF is bucking the trend by focusing very heavily on the North American market. The outlook for the Manx Film industry is better than ever.’ 18th November 2005 More stories >>>
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