“May the force be with us”: Chancellor confirms new Star Wars film to be shot in Britain with tourism and creative industries set to benefit
George Osborne has confirmed that filming of the next Star Wars movie will take place in Britain, with the creative and tourism industries benefitting the most from the move.
Osborne said in a statement: “Today's announcement that the next Star Wars film will be shot and produced in the UK is great news for fans and our creative industries, and it is clear evidence that our incentives are attracting the largest studios back to the UK.
"I am personally committed to seeing more great films and television made in Britain."
These “incentives” which have attracted the large production studios to Britain include a sizeable tax relief, providing that at least 25 per cent of the total production expenditure take place in the UK.
The Sun has already suggested that Scotland’s Isle of Skye and the Highlands could be key locations for the film, which could prove promising for its tourism industry.
Last year, VisitScotland launched its largest ever marketing campaign on the back of DisneyPixar’s animated film Brave, which was based in Scotland. At the time, the tourism board said it hoped to increase the Scottish economy by around £140m as people flocked to see where the film was inspired by.
Meanwhile other blockbusters such as Brad Pitt’s World War Z (partially shot in Glasgow) and James Bond have also boosted Scottish tourism as people visit the sets of the films.
Star Wars fans have already helped boost tourism in southern Tunisa, where five out of the six Star Wars movies were filmed. Many of the original sets have been preserved and can be visited with tour groups, and fans can even stay in Luke Skywalker's desert home since it was converted into a hotel.
Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, said: “In James Bond and Harry Potter, Scotland has welcomed two of the world’s biggest movie franchises to these shores in recent years, and we would love to see Star Wars added to that list. Our country’s spectacular scenery is making Scotland more and more popular among film-makers and, if the next instalment of the Star Wars saga were to be filmed here, the force really would be with Scottish tourism.”