Spin-off hopes in Highlands from new Disney/Pixar movie "Brave"
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THE Highlands could enjoy a healthy slice of £150 million which could be the economic spin–off from a Hollywood movie tipped to be a box office smash.
The animated Disney/Pixar film "Brave" comes out in August and tourism bosses claim its impact could be greater than "Bravehaert" and provide a multi-million boost for the industry.
A huge £7 million global marketing campaign, including television and cinema advertisements, by VisitScotland is to run in the lead up to the film’s release.
It features the voices of Billy Connolly, Kelly Macdonald and a Gaelic song by Ross-shire singer Julie Fowlis and is based in a generic Highland setting in the 10th century.
Highland councillors were told by the local authority’s tourism co-ordinator Colin Smith in Inverness this week that an estimated £150 million could be spent in the Scottish economy by visitors lured to the country on the back of the 3D animated film’s anticipated success.
It comes after scenes for the new Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" were shot in the Cairngorms last summer and generated £1.1 million for the area’s economy because more than 200 crew members spent two months in the area staying in accommodation and using local suppliers.
An aircraft hangar at Inverness Airport was also taken up by the production.
Mr Simpson said he expected the Highlands to get more than its share of the spin off from "Brave" but no estimate had been calculated for the region.
The film charts the adventures of a red-haired heroine called Princess Merida who causes chaos when she flaunts ancient traditions in the kingdom.
"It doesn’t have the same tie-ins with specific locations as say "Braveheart" had with Glen Nevis but it does have the mountains, lochs and characters who are Highland clan types and I think a lot of people will think of the Highlands when they see the film," said Mr Simpson.
A trailer of the film has already had more than 4.4 million hits on YouTube.
Veteran Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane will play the part of Lord Dingwall and town councillor Margaret Paterson was "very excited" about the benefits the Highlands could reap from the film doing well.
"We should not underestimate the tremendous amount of publicity we are going to get from this," she said.
"I have heard Robbie Coltrane will be Lord Dingwall and it will put Dingwall on the map."
Councillor Paterson added another film shot in Ross-shire two years ago, the thriller "A Lonely Place to Die", had been an excellent promotion for the area because it was shown on heavy rotation in cinemas in England.
The council’s planning, environment and development committee agreed to pay VisitScotland up to £295,000 in funding for the next year to promote the tourist industry.
