If Johnny Depp is starring in a film, it is virtually guaranteed to be a box-office success. Fortunately for the Isle of Man, the heart-throb’s influence extends beyond filling cinemas; he also holds huge sway with Hollywood’s top decision-makers, which proved crucial to the development of the Manx film industry.
In 2004, filming of The Libertine was switched at the last minute from the UK to the Isle of Man in response to the UK government closing a tax loophole. Relocation of the £12.3m ($25.3m) production opened doors in Hollywood that the Isle of Man had been knocking on largely unsuccessfully for almost a decade.
