Date Created: 29 June 2012
A Pixar film set in the Scottish Highlands has topped the US box office chart.
'Brave', the latest animated film from Disney Pixar, rocketed to number one during its opening weekend in LA. Like most Pixar films before it, the movie is predicted to be a worldwide hit.
The film follows the heroics of a princess in medieval Scotland and features Scottish actors Billy Connolly, Robbie Coltrane, and Kelly Macdonald, amongst others.
National tourism body VisitScotland have set out a global tourism campaign around the film, including a TV and cinema advert.
The Scottish Government hope that the box office hit could boost the Scottish economy by £140 million.
Scotland: the new Hollywood?
Brave is just one of several big blockbuster movies that have been putting Scotland on the celluloid map recently.
For example, 'The Angels Share', a Ken Loach film set entirely in Scotland has just been released to critical acclaim, while Ridley Scott’s prequel to the 'Alien' trilogy, 'Prometheus', which features scenes shot in Fort William and Inverness has been a box office success.
As such, major A-list Hollywood stars have been spotted in Scotland’s streets, including Brad Pitt filming zombie apocalypse movie World War Z and Tom Hanks and Halle Berry filming scenes from mysterious drama, Cloud Atlas.
Scotland has a natural advantage over other film locations in that it has more space and wilderness than practically any other European country.
Scotland also has the longest daylight hours in the UK and boasts stunning scenery ranging from mountains and lochs to a range of contemporary and historical cityscapes.
Discover more reasons why Scotland makes such an excellent filming location
Films made or shot in Scotland recently
- The Angels Share
- Prometheus
- Under the Skin
- The Dark Knight Rises
- World War Z
- Cloud Atlas
- Snow White & the Huntsman
- Game of Thrones
- Skyfall (James Bond Film)
- Filth