Tourism Ireland's latest promotional film about the Wild Atlantic Way features Mark Hamill aka Luke Skywalker amid the huge box office takings of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Hamill addresses viewers: "Escape the dark side along earth’s Wild Atlantic Way – the perfect place to get away from it all."
From Skellig Michael to Ireland’s most northerly tip, Malin Head, key locations were handpicked by location scouts to represent 'Ahch-to', the oceanic planet which became home to an exiled Luke Skywalker.
WATCH: New Tourism Ireland film celebrates Ireland’s #StarWars connections https://t.co/JGlmaJc5AE via @YouTube
— Tourism Ireland (@TourismIreland) December 18, 2017
Tourism Ireland intends to leverage the huge global popularity of Star Wars for Irish tourism once again.
''The fact that another Star Wars film was shot on location along the Wild Atlantic Way is truly a fantastic coup for Irish tourism," said Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland.
"The Last Jedi is bringing our magnificent scenery to the attention of millions of people around the world. It’s a fantastic way to significantly boost awareness of the Wild Atlantic Way – and Ireland in general – and presents Tourism Ireland with a superb opportunity to highlight Ireland in 2018."
Tourism Ireland’s promotional campaign will roll out in markets like Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Nordic region, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India and the GCC.
The Wild Atlantic Way made its first Star Wars appearance in the final moments of The Force Awakens, with Skellig Michael doubling as Luke Skywalker’s hide-out island.
In September 2015, actors Mark Hamill and Daisy Ridley returned to Skellig Michael, this time with director Rian Johnson to embark on a new Star Wars adventure, with the very first scenes of The Last Jedi shot on the island.
But the journey didn’t end there, in May 2016, Rian returned to Ireland with his cast for a second shoot at Malin Head on the Inishowen Peninsula. Other filming locations included Loop Head, the Dingle Peninsula, as well as Brow Head near Crookhaven.
Meanwhile, The Last Jedi, the latest installment of the Star Wars franchise, has taken $220M at the North American box office, making it the second-best opening ever behind only its predecessor, The Force Awakens. It's also just the fourth film to open above $200M in the US.
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