A film premiere for a new movie shot in the island last year has been held at the Broadway cinema in Douglas.

’Mindhorn’ stars actor and writer Julian Barratt, probably best known as one half of comedy duo The Mighty Boosh, as well as Kenneth Brannagh, Essie Davis, Andrea Riseborough and Steve Coogan.

The Douglas premiere was attended by Barratt and co-writer of the film, Simon Farnaby, who also features in the film.

It tells the story of a has-been actor, Richard Thorncroft, whose claim to fame was starring as a TV detective called Mindhorn in the 1980s and who must work with police to catch a serial killer who believes Mindhorn is real.

Numerous films have featured Isle of Man scenery but Mindhorn’s story actually involves the island in the script.

In the script, Thorncroft’s 1980s series for which he attains fame is described as an Isle of Man detective show.

The TV detective becomes too big for his boots and ends up insulting the island and his fellow cast members during an appearance on the Wogan chat show.

He tries to make it big in Hollywood but ends up 25 years later living in a North London flat until the police offer him the chance to step back into the spotlight.

The movie used more than 100 extras while filming in the island for five weeks last summer at locations including the Laxey Wheel and the Sea Terminal.

Barratt told the BBC: ’When we were coming over and saw the island come into view from the ferry, we really felt like we were coming back to where the film was born.’

Farnaby, who has featured in Horrible Histories and Yonderland, added: ’We thought about Guernsey but that would have been too close to the idea of Bergerac so we googled the Isle of Man and it had a faded grandeur about it which is very much like Richard.

’The island gets a gentle ribbing in the film but it’s done with affection and I think it will be taken well.’

Mindhorn is directed by Sean Foley and will be showing at the Broadway cinema from Friday (May 5).