Roads to shut as filming for Channing Tatum's 'Isle of Man' TT movie resumes

A series of road closures will come into force across the Isle of Man over the next two weeks as filming resumes for a major Hollywood production based around the world-famous TT races.

Amazon MGM Studios’ feature film Isle of Man, starring Channing Tatum and Eve Hewson, will return to the island for an extended period of filming, with sections of the TT Mountain Course temporarily closed to allow key scenes to be captured.

The film, which has Brad Pitt as producer, is being directed by Reid Carolin and produced alongside Tatum’s Free Association.

Filming first took place during this year’s TT fortnight, with cameras capturing the atmosphere of the event alongside the real races.

Tatum and Hewson were spotted filming around the Grandstand, Glencrutchery Road and the Mountain Course, while hundreds of volunteer extras took part in a large winner’s enclosure crowd scene designed to recreate the excitement surrounding the TT.

However, production crews clearly still had more footage to capture, with preparations now visible around the island ahead of the next filming period.

Hedges are being cut and advertising boards are being restored in areas used during TT fortnight to help recreate the look and feel of the event, hopefully with more favourable weather conditions for the cast and crew this time around.

Alongside the feature film, Amazon MGM Studios is also producing a companion documentary series based around the 2024 TT Races, meaning the Isle of Man and its iconic road racing event are expected to reach a global audience when both productions are released.

The next phase of filming will require a series of temporary road closures between Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 15.

There had been concerns among some islanders that the filming schedule could clash with major events, particularly the Royal Manx Agricultural Show this weekend.

However, organisers of the show have confirmed they have reached an ‘amicable agreement’ with the production company after discussions over potential disruption.

The Royal Manx Agricultural Show will take place as planned on Friday and Saturday, with organisers saying arrangements have been made to minimise the impact of the filming restrictions.

The closures begin on Friday, August 7, when the A18 Mountain Road will close between Tholt-y-Will and Johnny Watterson Lane from 5am to 2pm, and between Ramsey Hairpin and Tholt-y-Will Road from 11am to 10pm.

The following day, Saturday, August 8, will see closures on the A3 Ballacraine to Ramsey Road through Sulby and Lezayre between 4am and 3pm, while the Mountain Road will close between Ramsey Hairpin and the Bungalow from 2pm to 8pm.

On Sunday, August 9, restrictions will affect Douglas and the TT start area, including parts of Peel Road, Quarterbridge Road, the TT Access Road and Glencrutchery Road.

The most extensive closure period will follow on Monday, August 10 and Tuesday, August 11, when the Mountain Road between Ramsey Hairpin and the Bungalow will remain closed from 6am on Monday until 8pm on Tuesday.

Further filming restrictions will take place on Thursday, August 13 and Friday, August 14 on the A3 Ballacraine to Ramsey Road through Glen Helen and Cronk-y-Voddy.

The final planned filming closures will take place on Saturday, August 15 through Ballaugh and Sulby, with sections of the A3 affected between 4am and 9pm.

Contingency closures have also been scheduled for Wednesday, August 12 should filming be delayed due to weather or other circumstances.

Residents and businesses in affected areas have already received letters outlining the closures and access arrangements.

The filming schedule comes shortly before the island hosts another major period of road racing, with the 2026 Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT taking place between August 16 and August 28.