HOLLYWOOD funny man Jack Black is one of the stars coming to Oxfordshire later this month to shoot scenes for a new movie.

The School of Rock, King Kong and Nacho Libre star will be at Blenheim Palace Woodstock, which has been chosen as one of the locations for Gulliver’s Travels.

Mr Black has been cast in the title role of the film, Lemuel Gulliver, an adventurous travel writer whose journey takes an unusual twist.

Movie crews from Fox UK Productions will be at the palace from Sunday until May 17.

People living in nearby Woodstock have said they are looking forward to having the star in their midst.

Tamara Robinson, 20, of Brook Hill, said: “I absolutely love Jack Black, he’s hilarious.

“It’s great that he’s going to be here filming.

“I may have to pop over to Blenheim to see if I can spot him.”

Richard Murphy, 37, of Shipton Road, said: “It can’t be bad for the town. If people see the palace on the big screen then it might bring in more tourists.”

James Burrough, one of the directors of The Real Wood Furniture Company in Oxford Street said: “Blenheim is a huge draw to the town. What we hope is people that come to see it, stop off in the town before they leave.”

Gulliver’s Travels was written in 1726 by British writer Jonathan Swift and has become an English literature classic.

The main character gets washed ashore on a Bermuda Triangle island where the inhabitants — the Lilliputians — are just 6in tall.

Gulliver also encounters the Yahoo, a group of humans who are ruled over by horses.

Another actor that is set to star alongside Mr Black in this latest big screen adaptation is former Doctor Who sidekick Catherine Tate.

The 40-year-old actress, who shot to fame with her sketch programme The Catherine Tate Show, will play the Queen of Lilliput in what is her first Hollywood role.

Blenheim spokesman Hannah Payne said: “We are extremely excited Blenheim Palace will be used as a location for a remake of Jonathan Swift’s classic story.

“Blenheim is a popular choice for film locations because of its awe-inspiring views and landscape.

“It will be fascinating to see how the production team working on this feature will portray the Palace in this modern interpretation of the story.”

This will not be the first time Blenheim Palace has been used as a backdrop for a major film.

Earlier this year the palace could be seen in The Young Victoria, starring The Devil Wears Prada actress Emily Blunt.

Several locations at Blenheim were used to double up for shots inside Buckingham Palace and the Royal Palace in Laeken, Brussels, including the state rooms and the Long Library.

It was also used as a location for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in 2006, and The Libertine, starring Johnny Depp, in 2004