by Cory Dellenbach - Northwoods Media

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Is Johnny here? Is Depp here?

That was going around much of the Rhinelander area Wednesday afternoon - just a day after the Governor's office announced that the picture "Public Enemies" would be filmed in Wisconsin.

Pieces of that movie ’Äöˆ—ˆÆ starring Johnny Depp ’Äöˆ—ˆÆ are expected to be filmed in the Northwoods and already whispers of his visits were already spreading fast.

Rumors had Depp staying either at the Holiday Inn Express or at Holiday Acres all day.

"As far as we know he hasn't been here," said a manager at Holiday Acres. It's been quiet here all day."

It was the same for Holiday Inn Express, where an employee at the desk said Depp had not been sighted at their location.

"It's been crazy with people talking about it all day," said Beth Schoenborn of Rhinelander, who was stopping for food at McDonald's and wearing a "Pirates of the Caribbean" shirt. I've been to the store already and people are talking about it."

State officials and Universal Pictures announced Tuesday that parts of the film, to be directed by Michael Mann, will be shot in Wisconsin.

"In doing that, they confirmed one of the worst-kept secrets in Wisconsin," said Carla Vigue, of the Governor's Office. We've been hearing that their scouts are already out and looking at some locations."

Vigue didn't know if they were in the Rhinelander area or not.

Scott Robbe, executive director of Film Wisconsin, said filming is expected to begin in mid-March and that separate announcements on specific locations will be made "as those negotiations are completed."

He added, "it's common knowledge" that the production scouted locations in Madison, Columbus, Baraboo, Oshkosh, Milwaukee and several locations in Northern Wisconsin.

Film Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization working to build the movie industry in the state.

"Public Enemies" is the first major film to come to Wisconsin after tax incentives for the film industry took effect Jan. 1

It's good in that it's bringing attention to Wisconsin and it will, in the long run, create more jobs in the state," Vigue said.

Depp will be playing Johnny Dillinger in the film which most of the shooting will be done in Chicago.

The "Public Enemies" production is expected to earn about $3.9 million in tax credits and spend about $20 million - one of a budget likely at or above the $100 million mark - on vendors and services here, according to Vigue.

Other big-name actors and actresses in the film will include Marion Cotillard, the French actress who won an Oscar for best actress as singer Edit Piaf in "Vie en Rose" and actor Christian Bale is also in the film.

Cotillard will play Evelyn "Billie" Frechette, who was born on the Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin and who was 26 years old when she became Dillinger girlfriend. Frechette died in 1969 in Shawano from cancer.

Bale will play the FBI's Melvin Purvis in the film.

"It's exciting know that we have this many big-name people coming to our little state," said Tom Utke of Three Lakes, who was shopping at Wal-Mart. "Hopefully I can run into Depp and get his autograph. That would be awesome."

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