Record inward investment production in the UK

The British Film Institute today revealed figures showing a record-breaking year for international film and TV production in the UK with a total spend from major international projects reaching almost £2.4bn.

Feature film inward investment totalled nearly £1.7bn – the highest figure since records began and an increase of 23% on the previous year.

Feature projects included Aladdin, Jurassic World: The Fallen Kingdom and Outlaw King.

Inward investment high-end TV projects, including Game of Thrones, Krypton and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, contributed £684m - an increase of nearly 28% on 2016 figures.

Adrian Wootton, chief executive of the British Film Commission and Film London, said: “Film and high-end TV are big business and today’s figures show the UK continuing to meet the growing demand for content and world-class skills, talent and technical expertise.

“Whether producing lavish period dramas or fantasy epics, every corner of the UK is delivering at the highest level and our success ultimately translates to economic growth, job creation and training opportunities.

“This said, however, global competition remains fierce and the landscape continues to shift, meaning we can’t afford to rest on our laurels when it comes to supporting our industry and the highly-skilled workforce that drives it.”

In total there were 211 feature films that began principal photography in the UK in 2017. Of these, 68 were inward investment projects, contributing a massive 89% of the overall spend.

Ninety-one high-end television programmes started filming in the UK during 2017, with a total spend of £938m.
Netflix and Amazon have contributed to the purple patch as budgets for scripted content continue to swell.

There is a generous tax incentive on offer in the UK along with varied locations and world-class crew, although there have been concerns expressed recently within the industry that the high demand for studio space is not currently being met.