The UK film industry is going from strength to strength — the nation acting as a hub for some of the world’s biggest blockbusters with franchises like Star Wars being filmed on its shores. And the strength of the UK’s production sector has now driven spending to new highs according to BFI’s annual statistic report.
Thanks to a combination of tax credits, studio facilities and skilled crews, spending on film arrived at a record £1.6 billion ($2 billion) in 2016. Of that £1.6 billion, £1.35 billion came from inward investment, which was an increase of 18% on the previous year.
There was also a record to be had in the world of TV production, with foreign productions spending £478 million ($603 million).
The UK’s top grossing movies of 2016 were Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (£64.3M), Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (£54.3M) and Bridget Jones’s Baby (£48.2M). All of which were produced in Britain. UK backed studio films ended up having a 27.5% share of the box office.
Total ticket sales for the UK and the Republic of Ireland were £1.33 billion.