16/01/2007

Total film production spending in the UK almost doubled between 2005-2006, from £568.8m to £840.1m, making it the second best year ever according to data published yesterday by the UK Film Council.

Thanks to the end of uncertainties over UK film tax credits, Hollywood studios came back in force, increasing their investment in the UK economy by 83%, from £312m in 2005 to £569.6m. The 27 US productions or co-productions that used UK cast and crew and locations including Matthew Vaughn’s Stardust (starring Robert de Niro), David Yates’ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, David Dobkin’s Fred Claus with Kevin Spacey, and Paul Greengrass’ The Bourne Ultimatum with Matt Damon.

The UK was involved in 57 co-productions (under the bilateral co-production agreement or the European-Co-production Convention), five less than in 2005, but total UK spending jumped by 35% to £122.5m. UK co-productions included Richard Attenborough’s Closing the Ring, Gillian Armstrong’s Death Defying Acts and Julian Jarrold’s Becoming Jane [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

In contrast, 13 more local films (UK productions shot wholly or partly in the UK) were made in 2006 (50) but their total UK spending was down by 11% to £148m. Those films included Joe Wright’s Atonement, Kenneth Branagh’s The Magic Flute [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Steven Bendelack’s Mr Bean’s Holiday [+see also:
trailer
film profile].

John Woodward, chief executive officer of the UK FC, said: “We are back in business with British filmmakers winning international awards, a crop of great British films produced, British talent and facilities in demand from filmmakers around the world. And the new tax credit, which came into force this year, will ensure that the UK stays one of the best places in the world to produce a film. 2007 will see the release of a number of exciting new films including the award-winning This is England [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Notes on a Scandal, Atonement, The Other Boleyn Girl and 28 Weeks Later.”