The BFI’s Research and Statistics Unit has published its latest figures about the spending, box office and attendance figures for the UK film industry in 2024, revealing the past year to have been “a transitional year”, to quote Adrian Wootton OBE, chief executive of the British Film Commission. Indeed, while film and high-end television production spend in the UK increased by 31% compared to 2023, production spend for UK domestic high-end television saw a decrease, reflecting that the consequences of both the pandemic and the writers’ strike are still being felt.

In detail, film and high-end television production spend in the UK was £5.6 billion in 2024, ahead of 2019 pre-COVID production spend. £2.1 billion of this sum went to 191 films, while £3.4 billion went towards 181 high-end TV productions, with £511 million from that latter sum going to 25 films made for streaming platforms.

86% of the total spend on both film and high-end TV productions in the UK came from inward investment and co-production spend, demonstrating how the UK remains a world leader for international film and TV production. More precisely, inward investment shows contributed £2.8 billion, (82% of total HETV spend), a 36% increase on 2023, while inward investment films contributed £1.85 billion (87% of total film spend), a 78% increase on 2023. Inward investment films which contributed to the £1.04 billion spend included, to cite a few, The Running Man, directed by Edgar Wright and starring Glen Powell; Bugonia, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone; and 28 Years Later, directed by Danny Boyle (see the news).

However, while UK domestic film production spend increased by 24% on 2023 (9% of total film spend, going to 95 features), domestic HETV production spend decreased by 22%, at £598 million. Co-production spend on both HETV and film also decreased, by 50% and 51% on 2023 respectively. Amongst the films that went into production in 2024, we can cite The Man in My Basement, directed by Nadia Latif and starring Willem Dafoe; Pressure, written and directed by Anthony Maras and starring Andrew Scott; Glenrothan, the directorial debut of Brian Cox, starring Alan Cumming and Shirley Henderson; Out There, the feature length directorial debut of Simon Ryninks; and Rose of Nevada, directed by Mark Jenkin.

65% of total UK production spend on film in 2024 came from productions from the five major US studios and the three major US streaming platforms, namely Netflix, Apple and Amazon, also representing a 49% increase in spend in 2024 versus 2023.

In terms of the box office, the results are rather positive. While admissions were lower in the first half of the year owing to fewer major US studio releases following the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023, they increased in the last quarter, larger thanks to Wicked, the highest grossing release of 2024 with £59.6 million and representing 6% of the total box office, and a film made in the UK. In total, 2024 saw 126.5 million admissions, a 2% increase on 2023. Nevertheless, admissions remain 28% behind 2019 pre-pandemic levels. With £12.3 million, Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Back to Black [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] ranks as the top-grossing UK independent release of 2024.

"The UK’s film and TV industries continue to be a powerhouse for creativity, investment and jobs. After a disrupted 2023, including the impact of US strikes, production spend rebounded to £5.6 billion in 2024 – up 31% on the previous year – demonstrating the UK’s strength as a world-leading destination for filmmaking. Wicked, made here in the UK, led the box office, following Barbie’s success in 2023, while independent films like Back to Black and One Life [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] helped grow market share. At the same time, we know these figures don’t tell the whole story. The 22% drop in domestic HETV spend is a reminder that many in the industry are feeling the pressure, and what happens next will be critical. Continued investment in skills and infrastructure, alongside strong government support, is essential to ensuring the UK remains a magnet for international productions while strengthening our independent sector for the future,” said Ben Roberts, BFI Chief Executive.

You can read the detailed statistics here.