The UK’s film industry is thriving and making an increasingly significant contribution to the UK economy, according to independent figures released today by the BFI.
2014 saw a massive surge in film production in the UK, generating a total spend of £1.471 billion over the course of the year – up 35% on 2013 and the highest ever recorded figure.
At the UK box office, Paddington was the highest grossing independent UK film of 2014, taking £34.7 million, followed by The Inbetweeners 2 with £33.39 million.
Overall, independent UK films and British-qualifying inward investment productions had a market share of almost 26% of the UK box office, up from 22% the previous year.
2014 also marked the fourth consecutive year that the overall UK box office crossed the £1 billion mark, although total takings were down 2% year on year, while ticket sales were down 5% at 157.5 million.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies was the highest grossing film of 2014 with takings of £40.3 million, followed by The Lego Movie (£34.3 million) and then Paddington and The Inbetweeners 2.
While December boomed and recorded the busiest month of the year with the likes of The Hobbit, The Hunger Games and Interstellar, a summer of sport saw admissions fall by 20% in May and June, while January admissions were down 11% – affected by an extraordinarily high admission figure for 2013 with the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Life of Pi and Les Misérables.
“The UK film industry is a powerhouse for growth and I’m delighted that 2014 saw an all-time high spend on film production,” said Culture Secretary Sajid Javid.
“Supporting the creative industries, including our vibrant film sector, is a key part of the Government’s long term economic plan and we have worked hard to create the right environment here for the UK film industry to flourish. The huge amount of inward investment we are seeing is a sure fire sign that the UK is the best place in the world to make films.”
