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| Author | Zoe Aresti |
Independent figures published by the British Film Institute (BFI) report that the UK’s film industry is thriving and making an increasingly significant contribution to the UK economy, with audiences enjoying British film more than ever.
2014 saw a massive surge in film production in the UK, generating a total spend of £1.471 billion in 2014, a 35% increase on last year’s £1.093 billion and the highest figure since these statistics were first recorded 20 years ago.
The top 20 films in 2014 featured a variety of big budget US studio productions, co-productions and UK films in the top four highest grossing films. 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 grossing £34.3 million, then UK independent productions Paddington, the highest grossing British independent film of 2014, followed by The Inbetweeners 2.
The end of 2014 saw a boom at the box office with December the busiest month of the year with 17.12 million admissions.
Culture Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The UK film industry is a powerhouse for growth and I’m delighted that 2014 saw an all-time high spend on film production. 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.”
Read more about the findings here.