According to the latest figures from the BFI Research and Statistics Unit, 66 films started shooting in the UK in the first half of 2025 with a total UK production spend of £1.1bn.
There were six fewer production starts than first reported for the first half of 2024, while production spend went down by 1%.
Inward investment productions accounted for £999m – or 91% – of the total film starts, while domestic productions accounted for £62m (6% of the total) and co-production spend was £35m (3% of the total).
Films that started shooting in the UK in 2025 included: Avengers: Doomsday, directed by the Russo Brothers; Ghost Writer, directed by JJ Abrams; The Runner, directed by Kevin Macdonald; and Masters of the Universe, directed by Travis Knight.
Domestic UK films include A Hand Rises, Louise Stern’s directorial debut, and Chork, directed by Shane Meadows.
For high-end TV (HETV) productions, the BFI figures have shown improvement over the previous year. In total, 82 HETV productions began principal photography in the first half of 2025 with a total UK spend of £2.1bn, an increase from the £1.8bn first reported for productions in the first half of 2024.
In the first half of 2025, inward investment production spending was £1.8bn (83% of the total). Domestic productions accounted for £332m (16% of the total) and co-productions accounted for £27m (1% of the total).
Inward investment HETV productions starting principal photography in the first half of 2025 included: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3; Ahsoka Season 2; Rivals Season 2; and The Wanted Man. Domestic HETV productions included A Woman of Substance, The Lady, Secret Service, Waiting for the Out, and Betrayal.
The British Film Institute recently published a report setting out key recommendations for the UK screen sector to capitalise on AI opportunities. Discover more here.
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