After a triumphal 2011, British-made films fell back to Earth last year with a reduction in box office share and fewer films made
British-made films accounted for a smaller share of the UK's box office last year than in 2011. The figure fell from 36% to 32%, but this number is flattered by the success of Skyfall, an American studio production. Skyfall accounted for around 10% of the UK's record £1.1bn box office in 2012, but qualifies as British only because of non-financial factors.
The figure for independently made British films fell by a third, from 13.5% (the highest ever recorded) to 9%. Last year's best-performing independently funded UK film, The Woman in Black, was only the 16th most successful film of the year in Britain and Ireland. It took £21m. Next came The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (£20m), followed by The Iron Lady (£9m) and Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! (also £9m). In 2011, The King's Speech took £46m and The Inbetweeners Movie took £45m.
Nine of 2012's top 20 independent UK films were co-funded by the Lottery through the British Film Institute's Film Fund. They were The Woman in Black, The Iron Lady, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Seven Psychopaths, StreetDance 2, Shame, Great Expectations, The Angels' Share and Shadow Dancer.
Total investment in UK-based film production fell even more sharply than UK film's box office share, by 29% to £927m. Co-productions contributed £73m, up from £62m in 2011, and domestic UK films contributed £224m, up from £192m. However, international inward investment saw a drop in both the number of films being made and the amount spent. A total of 26 films contributed £631m, compared with 34 films in 2011, contributing £1bn.
Only 159 films are known to have gone into production in 2012, compared with 238 in 2011, although this figure may increase when more information on micro-budget titles comes in.
Nonetheless, 2012 saw the opening of the £100m Warner Bros Leavesden Studios, with investment in a London sound studio. Pinewood Studios opened its Richard Attenborough stage, and plans to double its capacity and invest directly in feature film projects.
Culture minister Ed Vaizey said: "The great facilities and skilled workforce in the UK, along with the Film Tax Relief, are continuing to attract British and international film-makers, helping ensure that this dynamic industry will continue to be an important vehicle for driving economic growth."
Amanda Nevill, CEO of the BFI, which collated the statistics, said: "The box office figures show that film is a vital part of the UK's cultural life and as an industry it is making a significant contribution to the economy and to employment. Audiences are clearly going to see British films, and the prominence of British films and talent during the awards season is another good indicator of the creative success of the UK film industry."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/feb/01/british-film-falls-in-2012
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