Film and high-end television production expenditure in the U.K. reached £6.8 billion ($9.24 billion) in 2025, marking a 22% increase over 2024 figures and the third-highest annual spend on record, according to official statistics released Thursday by the British Film Institute‘s Research and Statistics Unit.
The production boom was driven by feature film activity, which hit an all-time high of $3.8 billion – up 31% year-over-year – while HETV production climbed 17% to $5.43 billion, the third-highest level since tax relief was introduced in 2013.
Inward investment films and HETV combined accounted for $7.88 billion, representing 85% of total U.K. production spend and underscoring the territory’s position as a global production hub. Despite fewer total productions compared to recent years, overall expenditure increased substantially.
On the exhibition front, the U.K. box office generated $1.35 billion in 2025, up 2% on 2024 but still 21% below 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Cinema admissions totaled 123.5 million, down 2% from the previous year and 30% behind 2019.
“A Minecraft Movie” topped the U.K. and Republic of Ireland box office with $77.3 million, followed by U.K.-shot titles “Wicked: For Good” at $63.8 million and “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” at $63 million. Other U.K.-produced films in the top 10 included “Jurassic World Rebirth” ($49 million), “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” ($35.8 million) and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” ($32.6 million).
Among U.K. independent releases, “The Roses” led with $13.9 million, followed by “We Live In Time” ($11.9 million), “The Salt Path” ($11 million), “I Swear” ($8.2 million) and “The Choral” ($5.7 million). The market share for U.K. independent films held steady at 6.8%, compared with 6.9% in 2024.
Of the total $3.76 billion spent on 193 film productions in 2025, inward investment contributed $3.41 billion across 58 features – a 35% increase despite fewer projects than 2024’s 67. Local U.K. films accounted for $262.2 million from 96 productions, while co-production spend reached $92.3 million across 39 projects.
Major inward investment shoots included Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” starring Margot Robbie, Sam Mendes’ four-film Beatles project with Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan, and “Avengers: Doomsday” from the Russo brothers with Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh and Robert Downey Jr. Other high-profile productions included “Supergirl,” “The Christophers” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.”
Local productions included Georgia Oakley’s “Sense and Sensibility” with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Shane Meadows’ “Chork,” and Marc Evans’ Welsh-language “Effi o Blaenau.”
HETV production spend reached $5.48 billion across 168 shows that began principal photography in 2025. Inward investment accounted for 81% of HETV activity with $4.43 billion, while local shows contributed $934.82 million. Co-production spend hit $114.13 million – more than quadruple 2024’s figure and the highest since HETV tax relief was introduced.
High-profile HETV shoots included “Slow Horses” seasons 7 and 8, “Vision Quest,” “Outlander: Blood of My Blood” season 2 and the first season of the “Harry Potter” series. Local productions included “Blue Lights” season 3, “A Woman of Substance” and “Silent Witness” season 29.
“From ‘Wicked’ and ‘Hamnet’ to ‘Bridgerton’ and ‘Slow Horses’ — some of this year’s most successful films and high-end television were made in the U.K.,” said Culture Minister Ian Murray. “The economic bounceback of our film sector is fantastic to see, and is a testament to the talented workforce that exists across the country.”
BFI chief executive Ben Roberts noted that while audiences showed “strong appetite for cinemagoing,” the local industry “remains under pressure.”
“Access to finance is an acute challenge,” Roberts said. “We continue to be focused on working closely with industry and government to further advocate for investment in skills, infrastructure, creativity and innovation across the U.K.”
British Film Commission chief executive Adrian Wootton highlighted the figures as evidence of “steady as she goes” growth, crediting enhanced tax credits for film and VFX while noting the industry is “cementing and embedding a longer term, sustainable production ecosystem.”
Seventeen of 2025’s top 20 films were sequels, franchise installments, remakes or video game adaptations, with only “The Housemaid,” “Sinners” and “F1 the Movie” falling outside those categories.
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