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.
Upcoming webinar: Beating the clock on live piracy dynamics
Join IBC365 and Verimatrix at the Attack Vectors, Scale, and the Race for Real-Time Response webinar on 29 July 2026 to discover the latest techniques propelling preventive, real-time strategies against modern piracy.
24 million watch England's World Cup defeat
A peak audience of 24 million watched as Argentina knocked out England in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night (July 15) across BBC One and BBC iPlayer, giving the BBC an 85% share of all TV viewing.
Disney+ expands to 58 languages in localisation push
Disney+ expands to 58 languages in localisation push Streaming platform Disney+ is rolling out support for 17 additional languages, bringing its total to 58 audio languages.
Jeremy Clarkson and BBC’s Matt Brittin join RTS London Convention line-up
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced a raft of high-profile speakers for its biennial RTS London Convention 2026, which takes place on September 26.
12 US states to block Paramount’s Warner Bros Discovery deal
The Writers Guild of America and a coalition of US states have both filed major antitrust lawsuits to challenge Paramount Skydance’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
