British Movie Spending Reaches New High of $3.8 Billion in 2025
In a landmark year for the UK film industry, 2025 marked the highest annual expenditure on movie production since records began, as reported by the British Film Institute (BFI).
According to the BFI’s recent statistics, feature film production accounted for £2.8 billion ($3.8 billion) in 2025, an impressive 31% increase over the previous year. This figure stands as the highest annual spend on record.
Despite this surge, only 7% of this expenditure was invested in domestic productions, such as Georgia Oakley’s Sense and Sensibility. The vast majority went to high-budget Hollywood films shot in the UK, including Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, The Beatles – A Four Film Cinematic Event, and Supergirl. Additionally, co-production spending dropped by 14%, continuing a downward trend that began in 2024.
Although domestic expenditure saw a slight uptick of 4%, its relatively small share raises concerns within the industry, particularly in light of a significant 40% indie movie tax credit introduced in 2024.
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A total of 193 films entered production in the UK in 2025, an increase of only two from the previous year. Cinema admissions witnessed a troubling decline, dropping 30% to fall below pre-COVID levels.
Movies accounted for just over 40% of the total spend on film and high-end TV in the UK last year. This combined spending reached £6.8 billion, marking the third highest figure in history. The television sector saw an increase of 17%, totaling £4 billion, with major productions like Harry Potter, Slow Horses, and Outlander: Blood of My Blood coming to fruition. Notable domestic TV projects that began filming in 2025 included Blue Lights Season 3, Channel 4’s A Woman of Substance remake, and Matt Charman’s Prisoner for Sky.
BFI Chief Executive Ben Roberts commented, “These figures demonstrate the UK’s film and TV industries continue to drive a huge amount of investment into the UK economy and create jobs. We attract some of the most ambitious projects and leading international names to make work in the UK, while our creativity remains one of our greatest exports. Productions led by UK talent in front or behind the camera, and those which showcase our renowned and technically skilled crews, consistently attract audiences at home and across the globe.”
Culture Minister Ian Murray noted the success of various productions, stating, “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 UK. The creative brilliance of our independent film sector shone with films like Pillion and The Ballad of Wallis Island, and the tax measures we have introduced will only strengthen this part of the industry further in the years to come.”
Murray’s emphasis on tax measures suggests that expectations for improvements to the high-end TV tax credit may be tempered. Industry leaders have long advocated for enhancements to this rebate, which has been in place for over a decade and offers approximately 25% on shows that exceed £1 million per hour.
