British Production Sector Regains Its Swagger After Strike Hiatus: ‘Demand Is Going to Be Ramping Up’

variety.com:

Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor Despite being significantly hit by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023, U.K. film studios and production facilities are looking to pick back up where they left off after a record-breaking year for film and high-end television production spend in 2022.

When asked what the industry can expect in terms of business in the year ahead, Samantha Perahia, head of production U.K. at the British Film Commission, says she feels positive that demand “is going to be ramping up.” She continues, “We already know that some of our studio facilities in the U.K.

are getting very busy. While not every facility in the U.K. is jampacked again, there seems to be some momentum now, which is very welcome.” The production spend in the U.K.

jumped from £726 million ($376 million) in 2016 to $7.8 billion in 2022. At the same time, the U.K. considerably expanded its studio and stage provision to accommodate steadily increasing demand by major U.S.