UK

The UK is still attracting significant numbers of studio and streamer projects in a tough period for global production. Inward investment films and high-end TV projects were worth $7.9bn (£5.8bn) to the UK economy in 2025 — with inward investment films accounting for $3.4bn (£2.5bn) of that amount, up 35% on 2024, according to the British Film Institute. “The curve is going up. We have a significant market share,” says Adrian Wootton, CEO of the British Film Commission and Film London.

Many high-profile projects continue to be made in the UK. Amazon MGM Studios’ The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power shot in 2025 at Bray Studios, Berkshire (which Amazon now owns) and at Shepperton. Series four of Net­flix’s Bridger­ton was also filming across British locations in the first half of 2025. Meanwhile, the second series of Outlander: Blood Of My Blood started shooting in Scotland last June, HBO’s Game Of Thrones spin-off A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms was in Northern Ireland and Amazon MGM Studios’ Young Sherlock shot at Great Point Studios in Wales.

The 1950s-set sequels to hit gangster series Peaky Blinders will be filmed at Digbeth Loc Studios in Birmingham. Sam Mendes’s The Beatles films have been shooting in the UK. And Bond 26, the new Amazon MGM Studios produced 007 adventure, written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and produced by Amy Pascal and David Heyman, is strongly tipped to film in the UK.

Marvel’s new Avengers films, Doomsday and Secret Wars, have been shooting back-to-back at Pinewood. Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day was also at Pinewood, as was season two of Disney/Lucasfilm’s Ahsoka.

“We have probably got more work than most countries in the world,” says Wootton of the continuing surge in filmmaking activity.

“The phone is ringing now,” agrees Andrew Reid, chief content officer at Northern Ireland Screen, about the rising number of inquiries in early 2026. “We are getting inquiries from studios and streamers in a way we haven’t had for probably a couple of years.” He suggests US studios and streamers are now doing more “mid-range projects” under $100m in Northern Ireland, partly because it is less expensive than in London and southeast England.

Some American companies have retrenched after president Donald Trump’s remarks last year about 100% tariffs on films made outside the US. In early 2026, Netflix announced it was taking seven unnamed projects, originally due to shoot in the UK, to New Jersey instead.

Wootton claims the takeover of Warner Bros — historically one of the key drivers of inward investment in the UK — by Paramount has not had a knock-on effect on US studio activity in the UK. For instance, at Leavesden Studios work on the Harry Potter TV series, produced through Warner-owned HBO, has been unaffected.

Infrastructure and crews

The UK continues to invest in skills and training. The BFI announced in 2023 it was investing $12.4m (£9.6m) of Lottery funding in skills developments. In summer 2024, it published a crew mapping and forecasting study to identify skills gaps. In late 2024, ScreenSkills published a five-year strategy to address gaps and foster sustainable growth.

“On [The Scurry], I really saw the quality of UK crew members and how efficient they are. Coming from an independent perspective, if I’m going to choose where I shoot a movie and the different types of hurdles I must jump over and how I put together the financing, the one place I want to go is the UK,” says Daemon Hillin, executive producer.

Memories remain fresh of the post-pandemic production boom when there was such intense competition for crews that salaries shot up, top technicians were hired on long-term deals by streamers, and indie producers struggled to find crews. One familiar complaint during this period was that technicians were being promoted too quickly in roles for which they had not been properly trained. The aim is to stop this happening again.

The British Film Commission currently lists more than 50 studios across the UK. These range from huge facilities such as Pinewood to much smaller sites. Most are keen to be part of an expected indie production boom following the launch of IFTC and will cut deals to lure in producers. The UK has top-level crews and some of the world’s best VFX companies. Certain positions — production accountants, being one — remain in relatively short supply, but ScreenSkills and the BFI are working to plug any skills gaps. During the post-pandemic production boom, competition for top technicians was intense and fees rocketed. It is now a more stable environment. 

First contact: Samantha Perahia, head of production UK, British Film Commission samantha.perahia@britishfilmcommission.org.uk

Infrastructure and crews

Wolf Studios Wales is the base for Bad Wolf, the production company in Cardiff set up by Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter. There's also, Bay Studios Swansea, Dragon Studios, Great Point Seren Studios, and Roath Lock Studios. Wales is also home to many production service companies with skilled crews, like those used on Gareth Evans' Havoc for Netflix. 

Travel and logistics

Most filmmaking is concentrated in south Wales. Cardiff is easily accessible by plane, train or road. It is two hours from London by rail and three hours by road. The airport has international flights to much of Europe, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich and Barcelona.

First person to contact 

Kim Warner, head of production, Wales Screen kim.warner@gov.wales

Infrastructure and crews

Scotland has a growing range of studio, build space and conversion opportunities designed to accommodate major feature film and high-end television productions of any scale and genre. 

From Leith’s FirstStage Studios (The Rig, Anansi Boys) to Cumbernauld’s Wardpark Film and Television Studios (Outlander), Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall (Screw) and The Pyramids in Bathgate (Good Omens Series 2), our facilities are conveniently located in and around key production hubs, with excellent access to established crew bases and supporting infrastructure.

Travel and logistics

Studio-based film production tends to take place between Glasgow and Edinburgh, both of which have international airports and are within easy reach of each other. Scotland also boasts spectacular locations, some relatively far-flung. For example, Kristoffer Nyholm’s thriller The Vanishing, starring Gerard Butler and Peter Mullan, was shot in Dumfries and Galloway with support from the Production Growth Fund.

First person to contact

Cheryl Conway, head of screen commission, Creative Scotland cheryl.conway@creativescotland.com

Infrastructure and crews

In addition to the eight-acre Belfast Harbour Studios, Northern Ireland has seen rapid development in its infrastructure. It is home to Titanic Studios, where (along with Belfast Harbour Studios) the live action How To Train Your Dragon for Universal was filmed and Loop Studios (formerly known as Brivtic).

Facilities in Northern Ireland have continued to improve as has the local skills base which can be easily perused via Northern Ireland Screen’s Industry Database, designed to connect indigenous and international productions with local crew, while also spotlighting production companies, screen services, and facilities in Northern Ireland. 

Travel and logistics

Northern Ireland is a compact country that is easy to get around. Belfast has seen huge growth in leisure activities, with many restaurants, nightclubs and hotels opening. Outside the city, plenty of picturesque locations are within easy reach.

First person to contact

Nicola Lyons , head of production, Northern Ireland Screen nicola@northernirelandscreen.co.uk.

The UK has experienced, top-level crew members and there are dozens of studio facilities both around London and the southeast and in Northern Ireland, Wales and the wider regions. 

The UK’s transport infrastructure is reasonably robust. There are plenty of international airports across the country and a Eurostar service linking the UK with France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Public transport access to studios in the London area has been improved by the opening of the Elizabeth Line, a train line stretching from Shenfield in the east to Reading and Heathrow airport in the west.

First person to call

Samantha Perahia, head of production UK, British Film Commission @ samantha.perahia@britishfilmcommission.org.uk