A backward-looking mindset is stopping London’s film industry from thriving, writes Trevor Morriss
Although the set designs of Wonka and House of the Dragon are so fantastical you’d be forgiven for thinking they came from another world, both titles were in fact filmed right here in the UK.
Thanks to a supportive tax regime, access to talent and demand for historic, often iconic filming locations (think Bridget Jones’s Borough Market apartment, or a certain fictional platform at a major London train station), Hollywood has long enjoyed a love affair with the UK – and this is not without its rewards. Barbie, the highest-grossing film at the box office last year, added £80m to our economy, as well as over 700 jobs close to Hertfordshire’s Warner Bros studios where the majority of the candy-coloured smash hit was shot.
In recent years, the film landscape has changed dramatically. Consumers are hardly short on choice as an ever-growing roster of streaming services like Netflix, Disney and Amazon compete for watch-time with their own original content. Globalisation, too, has provided filmmakers with an international menu of potential set locations to pick from. In this competitive landscape, serialising the next stand-out hit depends on authentic, varied locations that are not only pleasing to the lens but close to the studio for post-production.
The film and TV industry undoubtedly struggled last year, faced with a perfect storm of high interest rates and Hollywood strikes, but the country’s film spend still totted up at £4.2bn in 2023. So as the industry begins to recover, how can the UK – and more specifically London – retain its competitive edge?
No city can house its growth industries without appropriate infrastructure. According to Knight Frank, even the most conservative estimates for film and TV spending will require an additional 2m square feet of UK studios by 2028. But though space has increased in recent years, attracting interest from across the globe is not a case of build it anywhere and they will come. Crucially, we are yet to close the gap between often out-of-town studios on the one hand and city centre filming locations, higher education and post-production facilities on the other, with central London still surprisingly short on space. From Pinewood to Shepperton, most of the South East’s film and TV complexes remain outside of the M25.
We all want to see London lean into what makes it special. So what hurdles are stopping the city from becoming the sector’s definitive market leader?
London’s unique heritage is both a blessing and a challenge. The capital’s Victorian street scenes, often built around an even older medieval street pattern, are part of a unique cultural legacy that directors looking for the ultimate backdrop are compelled to. But its density, combined with highly fragmented landownership, means that opportunities to bring forward new landmark destinations for one of London’s best-known USPs are exceedingly limited.
So when they do come around, we’d do well to make the best use of them that we possibly can. We cannot stand still while our global peers innovate around us. The inner city’s first TV and film campus of its kind, SPPARC’s Camden Film Quarter, designed for Yoo Capital, is a rare opportunity to meet demand for production facilities in a creative hotspot. Sound stages will cohabit with new homes and further education opportunities for both the local community and the next generation of creatives.
The mindset of preservation at the expense of pragmatism is the ceiling that we have self-imposed on our largest city. Process over progress risks disempowering our brand; it dampens the creativity that is the hallmark of London’s continued relevance as a global centre of arts and culture. It has the potential to restrict us from stepping up to the international stage as a major player. And it is a psyche that could, if it prevails, plague all aspects of good growth, from our commercial successes to housing and community.