Statistical year book 2012

Statistical Yearbook
2012

21 Stephen Street, London W1T 1LN
bfi.org.uk

Welcome to the 2012 BFI Statistical
Yearbook. This Yearbook is a rich
source of industry data and analysis
on film in the UK. This publication
is one of the ways we deliver on
our commitment to evidence-based
policy for film. We hope you enjoy
this Yearbook and find it useful.

Contents

5 Chief Executive’s foreword 72 Chapter 8: Theatrical release history and comparative
6 2011 – the year in review performance of UK films

8 Chapter 1: The box office 73 8.1 Theatrical release of UK films

9 1.1 Admissions 73 8.2 Time to first theatrical release

11 1.2 Box office earnings 74 8.3 Release rate of UK films in the UK and
Republic of Ireland
12 1.3 Film releases and box office revenues
75 8.4 Release rate of domestic UK productions by different
15 1.4 Country of origin of film releases budget levels in the UK and Republic of Ireland
18 Chapter 2: Top films in 2011 76 8.5 Box office performance of domestic UK productions
by budget level in the UK and Republic of Ireland
19 2.1 The top 20 films
76 8.6 International release rates of UK films (19 territories)
20 2.2 The top 20 UK films
77 8.7 International release rates of domestic
21 2.3 The top 20 UK independent films UK productions at different budget levels
22 2.4 The top 3D films 77 8.8 International box office performance of domestic
UK productions by budget level
24 2.5 Best weekend performances of UK films
78 8.9 Local and overseas share of box office of UK films
26 Chapter 3: Top films of all time at the UK box office
80 8.10 Profitability
27 3.1 Top 20 films at the UK box office, 1989–2011
82 8.11 Films which were not released theatrically
28 3.2 Inflation-adjusted top 20 films at the UK box office,
1975–2011 86 Chapter 9: Distribution
29 3.3 Top 20 UK films at the UK box office, 1989–2011 87 9.1 Distributors in 2011
30 3.4 Top 20 independent UK films at the UK box office, 88 9.2 Distributors 2004–2011
1989–2011
89 9.3 Weekend box office
31 Chapter 4: Genre and classification
91 9.4 Release costs
32 4.1 Genre
94 Chapter 10: Exhibition
32 4.1.1 Genre of all film releases
95 10.1 UK cinema sites
35 4.1.2 Genre of UK and UK independent film releases
95 10.2 UK screens
38 4.2 BBFC classification
96 10.3 Screen location
38 4.2.1 Releases and box office by classification
97 10.4 Screen density and admissions per person –
42 4.2.2 Top films by classification international comparisons
46 Chapter 5: Specialised films 97 10.5 Screen density and admissions per person in the UK
47 5.1 About specialised films 100 10.6 Type of cinema screens by nation and region
47 5.2 Specialised films at the UK box office in 2011 101 10.7 Mainstream, specialised and South Asian
programming
50 5.3 Foreign language films
102 10.8 Exhibitors
52 5.4 Documentaries
103 10.9 Exhibitor revenues
54 5.5 Re-releases
104 10.10 Digital projection
56 Chapter 6: UK films internationally
104 10.10.1 Digital screens worldwide and in the UK
57 6.1 UK films worldwide
106 10.10.2 3D and alternative content programming
59 6.2 UK films in North America
108 10.11 Community cinema in the UK
60 6.3 UK films in Europe
111 Chapter 11: Film on physical video
61 6.4 UK films in Latin America
112 11.1 Film in the video retail market
62 6.5 UK films in Asia
117 11.2 Film in the video rental market
62 6.6 UK films in Australasia
119 11.3 Hardware
63 Chapter 7: UK talent and awards
64 7.1 UK story material
66 7.2 UK actors
67 7.3 UK directors
69 7.4 Awards for UK films and talent

2 – BFI Statistical Yearbook 2012

120 Chapter 12: Video on Demand 164 Chapter 18: Public investment in film in the UK
121 12.1 The television-based VoD market 165 18.1 Public funding for film in the UK by source
121 12.2 Online VoD 166 18.2 Activities supported by public spend on film
122 12.3 Viewings of on demand films 167 18.3 BFI and UK Film Council Lottery awards, 2011
124 Chapter 13: Film on UK television 168 18.4 Leading public investors in British film production,
2009–2011
125 13.1 Programming on the terrestrial channels
170 Chapter 19: Film education
126 13.2 Films on peak time terrestrial television, 2002–2011
171 19.1 Learning about and through film
127 13.3 Audiences for film on terrestrial television
171 19.2 Film education in formal education settings
127 13.4 Top films on terrestrial television
173 19.3 National and regional film education providers
129 13.5 Films on multi-channel television
175 19.4 Moving image education providers in the UK
131 13.6 The audience for film on all television channels,
2000–2011 179 Chapter 20: Film industry companies
133 13.7 The value of feature film to broadcasters 180 20.1 Number of companies in the film industry
134 Chapter 14: The UK film market as a whole 181 20.2 Size distribution of film companies
135 14.1 The UK filmed entertainment market as a whole 183 20.3 National/regional distribution of film companies
in the UK
136 14.2 The UK market in the global context
185 20.4 Leading film companies in the UK and Europe
138 14.3 The evolution of UK film revenues, 1998–2011
186 20.5 Leading film production companies in the UK
140 Chapter 15: Audiences and Europe
141 15.1 Total size of the UK film audience 189 Chapter 21: The UK film economy
142 15.2 The UK cinema audience 190 21.1 Film industry turnover, 1995–2010
142 15.3 Cinema audience by age 192 21.2 Film industry contribution to GDP, 1995–2010
143 15.4 Film preferences by age 194 21.3 Film exports, 1995–2010
145 15.5 Film preferences by gender 194 21.4 Film imports, 1995–2010
146 15.6 Film preferences by social group 195 21.5 The film trade balance, 1995–2010
147 Chapter 16: Films certified as British 1998–2011 196 21.6 Film export markets
148 16.1 Qualifying as an official British film 196 21.7 UK film exports compared with the global market
for filmed entertainment
148 16.2 Cultural Test certifications, 2010 and 2011
197 21.8 The geographical distribution of the UK’s film
149 16.3 Co-production certifications, 2010 and 2011 trade surplus
149 16.4 Finally certified British films, 1998–2011
198 Chapter 22: Employment in the film industry
151 16.5 Median budgets, 1998–2011
199 22.1 The workforce
152 16.6 Final certifications by budget band, 1998–2011
201 22.2 Feature film production workforce surveys
155 Chapter 17: Film production in 2011 204 22.3 The gender of writers and directors of UK films
156 17.1 The value of UK production in 2011 205 22.4 The workplace location
156 17.2 The volume of UK production in 2011 207 22.5 The scale of the workplace
157 17.3 Trends in UK film production, 1994–2011
210 Glossary
158 17.4 Productions by genre, 2009–2011
214 Acknowledgements
160 17.5 Budget trends
215 Sources
161 17.6 Size distribution of budgets
162 17.7 Big budget productions, 2008–2011
162 17.8 UK spend as percentage of total production budget
162 17.9 UK domestic productions by territory of shoot
163 17.10 Co-productions by territory of shoot

Contents – 3

The BFI is the lead organisation for film in the UK. Founded in 1933, it is a
registered charity governed by Royal Charter. In 2011 it was given additional
responsibilities, becoming a Government arm’s-length body and distributor
of Lottery funds for film, widening its strategic focus.
The BFI now combines a cultural, creative and industrial role. The role brings
together activities including the BFI National Archive and distribution, its
cultural programmes, publishing and festivals with Lottery investment for
film production, distribution, education, audience development and market
intelligence and research.
The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Greg Dyke.

We want to ensure that there are no barriers to
accessing our publications. If you, or someone you
know, would like a large print version of this report,
please contact:
Research and Statistics Unit
British Film Institute
21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN
Email: rsu@bfi.org.uk
T +44 (0)20 7173 3248
www.bfi.org.uk
The British Film Institute is registered in England
as a charity, number 287780.
Registered address:
21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN


1

Chief Executive’s foreword
2

The publication of this tenth annual Statistical The Government wholly endorses Chris Smith’s 3
Yearbook marks a particularly strong year for British acknowledgement in his review of film of the
film. As well as the extraordinary performance of the importance of a strong evidence base in policy
last of the Harry Potter films, 2011 was also marked making. I am personally delighted that we are also 4
by great success in the independent sector with The able to make the firm commitment in our five-year
King’s Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie contributing plan to continue to fund the essential BFI Research
to a record market share for British independent and Statistics Unit that for the past 10 years has 5
films. But if we were to try to define the year in produced this vital report and many others.
terms of performance, a good place to start would Having the up to date ‘facts and stats’ intelligently
be to look at how UK film has fared internationally aggregated at our fingertips enables decisions 6
and the strength and success of British talent to be made for the future and they are a critical
and creativity abroad. component to further grow this vibrant industry.
7
UK films earned 17% of the $33 billion worldwide Amanda Nevill
gross box office last year while, in 2010 the UK film Chief Executive
industry generated a valuable trade surplus for the
8
British economy amounting to over £1.5 billion.
Quite justly, UK talent has been feted at all the key
festivals such as Sundance, Toronto, and Cannes,
9
and recognised in the awards season, all of which
has helped promote British culture, skills and
creativity abroad.
10
Virtually all screens in the UK are expected to be
digital by the end of next year and whilst we are
yet to see the uptake of VoD grow significantly 11
as a platform for reaching audiences, it remains
a priority technology for us to prepare for.
12
The BFI’s five-year plan reflects the importance of
boosting audience choice, particularly in the areas
of digital platforms and investment in our skills
13
base and filmmaking talent. We want to make sure
that Britain remains a leading centre for creative
excellence, that worldwide appreciation and
14
demand for that talent remains high and that
we grow the success of British film at the UK
and international box office.
15

16

17

UK films’ share

17%
of the global box office 18

19

20

21

Chief Executive’s foreword – 5
22

2011 – the year in review

UK films enjoyed significant commercial and critical audiences are becoming more discerning about
success in 2011, no more so than at home, where the films they watch in 3D, choosing the format
British films took the first four places at the UK box where the effect makes a real contribution to
office. It was an exceptional year for independent their viewing experience.
UK films with The King’s Speech grossing a record
The use of 3D was particularly memorable in three
£45.7 million at the UK box office, $414 million
feature documentaries during the year including the
worldwide, four Academy Awards® and seven
UK independent film TT3D: Closer to the Edge, which
BAFTA film awards. The second highest grossing
grossed over £1.2 million at the UK box office, and
independent film of all time, The Inbetweeners Movie,
the foreign language documentaries Pina and Cave
earned £45 million in the UK and together with
of Forgotten Dreams. Overall, 2011 was a record year
a range of films such as Horrid Henry: The Movie,
for UK documentaries with Senna breaking the box
Jane Eyre, My Week with Marilyn and Tinker, Tailor,
office record set by Touching the Void in 2003 with
Soldier, Spy appealed to a wide range of audiences
takings of £3.2 milllion.
and helped push independent UK films market
share to its highest level since RSU records began. The UK remains the third largest consumer market
for film (by value) in the world, worth £4 billion or
The highest grossing film of the year was the final
7% of global revenues. Within that market, cinema-
instalment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and
going remains robust but the decline in revenues
the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which earned £73 million
from physical video sales represents a major
in the UK and over $1.3 billion worldwide. As the
challenge for the industry.
most successful film series of all time, Harry Potter
has dominated the global film industry for a decade. Television is still the dominant platform in terms
Based on UK source material, shot in the UK with of watching films, with over three quarters (77%) of
British cast and crew and produced by a UK all viewings in 2011. Although technologies, pricing
company with finance from Warner Bros, the strategies and larger catalogues have improved
series has grossed £442 million at the UK box office access to a wider range of on demand content
($7.7 billion at the worldwide box office), sold over through a variety of platforms and services, the VoD
30 million copies on all video formats in the UK market is still only a small component of the film
and has been watched over 212 million times value chain and lack of detailed data on numbers
on UK television. of viewings makes it difficult to assess the impact.
The investment in the Harry Potter films has The significance of the film industry to the UK
had positive effects beyond the franchise itself. economy was highlighted in the recent international
Warner Bros has secured the future of Leavesden trade figures published by the Office for National
as a permanent studio facility and boosted the UK’s Statistics. The UK film industry exported £2.1 billion
tourism offer with a Harry Potter experience, while worth of services in 2010, made up of £1.57 billion
the impact of the series on the UK film industry’s in royalties and £541 million in film production
skills base and infrastructure has been significant. services, resulting in a healthy trade surplus of over
In particular it was a major factor in the development £1.5 billion. Total UK production activity in 2011 was
of the UK’s visual effects sector into a world-class a record £1.27 billion, with the UK spend associated
hub while the films themselves continue to act with inward investment features exceeding
as the sector’s best advert. £1.1 billion, also the highest yet recorded.
The final Harry Potter film was one of 47 3D films
released in 2011, up from 28 in 2010, but 3D takings
were down from 24% to 20% of UK and Republic of
Ireland box office revenues. Evidence suggests that
UK films’ share

36%
of the UK box office

UK box office

£1bn

1

2

While a small number of large budget films are office for 2011 exceeded £1 billion). The top UK film 3
responsible for the majority of UK production value, as reported in that first Statistical Yearbook was Harry
most domestic films produced in the UK are low Potter and the Chamber of Secrets while Gosford Park and
and micro-budget features. Of the 200 UK domestic Bend it Like Beckham lifted UK independent share to 4
features made in 2011, 62% were produced with 6.5% (half the total recorded last year). As in 2011, the
budgets of less than £500,000. Our research shows UK’s favourite genre was comedy (27% of box office
that in recent years less than 14% of UK films at this from 23% releases) but UK audiences were less likely 5
budget level secured a theatrical release within two to visit cinemas on a weekday – 68% of the gross box
years of principal photography but of the remainder, office in 2002 was generated on a weekend compared
58% do get shown on other platforms. with 58% in 2011. The share of films from Europe, India 6
and the rest of the world amounted to just 2% of the
Opening our eyes, the 2011 BFI study on the cultural
gross box office (3.7% in 2011) and foreign language
contribution of film in the UK, demonstrated the
films made up 36% of releases but only 2% of the 7
potency of film culture in the UK and the power
box office (in 2011, there were fewer foreign language
of film to act as a window on the world. The survey
films as a share of releases and the box office
showed that film occupies a high position in
share remained the same). While some things 8
people’s leisure time and interests (84% of people
have changed little in 10 years, the infrastructure
said they were interested in film). Furthermore,
and delivery platforms have altered radically.
74% said that films can be a good way of making
9
people think about difficult or sensitive issues and In 2002, there were 3,258 cinema screens in the
two thirds of people had seen films they found UK but only four of those screens were digital (out
educational or which gave them insight into other of 113 in the world). In home entertainment, DVD
10
cultures. When asked about significant films, many players were in a quarter of UK households and
mainstream popular films were identified as having a significant number of VHS tapes were still being
had profound effects on people. The survey also sold. On demand services were limited to near
11
illustrated the importance of film as a versatile Video on Demand pay-per-view offers on satellite
medium for exploring a range of subjects in formal and cable. Multi-channel television accounted for
and informal education settings, and once again 22% of the UK television audience and 59% of the
12
this Yearbook provides a comprehensive overview population owned a mobile phone.
of film education statistics.
So what of the future? With broadband speeds
This is the tenth edition of the Statistical Yearbook, increasing, smartphone and tablet ownership 13
and the RSU has now built up a decade’s worth of on the rise and internet-enabled television sets
trend analysis for most areas of the industry. In that becoming more commonplace the period of digital
time, there have been major shifts in the production transition is by no means complete. The ways in 14
and consumption of feature films in the UK, with which we choose and watch films has undergone
each sector of the industry having to respond to the an enormous change in the last decade and the
transition from analogue to digital. The scale of the next one is likely to be no different. 15
transformation within the industry becomes clear
For the BFI, the challenge will be to accurately
when we compare a few key metrics from 2002
measure those shifts and to ensure the vast amounts
with the 2011 data. 16
of data generated in the new digital world are
In 2002, 369 films were released in UK cinemas, accessible and analysed in a robust and effective
compared to 558 in 2011 (a 51% increase). Admissions way and made available for the benefit of all
in 2002 were at a 30-year high of 176 million generating film stakeholders. 17

a box office gross of £755 million (while admissions
We hope you find this Yearbook a useful source
remained on a plateau for a decade the total gross box
of information and we welcome your feedback 18
(rsu@bfi.org.uk).
Sean Perkins
2010 UK film trade surplus Head of Research and Statistics Unit 19

£1.5bn
Nick Maine
Research Manager 20

21

2011 – the year in review – 7
22

Chapter 1:

The box office

UK box office receipts achieved
record levels in 2011. For the first
time revenues exceeded £1 billion
in a calendar year, helped by strong
performances from UK independent
films, whose share of the box
office was the highest since
records began.

Facts in focus:
UK cinema admissions reached 171.6 million,
up 1.4% on 2010.

Box office receipts were £1,040 million, up 5% on 2010.

558 films were released for a week or more in the UK
and Republic of Ireland.

UK films, including co-productions, accounted for 23%
of releases and 36% of the market by value.

The top 100 films earned 91% of the gross box office.

47 3D films were released in 2011, up from 28 in 2010,
but their 3D takings accounted for 20% of UK and Republic
of Ireland box office revenues, down from 24% in 2010.

– BFI Statistical

1

2

1.1 Admissions compared to the same months in 2010, partly 3
due to the lack of a breakout hit such as 2010’s
Over 171 million cinema tickets were sold in the Alice in Wonderland and unseasonably warm
UK in 2011, which was a 1.4% increase on the 2010 weather in April 2011. 4
admissions figure. The 2011 figure was the third
highest total of the last decade and maintains the In May, the release of Pirates of the Caribbean:
plateau in admissions which has been apparent On Stranger Tides and The Hangover Part II contributed
5
since 2002 (Figure 1.1). It was a mixed picture across to a 4% increase in ticket sales compared with 2010,
other major international territories – admissions but the month with the biggest year-on-year
were also up in France (4.5%), Germany (2.4%) increase in admissions was June. A strong slate of
6
and Russia (3.9%) but decreased in the USA (–4.4%), releases, including Bridesmaids and X-Men: First Class,
Italy (–7.9%) and Spain (–2.2%). meant that admissions increased by 45% on 2010,
when cinema-going had been adversely affected
7
by the FIFA World Cup. Even though the highest
Figure 1.1 Annual UK admissions, 2001–2011 grossing film of the year, Harry Potter and the Deathly
Million
200
Hallows: Part 2, was released in the middle of July,
8
180 admissions in this month were 12% down on 2010,
160 but it did contribute to an increase in ticket sales in
140 August compared with the previous year. August
9
120 also saw the release of the second big independent
100 hit of the year, The Inbetweeners Movie, which
80 together with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy went on
10
60 to boost admissions in September, which were
40 up 14% compared with 2010.
20
0 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 The end of the year saw the release of a number 11
Source: CAA, Rentrak. of family films, such as Alvin and the Chipmunks:
Chipwrecked, Arthur Christmas, Happy Feet 2 and
Puss in Boots, as well as the fourth Twilight film, 12
Total
admissions
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, and the
Year (million) year finished with a 12% improvement in
2001 155.9 admissions compared with the snow-blighted 13

2002 175.9 December 2010.
2003 167.3
Table 1.1 Monthly UK cinema admissions, 2010–2011 14
2004 171.3
2005 164.7 2010 2011 % +/–
Month (million) (million) on 2010
2006 156.6 15
January 14.6 15.2 +4.3
2007 162.4
February 14.9 17.2 +15.8
2008 164.2
March 14.5 11.1 –23.6 16
2009 173.5
April 14.7 11.2 –23.8
2010 169.2
May 12.8 13.3 +4.0
2011 171.6 17
June 8.7 12.7 +45.5
Source: CAA, Rentrak.
July 20.3 17.8 –12.2
The success of The King’s Speech and other awards August 20.2 21.4 +5.9 18
season contenders such as Black Swan contributed September 10.1 11.5 +14.0
to an increase in admissions in January 2011
October 12.9 13.6 +5.2
compared with the same month in 2010 (Table 1.1).
The sustained appeal of the royal biopic, however, November 13.5 12.9 –3.8 19

had the greatest impact the following month: it was December 12.2 13.6 +12.0
February’s top performing title and helped to boost Total 169.2 171.6 +1.4
20
the month’s admissions by 16% compared with 2010. Source: CAA, Rentrak.
The sharpest drops in attendances were recorded
Note: Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.
in March and April when admissions fell by 24%
21

Image: The Inbetweeners Movie courtesy of Entertainment Film Distributors Chapter 1: The box office – 9
22

Average weekly admissions ranged from 2.5 million Table 1.3 Cinema admissions by region, 2011
in March to 4.8 million in August (Table 1.2). Because Admissions
of the low cinema attendances in June 2010 due to Region (million) %
the FIFA World Cup, the largest increase in weekly London 42.6 24.9
admissions occurred in June, while March and Midlands 23.9 13.9
April saw the largest year-on-year decreases,
Lancashire 17.5 10.2
down from 2010’s 3.3 and 3.4 million to 2.5
and 2.6 million respectively. Southern 16.0 9.3
Yorkshire 14.2 8.3
Table 1.2 Average weekly admissions, 2010–2011 Wales and West 12.1 7.1
2010 2011
Central Scotland 12.0 7.0
weekly weekly East of England 11.5 6.7
average average
Month (million) (million) North East 6.6 3.8
January 3.3 3.4 Northern Ireland 5.9 3.4
February 3.7 4.3 South West 4.2 2.4
March 3.3 2.5 Northern Scotland 3.7 2.2
April 3.4 2.6 Border 1.4 0.8
May 2.9 3.0 Total 171.6 100.0
June 2.0 3.0 Source: CAA, Rentrak.
July 4.6 4.0 Figure 1.2 puts UK admissions in a longer term
August 4.6 4.8 perspective. Along with the USA and other western
September 2.4 2.7 European countries, cinema-going in the UK
October 2.9 3.1 declined sharply in the post-war era as incomes
rose and new leisure activities became available. The
November 3.1 3.0
largest competition, of course, came from the growth
December 2.8 3.1 of television which allowed audiences to satisfy their
Source: CAA, Rentrak. appetite for screen entertainment in the comfort
Table 1.3 shows how the 2011 admissions breakdown of their own homes. As cinema admissions fell so
by ISBA TV region, with London accounting for did the supply of screens which led to further falling
a quarter of UK admissions (25%). The pattern demand and more cinema closures. By the 1980s the
of national and regional admissions has remained number and quality of the remaining cinemas were
largely unchanged over the last decade. at an all time low. The introduction of the VCR in
the same decade had a further negative impact on
admissions and the nadir was reached in 1984 with
cinema-going levels down to an average of one visit
per person per year. However, the introduction
of multiplex cinemas to the UK from 1985 onwards
reversed the trend and ushered in a new period
of growth which saw admissions returning to levels
last seen in the early 1970s. Admissions in 2011
were the third highest in the past 40 years.


1

2

Figure 1.2 Annual UK admissions, 1935–2011 3
Admissions (million)
1,800.0

1,600.0 4

1,400.0

1,200.0
5
1,000.0

800.0
6
600.0

400.0

200.0 7

0.0 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Admissions 912.3 1,027.0 1,585.0 1,395.8 1,181.8 500.8 326.6 193.0 116.3 101.0 72.0 97.4 114.6 142.5 164.7 169.2
8
Source: BFI, CAA, Rentrak.
Admissions Admissions Admissions Admissions Admissions Admissions Admissions
Year (million) Year (million) Year (million) Year (million) Year (million) Year (million) Year (million)
1935 912.3 1946 1,635.0 1957 915.2 1968 237.3 1979 111.9 1990 97.4 2001 155.9 9
1936 917.0 1947 1,462.0 1958 754.7 1969 214.9 1980 101.0 1991 100.3 2002 175.9
1937 946.0 1948 1,514.0 1959 581.0 1970 193.0 1981 86.0 1992 103.6 2003 167.3
1938 987.0 1949 1,430.0 1960 500.8 1971 176.0 1982 64.0 1993 114.4 2004 171.3 10
1939 990.0 1950 1,395.8 1961 449.1 1972 156.6 1983 65.7 1994 123.5 2005 164.7
1940 1,027.0 1951 1,365.0 1962 395.0 1973 134.2 1984 54.0 1995 114.6 2006 156.6
1941 1,309.0 1952 1,312.1 1963 357.2 1974 138.5 1985 72.0 1996 123.5 2007 162.4
11
1942 1,494.0 1953 1,284.5 1964 342.8 1975 116.3 1986 75.5 1997 138.9 2008 164.2
1943 1,541.0 1954 1,275.8 1965 326.6 1976 103.9 1987 78.5 1998 135.2 2009 173.5
1944 1,575.0 1955 1,181.8 1966 288.8 1977 103.5 1988 84.0 1999 139.1 2010 169.2
1945 1,585.0 1956 1,100.8 1967 264.8 1978 126.1 1989 94.5 2000 142.5 2011 171.6 12

1.2 Box office earnings 13

According to CAA/Rentrak, the total UK box office for 2011 was £1,040 million, up 5% on 2010. This figure
covers all box office earnings during the calendar year 2011 for films exhibited in the UK whose box office 14
takings were tracked by Rentrak. The trends in box office takings from 2001 are shown in Table 1.4 and
indicate growth of 61% in the period.
15
Table 1.4 UK box office trends, 2001–2011
Box office gross Cumulative
Year (£ million) %+/– % 16

2001 645 – –
2002 755 17.0 17.0
17
2003 742 –1.7 15.0
2004 770 3.8 19.4
2005 770 0.0 19.4 18
2006 762 –1.0 18.1
2007 821 7.7 27.3
19
2008 850 3.5 31.8
2009 944 11.1 46.4
2010 988 4.7 53.2 20
2011 1,040 5.3 61.2
Source: CAA, Rentrak.
21

Chapter 1: The box office – 11
22

1.3 Film releases and box office revenues
In the UK and Republic of Ireland in 2011, 558 films were released for a week or more, one more than in
2010. They generated £1,135 million in box office revenues, an increase of 11% on 2010. This figure differs
from the £1,040 million in paragraph 1.2 because it includes revenues generated in 2012 by films released
in 2011 and covers the Republic of Ireland as well as the UK, which distributors usually treat as a single
distribution territory. The subsequent analysis in this chapter includes all titles released in 2011 and
includes revenue generated in 2012 up to 12 February 2012.
As can be seen in Table 1.5, the top 100 films took 91% of the box office, a slight increase on 2010’s figure.
The remaining 458 films (82% of all releases) accounted for just 9% of gross revenues. A total of 47 films
were released in the 3D format, up from 28 releases in 2010. However, although there were more 3D releases,
3D takings in 2011 (£230.9 million) accounted for 20% of the total box office, down from 24% in 2010.

Table 1.5 Summary of results at the UK and Republic of Ireland box office, 2007–2011
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Releases 516 527 503 557 558
Combined gross (£ million) 933.8 934.5 1,126.7 1,023.6 1,134.5
Top 20 films (% of box office) 51.2 49.6 48.6 48.2 47.5
Source: Rentrak, BFI RSU analysis.
Note: Table 1.5 and all subsequent analysis of the theatrical market includes all titles released in 2011. The combined gross reflects the territorial gross
(ie including the Republic of Ireland), and includes those titles released in 2011 but also making money into 2012, up to and including 12 February 2012.

Figure 1.3 shows that the box office share of the top grossing 50 films fell from 84% in 2001 to 74% in 2011.
This reflects the increasing number of releases and a range of strong performances from specialised and
domestic films as well as some fairly high earning studio-backed films which are not in the top 50.
In 2011, the 50th highest earning film at the box office was Immortals, which earned more than £6 million.
The next 15 films in the rankings (including UK films such as Hugo and Jane Eyre and studio films such as
The Adjustment Bureau, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules and Source Code) all earned more than £5 million,
and another 70 films all earned more than £1 million.


1

2

Figure 1.3 Market share of top 20, top 21–50, Figure 1.4 Gross box office of top 20, top 21–50, 3
top 51–100 and rest of films, 2001–2011 top 51–100 and rest of films, 2001–2011
% £ million
100 1,200 4
90
1,000
80
5
70 800
60

50 600 6
40
400
30
7
20
200
10

0 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 0 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 8

% share 4 6 8 8 9 12 9 10 9 10 9 Gross box 33 47 63 62 72 98 86 91 101 106 106
of rest office of rest
9
% share of 11 12 14 17 16 18 15 18 18 18 17 Gross box office 84 101 118 141 135 150 142 168 206 182 193
top 51–100 of top 51–100

top 21–50 of top 21–50 10

top 20 of top 20
11
Source: Rentrak, BFI RSU analysis. Source: Rentrak, BFI RSU analysis.
Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

Figure 1.4 depicts the increase in box office revenue The number of films released in the UK in 2011 by 12
over the last 11 years. The top 20 film releases of the number of sites at the widest point of release
2011 earned £539 million, up 20% since 2001, while (WPR) is outlined in Table 1.6. A total of 187 films
those ranked 21–50 earned £297 million in 2011, were released at 100 sites or more (34%), while 13
up 64% since 2001, and those ranked 51–100 earned 193 films were released on fewer than 10 sites
£193 million, up 129% since 2001. The 2009 figure (35% of all films released). Just under two thirds
includes all revenues for Avatar, which was released of all films released in the UK went out on 14
in December 2009 but made 71% of its total gross 99 prints or fewer.
earnings in 2010.
15
Table 1.6 Number of releases and median box office gross by number of sites at widest point of release, 2011
Number of sites at WPR Number % of releases Median box office (£)
16
>=500 19 3.4 20,475,000
400 – 499 57 10.2 6,059,000
300 – 399 44 7.9 1,937,000 17
200 – 299 26 4.7 686,000
100 – 199 41 7.3 223,000
18
10 – 99 178 31.9 99,000
<10 193 34.6 5,000
Total 558 100.0 76,000 19
Note: Median box office rounded to nearest £1,000.
20

21

22

Figure 1.5 shows the median box office by number Figure 1.5 Median box office gross by number of sites
of sites at widest point of release for all films, UK at widest point of release for all films, UK films
films and UK independent films. The median for UK and UK independent films, 2011
films is higher than for the other two categories for £ million
films which were released at 400 or more sites. The 16

UK films which achieve a wide release are mainly 14
higher budget UK films made in co-operation with
the major studios, and which tend to be successful 12
at the box office. Films in this category in 2011 10
included Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Sherlock 8
Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Also, in 2011, there were 6
some very successful independent UK films, such
as The Inbetweeners Movie, The King’s Speech and 4

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, which benefited from wide 2
releases. In the other WPR bands the median values
of box office takings were similar for all categories. 0 >=400 300–399 200–299 100–199 10–99 <10
Number of sites at WPR
All films 7.89 1.94 0.69 0.22 0.10 0.01

UK films 14.17 2.47 0.56 0.67 0.05 <0.01

UK 6.62 2.47 0.38 0.67 0.05 <0.01
independent
films

Source: BFI, RSU.


1

2

1.4 Country of origin of film releases 3

As Table 1.7 indicates, 38% of all films released in the UK in 2011 were of USA origin (excluding UK
co-productions) and these films accounted for 60% total box office earnings (down from 72% in 2010). 4
UK films, including co-productions, represented 23% of releases (up from 21% in 2010) and shared 36% of the
box office, of which UK independent films earned 13% and UK studio-backed titles 23%. The box office share
for UK independent films was the highest since comprehensive box office records began. 5

Films whose country of origin lies outside the UK and USA accounted for 39% of releases (down slightly
from 41% in 2010) but only 3.7% of earnings (down from 4.2% in 2010). European films represented 17.7%
6
of all releases and 1.7% of revenues while films from India accounted for 1% of the box office from 12.9%
of the releases. Films from the rest of the world also accounted for 1% of the box office gross, but from
8.6% of releases.
7

Table 1.7 Country of origin of films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011
No. of releases % of 2011 box office 2011 box office 8
Country of origin in 2011 all releases (£ million) share (%)

USA 212 38.0 682.3 60.1
9
UK independent films 110 19.7 150.8 13.3
UK studio-backed films* 17 3.0 259.3 22.9
All UK 127 22.8 410.1 36.2 10
Europe 99 17.7 19.5 1.7
India 72 12.9 11.1 1.0
Rest of the world 48 8.6 11.5 1.0 11

Total 558 100.0 1,134.5 100.0
12
Notes:
Box office gross = cumulative total up to 12 February 2012.
* ‘Studio-backed’ means backed by one of the major US film studios.
Sub-totals may not sum to totals due to rounding. 13

The changes in market share over time by country of origin of films are shown in Figure 1.6. The share of USA
and UK studio-backed films over the last 11 years had remained at around the 90% level up to 2010, but in 2011
this share dropped to 83%, with the share for USA only films (60%) being the lowest for the period. The main 14

reason for the low share for USA and UK studio-backed films in 2011 was the increased share for UK
independent films which, at over 13%, was at its highest level since our records began.
15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Figure 1.6 Market share by country of origin, Figure 1.7 UK films’ share of the UK theatrical
2001–2011 market, 2001–2011
% %
100 30

90
25
80

70
20
60

50 15

40
10
30
20
5
10
0 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 0 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Rest of 0.5 0.5 0.8 1.8 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.8 1.0 Market 21.2 16.1 12.5 19.5 26.2 14.4 21.8 25.4 8.5 18.6 22.9
the world share of UK
films produced
India 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.5 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.0 1.3 1.0 with US studio backing

Market 3.8 6.5 3.4 3.9 6.9 4.7 6.8 5.7 8.2 5.4 13.3
Europe 1.3 0.7 0.9 0.6 1.6 1.2 1.8 2.3 1.2 2.1 1.7 share of UK
independent films

UK 3.8 6.5 3.4 3.9 6.9 4.7 6.8 5.7 8.2 5.4 13.3
independent Source: BFI, RSU.

UK 21.2 16.1 12.5 19.5 26.2 14.4 21.8 25.4 8.5 18.6 22.9 Table 1.8 compares the number of UK and
studio-backed non-UK films released in the UK in 2011 across
USA 72.0 73.4 81.6 73.2 63.1 77.1 67.7 65.2 81.0 71.8 60.1 several gross box office bands. There were twice as
many UK films in the over £30 million gross category
Source: BFI, RSU.
compared with non-UK films thanks to the success
of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,
The fluctuating pattern of UK market share is The Inbetweeners Movie, The King’s Speech and Pirates
underlined in Figure 1.7 with the annual figure of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. There were
dependent on a small number of high grossing titles. three UK films in the second box office band
The average UK independent market share for the (Arthur Christmas, Johnny English Reborn and
11-year period was 6% with a visible upward trend Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) compared with
from the low of 3.4% in 2003. four non-UK titles, and four UK films in the third
box office band compared with 15 non-UK titles.
Overall, UK films made up 34% of films earning over
£10 million in 2011, compared with 31% in 2010.
The proportion of UK films in the lowest box office
band was 55% in 2011, compared with 65% in 2010.


1

2

Table 1.8 UK and non-UK releases by box office Table 1.9 shows the percentages of UK releases by 3
band, 2011 box office band between 2007–2011. In 2011, 74%
Non-UK
of UK films earned less than £1 million at the box
releases UK releases office. This is similar to the percentages for 2007 and 4
Box office gross
(£ million) Number % releases Number % releases 2008 but lower than in 2009 and 2010. The four UK
>=30 2 0.5 4 3.1 films earning £30 million or over in 2011 equate
to 3.1% of UK releases, the highest in the five-year 5
20 – 29.99 4 0.9 3 2.4
period. Two of these films were independent films,
10 – 19.99 15 3.5 4 3.1 and only one other UK independent film has ever
5 – 9.99 27 6.3 6 4.7 earned over £30 million (Slumdog Millionaire in 2009). 6
1 – 4.99 54 12.5 16 12.6 The percentage of UK films earning between £20 and
0.1 – 0.99 104 24.1 24 18.9 £30 million, at 2.4%, was the highest since 2007, and
<0.1 225 52.2 70 55.1 8.6% of UK films released in 2011 earned £10 million 7
or more at the box office, the highest percentage
Total 431 100.0 127 100.0 over the period shown.
Source: Rentrak, BFI RSU analysis. 8

9
Table 1.9 UK releases by box office band, 2007–2011
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
% % % % % 10
Box office gross (£ million) Number releases Number releases Number releases Number releases Number releases

>=30 1 0.9 3 2.7 2 1.8 2 1.7 4 3.1
20 – 29.99 4 3.7 0 0.0 1 0.9 1 0.8 3 2.4 11
10 – 19.99 4 3.7 2 1.8 0 0.0 6 5.0 4 3.1
5 – 9.99 6 5.5 6 5.4 6 5.3 3 2.5 6 4.7
12
1 – 4.99 12 11.0 17 15.3 14 12.3 10 8.4 16 12.6
0.1 – 0.99 28 25.7 23 20.7 21 18.4 20 16.8 24 18.9
<0.1 54 49.5 60 54.1 70 61.4 77 64.7 70 55.1 13
Total 109 100.0 111 100.0 114 100.0 119 100.0 127 100.0
14

15

16

17

18

„ 19

3 For more information about top films in 2011 see Chapter 2 (page 18)
3 For further details of film distribution in 2011 see Chapter 9 (page 86) 20
3 For information about weekend/weekday box office performance see Chapter 9, Table 9.4 (page 89)
3 For a review of the exhibition sector in 2011 see Chapter 10 (page 94)
21

22

Chapter 2:

Top films in 2011

Home-grown films topped the UK box
office in 2011. The year’s top title, Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,
became the third highest earning film
of all time in the UK, while the next
two most popular films, The King’s
Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie,
became the all time top two highest
grossing UK independent films.

Facts in focus:
The biggest film of the year was Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which earned £73 million at the
UK box office. It also topped the weekend box office
charts for four weeks in 2011.

The second and third biggest films at the UK box office
in 2011 were independent UK films. The King’s Speech
and The Inbetweeners Movie both grossed more than
£45 million.

Eight UK films featured in the top 20.

The top 20 UK films grossed £376 million, one third of the
total UK box office.

UK films spent 23 weeks at the top of the UK weekend
box offices charts.

The total box office from 3D film screenings for films
released in 2011 was £231 million. This is 20% of the
total box office (down from 24% in 2010).

– BFI Statistical 2012

1

2

2.1 The top 20 films 3

In 2011, the top film of the year at the UK box office was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
The eighth and final outing from the boy wizard franchise grossed £73 million to become the third highest 4
grossing film of all time, behind 2009’s Avatar and 2010’s Toy Story 3. In second and third places were the
two all time highest grossing UK independent films, The King’s Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie. In total,
eight UK titles featured in the top 20, six of which, including the last Harry Potter film, were UK/USA 5
collaborations, produced, at least partly, in the UK and mainly financed by inward investment from
the major US studios.
Thirteen films earned more than £20 million at the UK box office in 2011, up from nine in 2010 (Table 2.1). 6
Sequels and franchises accounted for nine of the top 20 films, the same number as in 2010. In addition
to these, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which is a re-imagining of themes from an old franchise, also appears
in the top 20. 7

Animation, the highest earning genre in the top 20 in the past few years, had the most titles in the list
with five entries but their combined box office gross of £90 million was beaten by four comedy films.
8
Bridesmaids, The Hangover Part II, The Inbetweeners Movie and Johnny English Reborn took more than
£120 million between them.
9
Table 2.1 Box office results for the top 20 films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011
Opening
Box office Number weekend 10
Country gross of opening gross
Title of origin (£ million) cinemas (£ million) Distributor

1 Harry Potter and the Deathly
11
Hallows: Part 2 UK/USA 73.09 583 23.77 Warner Bros
2 The King’s Speech UK 45.68 395 3.53 Momentum
3 The Inbetweeners Movie UK 45.03 455 13.23 Entertainment 12
4 Pirates of the Caribbean:
On Stranger Tides UK/USA 32.92 569 11.63 Walt Disney
5 The Hangover Part II USA 32.83 469 10.41 Warner Bros 13

6 The Twilight Saga:
Breaking Dawn – Part 1 USA 30.77 543 13.91 eOne Films
14
7 Transformers: Dark of the Moon USA 28.11 521 10.73 Paramount
8 Sherlock Holmes:
A Game of Shadows* UK/USA 26.23 540 3.83 Warner Bros 15
9 Bridesmaids USA 23.02 482 3.54 Universal
10 Arthur Christmas* UK/USA 20.84 460 2.11 Sony Pictures
11 Rise of the Planet of the Apes USA 20.77 488 5.84 20th Century Fox 16

12 Johnny English Reborn* UK/USA 20.63 524 4.97 Universal
13 Tangled USA 20.47 445 5.11 Walt Disney
17
14 Fast & Furious 5 USA 18.52 437 5.33 Universal
15 Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol* USA 17.99 509 8.19 Paramount
16 The Smurfs* USA 17.25 445 3.78 Sony Pictures 18

17 Kung Fu Panda 2 USA 16.87 514 6.19 Paramount
18 The Adventures of Tintin:
19
The Secret of the Unicorn* USA/NZ 16.30 512 6.76 Paramount
19 Black Swan USA 16.19 356 2.76 20th Century Fox
20 Gnomeo & Juliet UK/USA 15.82 462 2.95 eOne Films 20
Notes:
21
Films with an asterisk (*) were still on release on 12 February 2012.

Image: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 © 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights Chapter 2: Top films in 2011 – 19
© J.K.R. Harry Potter characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros Ent. All Rights Reserved 22

2.2 The top 20 UK films
The top 20 UK films, shown in Table 2.2, had a combined gross of £376 million, which was 33% of the total
UK box office. This was up from £232 million in 2010 (23% of gross box office). There were more high earning
UK films in 2011 than in 2010 with 11 films taking more than £10 million at the box office compared with
nine in 2010. Most of the top 20 UK films were UK/USA collaborations. Seven of the top 20 titles were UK
independent films, compared with nine in 2010, but they accounted for 33% of the total box office for the
top 20 UK films, compared with 18% in 2010. The top 20 UK films exemplify the diversity of genre of UK film
production from the reworked classic Jane Eyre to cold war thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, family film Horrid
Henry: The Movie to Senna, the highest ever grossing UK feature documentary.

Table 2.2 Box office results for the top 20 UK films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011
Country Box office gross
Title of origin (£ million) Distributor

1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 UK/USA 73.09 Warner Bros
2 The King’s Speech UK 45.68 Momentum
3 The Inbetweeners Movie UK 45.03 Entertainment
4 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides UK/USA 32.92 Walt Disney
5 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows* UK/USA 26.23 Warner Bros
6 Arthur Christmas* UK/USA 20.84 Sony Pictures
7 Johnny English Reborn* UK/USA 20.63 Universal
8 Gnomeo & Juliet UK/USA 15.82 eOne Films
9 X-Men: First Class UK/USA 15.03 20th Century Fox
10 Paul UK/USA 14.20 Universal
11 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy* UK/Fra 14.18 StudioCanal
12 Captain America: The First Avenger UK/USA 9.48 Paramount
13 One Day UK/USA 8.03 Universal
14 127 Hours UK/USA 7.78 Warner Bros
15 Horrid Henry: The Movie UK 6.62 Vertigo Films
16 Hugo* UK/USA 5.27 Entertainment
17 Jane Eyre UK 5.07 Universal
18 The Three Musketeers UK/Ger/Fra 3.48 eOne Films
19 Senna UK/USA 3.17 Universal
20 My Week with Marilyn* UK/USA 3.11 Entertainment
Notes:


1

2

2.3 The top 20 UK independent films 3

The top 20 UK independent films, shown in Table 2.3, had a combined gross of £144 million, which was
13% of the total UK box office. Over two thirds of this total was earned by just two releases, The King’s Speech 4
and The Inbetweeners Movie, both of which grossed over £45 million. Again, the top 20 UK independent films
encompassed many genres including drama, comedy, romance and thriller. For the first time a documentary
appeared in the list of top 20 UK independent films, the story of the Isle of Man’s legendary road race – TT3D: 5
Closer to the Edge.

Table 2.3 Box office results for the top 20 UK independent films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011 6

Title of origin (£ million) Distributor

1 The King’s Speech UK 45.68 Momentum 7

2 The Inbetweeners Movie UK 45.03 Entertainment
3 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy* UK/Fra 14.18 StudioCanal**
8
4 Horrid Henry: The Movie UK 6.62 Vertigo Films
5 Jane Eyre UK 5.07 Universal
6 The Three Musketeers UK/Ger/Fra 3.48 eOne Films 9

7 My Week with Marilyn* UK/USA# 3.11 Entertainment
8 The Eagle UK/USA# 2.88 Universal
10
9 West is West UK 2.69 Icon
10 Attack the Block UK 2.47 Optimum**
11 We Need to Talk About Kevin* UK/USA# 2.22 Paramount 11
12 Anuvahood UK 2.08 Revolver
13 Chalet Girl UK 1.83 Paramount
12
14 Submarine UK 1.46 Optimum**
15 TT3D: Closer to the Edge UK 1.26 Cinema NX
16 Brighton Rock UK 1.04 Optimum** 13
17 Neds UK/Fra/Ita 0.97 eOne Films
18 Patiala House UK/Ind 0.71 B4U Network
14
19 The Awakening* UK 0.67 StudioCanal**
20 Blitz UK 0.62 Lions Gate
Source: Rentrak, BFI RSU analysis. 15
Notes:
Films with a single asterisk (*) were still on release on 12 February 2012.
** Optimum Releasing, the UK subsidiary of StudioCanal, was rebranded as StudioCanal in September 2011. 16
# My Week with Marilyn, The Eagle and We Need to Talk About Kevin were made with independent (non-studio) US support.

17

18

19

20

21

Chapter 2: Top films in 2011 – 21
22

2.4 The top 3D films
2011 may prove to be the high point for the release of 3D films: 47 titles were released in the format
during the year compared with 28 in 2010 and 14 in 2009. The 2011 releases generated £230.9 million,
up to 12 February 2012, from their 3D screenings which represents 20% of the UK and Republic of Ireland
box office, down from 24% in 2010. (An estimated 33 3D titles will be released in 2012.)
The top 20 3D releases in 2011 are listed in Table 2.4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was the
highest earning film of the year, and it also appears at the top of the 3D list, even though only 48% of its
total gross was taken from 3D screens. (The top earning film in 2010, Toy Story 3, generated 72% of its total
gross from 3D screenings.) On average the percentage of films’ total box office taken in 3D screenings has
decreased. Excluding films which were shown only on 3D screens, the median 3D takings as a percentage
of total takings fell from 71% in 2010 to 57% in 2011.
However, this does not tell the whole story. If we compare the average takings per screen for 3D screens
with the average takings for 2D screens, it provides a measure of the relative popularity of 3D viewings
compared with 2D viewings. Looking at the ratio of 3D screen averages to 2D screen averages for a
particular film, the higher the value the more popular were its 3D viewings compared with its 2D viewings.
Ranking all 2010 and 2011 3D releases (which were shown on both 2D and 3D screens) by this ratio, the top
film (Battle of Warsaw) and five others of the top 10 films are 2011 releases (Table 2.5). This suggests that
audiences may be becoming more discerning about the films they watch in 3D, and chose 3D where the
effect makes a real contribution to the experience rather than watching 3D films for the novelty value.
Audience research supports this conclusion. A report (see link at end of chapter) on perceptions of 3D from
a study conducted by Ipsos MediaCT in 2011 states that ‘As the size of the audience who would opt for the 3D
experience remained consistent, those who do buy a 3D ticket are likely to be more familiar and savvy than they once
were, expecting a consistently better experience for the circa +£2 price premium they pay’.


1

2

Table 2.4 Top 20 3D releases in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011 3

Total gross 3D gross 3D as % of Number of
Title (£ million) (£ million) total gross 3D sites Distributor

1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: 4
Part 2 73.09 35.36 48 457 Warner Bros
2 Transformers: Dark of the Moon 28.11 18.60 66 441 Paramount
5
On Stranger Tides 32.92 18.42 56 440 Walt Disney
4 Tangled 20.47 11.36 55 387 Walt Disney 6
5 The Lion King 12.36 11.02 89 402 Walt Disney
6 The Adventures of Tintin:
The Secret of the Unicorn* 16.30 10.75 66 431 Paramount 7

7 Gnomeo & Juliet 15.82 9.71 61 379 eOne Films
8 Thor 14.04 9.53 68 434 Paramount
8
9 Arthur Christmas* 20.84 9.39 45 396 Sony Pictures
10 Kung Fu Panda 2 16.87 8.34 49 436 Paramount
11 The Smurfs* 17.25 7.93 46 346 Sony Pictures 9
12 Rio 13.56 7.89 58 403 20th Century Fox
13 Puss in Boots* 14.43 7.55 52 422 Paramount
10
14 Cars 2 15.62 5.95 38 350 Walt Disney
15 Immortals 6.24 5.32 85 376 Universal
16 Final Destination 5 5.46 5.00 92 383 Warner Bros 11
17 Captain America: The First Avenger 9.48 4.91 52 374 Paramount
18 The Green Hornet 5.64 4.87 86 362 Sony Pictures
19 Yogi Bear 8.99 4.45 49 352 Warner Bros 12

20 Hugo* 5.27 4.19 79 365 Entertainment
Source: Rentrak. 13
Notes:
The 3D grosses do not include takings from IMAX screenings, but IMAX revenues contribute to the total gross. 14

Table 2.5 shows the top 10 films ranked by the ratio of 3D average box office takings per site to 2D average
box office ratio per site. The list includes the top films by this ranking from all 3D films released in either
2010 or 2011 and which were shown on both 3D and 2D screens. Six of the films in the list are 2011 releases. 15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Table 2.5 Top 10 3D films ranked by ratio of 3D site average box office to 2D site average box office, 2010–2011
Ratio of
3D site
3D site 2D site average to
Year of 3D gross average 2D gross average 2D site
Title release (£ 000) 3D sites (£) (£ 000) 2D sites (£) average

1 Battle of Warsaw 2011 181 21 8,605 6 21 309 27.9
2 TT3D: Closer to the Edge 2011 1,187 227 5,230 71 116 616 8.5
3 Tron: Legacy 2010 7,743 400 19,357 574 232 2,474 7.8
4 Final Destination 5 2011 4,999 383 13,051 461 237 1,947 6.7
5 The Lion King 2011 11,023 402 27,419 1,342 318 4,221 6.5
6 Immortals 2011 5,325 376 14,162 919 326 2,819 5.0
7 Alice in Wonderland 2010 32,155 337 95,414 8,310 426 19,506 4.9
8 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 2011 2,027 357 5,678 291 219 1,331 4.3
9 StreetDance 3D 2010 11,034 345 31,981 639 80 7,985 4.0
10 Step Up 3 2010 6,869 366 18,769 946 198 4,777 3.9
Source: Rentrak.
Notes:
The 3D grosses do not include takings from IMAX screenings.

2.5 Best weekend performances of UK films
A total of 32 films topped the UK weekend box office charts over the course of 2011 and 10 of those were
UK titles, which spent a total of 23 weeks at number one (Table 2.6). (In 2010, eight UK films achieved the
number one slot in the weekend charts for a total of 11 weeks.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
and The Inbetweeners Movie both spent four weekends at the top of the box office charts in 2011, a number
unequalled by any other releases in the year. In addition to being the top earning film of the year at the UK
box office, the final Harry Potter outing broke the record for the highest ever three-day opening weekend
in the UK with a gross of £23.8 million.
Three independent UK films topped the weekend box office chart in 2011 for a total of 10 weeks, compared
with one week by one independent UK film (StreetDance 3D) in 2010. In addition to The Inbetweeners Movie’s
four weekends in the number one slot, The King’s Speech and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy both spent three
weekends at the top of the chart.


1

2

Table 2.6 UK films at number one in the weekend box office charts, 2011 3

Weekend Box office Number
gross gross of weeks at
Title First week at top (£ million) (£ million) Distributor number one
4
Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 2 15/07/2011 23.77 73.09 Warner Bros 4
The Inbetweeners Movie 19/08/2011 13.23 45.03 Entertainment 4 5

The King’s Speech 07/01/2011 3.53 45.68 Momentum 3
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy* 16/09/2011 2.95 14.18 StudioCanal 3
6
Gnomeo & Juliet 11/02/2011 2.95 15.82 eOne Films 2
Johnny English Reborn* 07/10/2011 4.97 20.63 Universal 2
Arthur Christmas* 02/12/2011 2.11 20.84 Sony Pictures 2 7
Paul 18/02/2011 5.52 14.2 Universal 1
Pirates of the Caribbean:
On Stranger Tides 20/05/2011 11.63 32.92 Walt Disney 1 8

Sherlock Holmes:
A Game of Shadows* 16/12/2011 3.83 26.23 Warner Bros 1
9
Notes:
Films with an asterisk (*) were still on release on 12 February 2012. 10

11

12

13

14

15

16

„
17

3 For more about the top films of all time see Chapter 3 (page 26) 18
3 For more about the top films by genre see Chapter 4 (page 31)
3 For more on UK talent and awards see Chapter 7 (page 63)
3 For further information about film distribution in 2011 see Chapter 9 (page 86) 19
3 For information about weekend/weekday box office performance see Chapter 9, Table 9.4 (page 89)
3 For an overview of the exhibition sector in 2011 see Chapter 10 (page 94)
3 For information about Ipsos-Mori audience research on 3D films see www.ipsos-mori.com/ 20
researchpublications/publications/1457/3D-Movies-at-the-Cinema.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_
campaign=MediaCTThoughtPiece3DCinema&utm_source=MediaCTeshotlistFeb2012
21

22

Chapter 3:

Top films of all time
at the UK box office

In 2011, the last outing from the
record breaking Harry Potter franchise
became one of the all time top 20 films
at the UK box office, while three
releases entered the chart of all
time top 20 independent UK films.

Facts in focus:
The top 20 highest grossing films at the UK box office
includes one film from 2011 – Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Avatar remains in the top spot in the inflation-adjusted
box office chart, with Titanic in second place.

Sequels and franchise films made up 16 of the top 20.

Twelve of the top 20 films were UK/USA collaborations.

Fourteen of the top 20 films were based on stories and
characters created by UK writers.

Two 2011 releases, The King’s Speech and The Inbetweeners
Movie, appear in first and second places in the chart
of all time top independent UK films.

– BFI Statistical 2012

1

2

3.1 Top 20 films at the UK box office, 1989–2011 3

Avatar remains the highest grossing film of all time at the UK box office, with a final gross of just over
£94 million. One film released in 2011 is in the list of top 20 all time films – the eighth and final Harry Potter 4
release, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The list, shown in Table 3.1, is dominated by franchise
movies, including seven of the eight Harry Potter titles, the Lord of the Rings trilogy and two James Bond
films. Only four of the top 20 are neither sequels nor franchise titles, namely Avatar (though sequels to this 5
film are currently in development), Mamma Mia!, Titanic and The Full Monty. Twelve of the top 20 films are
UK/USA collaborations and 14 of the top 20 are based on stories and characters created by UK writers,
which shows the appetite for home-grown subjects and settings amongst British audiences. 6

Ranking all time top films
In the absence of admissions data on individual films, top films can only be measured in terms 7
of earnings at the box office. Inflation is a key factor affecting earnings and this needs to be borne
in mind against some of the figures quoted in this chapter (however, some figures are adjusted for
inflation). Most of this chapter relates to actual box office receipts from 1989 onwards (though coverage 8
of box office figures for some high earning films goes back to 1975), so can be categorised as all time top
films since it is unlikely that anything produced before 1989 will have earned more in nominal terms.
9

Table 3.1 Top 20 films at the UK box office, 1989–2011
UK box 10
Country office total Year of
Title of origin (£ million) UK distributor release

1 Avatar USA 94.0 20th Century Fox 2009 11
2 Toy Story 3 USA 73.8 Walt Disney 2010
3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 UK/USA 73.1 Warner Bros 2011
4 Mamma Mia! UK/USA 69.2 Universal 2008 12

5 Titanic USA 69.0 20th Century Fox 1998
6 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone UK/USA 66.1 Warner Bros 2001
13
7 The Lord of the Rings:
The Fellowship of the Ring USA/NZ 63.0 Entertainment 2001
8 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King USA/NZ 61.1 Entertainment 2003 14
9 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers USA/NZ 57.6 Entertainment 2002
10 Casino Royale UK/USA/Czech 55.6 Sony Pictures 2006
15
11 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets UK/USA 54.8 Warner Bros 2002
12 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest USA 52.5 Walt Disney 2006
13 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 UK/USA 52.5 Warner Bros 2010 16
14 The Full Monty UK/USA 52.2 20th Century Fox 1997
15 Quantum of Solace UK/USA 51.2 Sony Pictures 2008
17
16 Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace USA 51.1 20th Century Fox 1999
17 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince UK/USA 50.7 Warner Bros 2009
18 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix UK/USA 49.9 Warner Bros 2007 18
19 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire UK/USA 49.2 Warner Bros 2005
20 The Dark Knight UK/USA 49.1 Warner Bros 2008
19
Note: Figures have not been inflation adjusted. Box office gross = cumulative total up to 12 February 2012.

20

21

Image: The King’s Speech courtesy of Momentum Pictures, an Alliance Films Company Chapter 3: Top films of all time at the UK box office – 27
22

3.2 Inflation-adjusted top 20 films at the UK box office, 1975–2011
Table 3.2 shows an inflation-adjusted box office chart based on films released in the UK since 1975
(when coverage of leading titles begins). Even after adjusting the figures for inflation, Avatar is the highest
grossing film of all time at the UK box office with £98 million in 2010/11 terms, with Titanic in second place
with £92 million.
The first of three Harry Potter films is at number three, with the franchise’s first outing Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone earning the equivalent of £84 million. The final Harry Potter film is also in the list in eighth
place. This is the only 2011 release to make it into the inflation-adjusted top 20, and it replaces Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire in the list. All three Lord of the Rings films make the chart with The Lord of the Rings:
The Fellowship of the Ring in fourth place (£80 million). In fifth place is Toy Story 3, the highest earning film
of 2010, with a gross of £76 million. Three classic releases from the 1970s remain in the top 20: Jaws (1975)
is at number seven with adjusted revenues of £73 million, the original Star Wars (1977) appears at number
13 with £69 million and Grease (1978) is at 16 with £63 million.

Table 3.2 Top 20 highest grossing films at the UK box office, 1975–2011 (inflation adjusted1)
UK box
office total
Country (2010/11 Year of
Title of origin £ million) UK distributor release

1 Avatar USA 98.2 20th Century Fox 2009
2 Titanic USA 92.3 20th Century Fox 1998
The Fellowship of the Ring USA/NZ 79.8 Entertainment 2001
6 Mamma Mia! UK/USA 74.3 Universal 2008
7 Jaws USA 73.2 UIP 1975
9 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King USA/NZ 72.9 Entertainment 2003
10 Jurassic Park USA 72.7 UIP 1993
11 The Full Monty UK/USA 71.4 20th Century Fox 1997
12 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers USA/NZ 70.7 Entertainment 2002
13 Star Wars USA 68.8 20th Century Fox 1977
15 Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace USA 67.0 20th Century Fox 1999
16 Grease USA 63.4 UIP 1978
18 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest USA 57.9 Walt Disney 2006
19 E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial USA 57.9 UIP 1982
1 The 2010/11 £ is calculated using the HMT UK GDP deflator (see link at end of chapter).


1

2

3.3 Top 20 UK films at the UK box office, 1989–2011 3

The list of the all time top 20 UK films is dominated by US studio-backed features but two 2011 independent
films, The King’s Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie, are 14th and 15th in the list (Table 3.3). At the top of the 4
list is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. All of the other seven Harry Potter films also feature in the
top 20, together with three titles from the James Bond franchise.
5
Table 3.3 Top 20 UK films at the UK box office, 1989–2011
UK box
Country office total Year of 6

2 Mamma Mia! UK/USA 69.2 Universal 2008 7

8
7 The Full Monty UK/USA 52.2 20th Century Fox 1997 9
8 Quantum of Solace UK/USA 51.2 Sony Pictures 2008
9 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince UK/USA 50.7 Warner Bros 2009
10
10 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix UK/USA 49.9 Warner Bros 2007
11 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire UK/USA 49.2 Warner Bros 2005
12 The Dark Knight UK/USA 49.1 Warner Bros 2008 11
13 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban UK/USA 46.1 Warner Bros 2004
15 The Inbetweeners Movie UK 45.0 Entertainment 2011 12

16 Bridget Jones’s Diary UK/USA 42.0 UIP 2001
17 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory UK/USA 37.8 Warner Bros 2005 13
18 Love Actually UK/USA 36.8 UIP 2003
19 Die Another Day UK/USA 36.1 20th Century Fox 2002
20 Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason UK/USA 36.0 UIP 2004 14

Note: Figures have not been inflation adjusted. Box office gross = cumulative total up to 12 February 2012.
15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Chapter 3: Top films of all time at the UK box office – 29
22

3.4 Top 20 independent UK films at the UK box office, 1989–2011
Table 3.4 highlights the all time top earning independent (that is, made without US major studio
involvement) UK titles. The two highest grossing independent British films are both 2011 releases.
The King’s Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie each took more than £45 million at the UK box office, easily
beating the previous record of £32 million taken by Slumdog Millionaire in 2009. Another 2011 release,
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, is at number five in the list with takings of £14.2 million (up to 12 February 2012).
The top 14 UK independent films earned more than £10 million at the UK box office, and the top four
earned over £27 million.

Table 3.4 Top 20 independent UK films at the UK box office, 1989–2011
UK box
Country office total Year of

2 The Inbetweeners Movie UK 45.0 Entertainment 2011
3 Slumdog Millionaire UK 31.7 Pathé 2009
4 Four Weddings and a Funeral UK 27.8 Carlton 1994
5 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy* UK/Fra 14.2 StudioCanal** 2011
6 Trainspotting UK 12.4 Polygram 1996
7 St Trinian’s UK 12.3 Entertainment 2007
8 Gosford Park UK/USA# 12.3 Entertainment 2002
9 StreetDance 3D UK 11.6 Vertigo Films 2010
10 Kick-Ass UK/USA# 11.6 Universal 2010
11 Bend it Like Beckham UK/Ger 11.6 Lions Gate 2002
12 Run, Fat Boy, Run UK/USA# 11.0 Entertainment 2007
13 Kevin and Perry Go Large UK 10.5 Icon 2000
14 East is East UK 10.4 Film Four 1999
15 The Queen UK/Fra/Ita 9.4 Pathé 2006
16 Valiant UK/USA# 8.5 Entertainment 2005
17 The Duchess UK/Fra/Ita 7.1 Pathé 2008
18 St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold UK 7.1 Entertainment 2009
19 Waking Ned UK/Fra/USA# 7.1 20th Century Fox 1999
20 Miss Potter UK/USA# 6.9 Momentum 2007
Notes:
Figures have not been inflation adjusted. Box office gross = cumulative total up to 12 February 2012.
Films with a single asterisk (*) were still on release on 12 February 2012.
#
Gosford Park, Kick-Ass, Run, Fat Boy, Run, Valiant, Waking Ned and Miss Potter were made with independent (non-studio) US support.
** Optimum Releasing, the UK subsidiary of StudioCanal, was rebranded as StudioCanal in September 2011.

„
3 For top films in 2011 see Chapter 2 (page 18)
3 For more on UK talent see Chapter 7 (page 63)
3 For information on the deflators used to calculate inflation adjusted box office takings
see www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/data_gdp_index.htm

30 – BFI Statistical Yearbook 2012 Image: The Lion King © Disney

Chapter 4:

Genre and classification

Comedy is consistently the UK’s
favourite genre, taking just over
one fifth of the box office in 2011.
There were more ‘15’ releases than
any other classification, but ‘12A’
films took the largest single share
of the box office.

Facts in focus:
Comedy, which is traditionally popular with a broad
spectrum of audiences, accounted for 20% of releases
and 22% of the box office in 2011.

Drama accounted for the highest proportion of releases
(22%) but shared only 5% of the box office.

Fantasy, including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Part 2, took more money per cinema on average than
other genres.

Seven of the top performing films by genre were
UK films, including the top animation, top comedy,
top documentary and top thriller.

Amongst UK independent films comedy films took most
at the box office, mainly due to the box office success
of The Inbetweeners Movie.

Chapter 4: Genre and classification – 31

4.1 Genre
For statistical purposes, the BFI Research and Statistics Unit assigned a primary genre to every film released
in the UK in 2011. This is not meant to be prescriptive but helps gauge the relative popularity of different
genres on a consistent basis from year to year. The list of genres is based on conventions commonly used
within the industry and by published sources such as the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and
the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).

4.1.1 Genre of all film releases
Table 4.1 indicates the relative popularity of different genres at the box office in the UK and Republic
of Ireland in 2011. Comedy was once again the top grossing genre (earning £254 million), followed by
action (£206 million) and animation (£171 million). The top comedy of the year was UK independent film,
The Inbetweeners Movie, which took 18% of the genre’s total box office. The highest grossing film of the year,
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, helped the fantasy genre to fourth in the box office list, despite
this genre having only five releases during the year. In fifth place is biopic, mainly due to the success of
The King’s Speech, which took 74% of the genre’s total box office. Drama films had the highest proportion
of releases (22%) but only 5% of the box office gross.

Table 4.1 Films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland by genre, 2011 (ranked by gross box office)
Gross
Number % of all box office % of total
Genre of releases releases (£ million) box office Top performing title

Comedy 113 20.3 253.6 22.4 The Inbetweeners Movie
Action 91 16.3 205.7 18.1 Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Animation 22 3.9 170.8 15.1 Arthur Christmas
Fantasy 5 0.9 83.3 7.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Biopic 10 1.8 61.6 5.4 The King’s Speech
Drama 124 22.2 58.5 5.2 Black Swan
Thriller 28 5.0 55.3 4.9 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Romance 16 2.9 51.7 4.6 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
Adventure 10 1.8 49.0 4.3 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Family 5 0.9 46.9 4.1 The Smurfs
Horror 32 5.7 37.6 3.3 Paranormal Activity 3
Sci-fi 5 0.9 35.3 3.1 Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Crime 21 3.8 12.4 1.1 Tower Heist
Documentary 68 12.2 11.1 1.0 Senna
Musical/dance 4 0.7 1.5 0.1 Footloose
War 4 0.7 0.3 0.03 Battle of Warsaw
Total 558 100.0 1,134.5 100.0
Source: Rentrak, BBFC, IMDb, BFI RSU analysis.
Figures as at 12 February 2012.

No fewer than seven of the top performing films by genre were UK films, demonstrating the variety of story
types of successful British films (Arthur Christmas, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, The Inbetweeners
Movie, The King’s Speech, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Senna and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy).
The pattern of genres ranked by the average number of sites at the widest point of release (WPR) is shown in
Table 4.2. The top genre by WPR in 2011 was family, which was not used as a principal genre in 2010. In 2011
this included Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Horrid Henry: The Movie and The Smurfs (with WPRs of 515,
432 and 493 respectively). Second in the present list is sci-fi (which was also second in 2010) for which the
average WPR is based on just five films which included Battle Los Angeles, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and
Super 8, all of which were shown at large numbers of sites (WPRs of 420, 497 and 499 respectively).


1

2

At the opposite end of the scale, documentary continued to have a relatively low average number of sites 3
at WPR, though the 2011 average of 35 is higher than 2010’s average of 10. The higher average in 2011 was
mainly due to three very popular documentaries, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Senna and Glee: The 3D Concert
Movie, which had WPRs of 388, 358 and 335 respectively. Two of these films are documentaries featuring 4
popular music concerts which tend to achieve wider releases (and higher box office grosses) than other
documentaries. However, even if the concert documentaries are excluded, the average WPR for this genre
is 23, due to a range of sporting documentaries such as the Formula 1 biopic Senna, TT3D: Closer to the Edge 5
(WPR of 125) about the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races, and From the Ashes (WPR of 102), a film about the
England cricket team’s 1981 Ashes series win.
6
The individual title with the highest WPR (584) was the fantasy genre’s Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
7
Table 4.2 Films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland by genre, 2011
(ranked by average widest point of release)
Average number Gross 8
of sites at widest Number of box office
Genre point of release releases (£ million)

Family 410 5 46.9 9
Sci-fi 340 5 35.3
Animation 340 22 170.8
Fantasy 334 5 83.3 10

Adventure 211 10 49.0
Biopic 188 10 61.6
11
Romance 173 16 51.7
Action 160 91 205.7
Thriller 150 28 55.3 12

Comedy 145 113 253.6
Horror 125 32 37.6
13
Musical/dance 112 4 1.5
Crime 86 21 12.4
Drama 50 124 58.5 14
Documentary 35 68 11.1
War 10 4 0.3
15
Total 125 558 1,134.5
Figures as at 12 February 2012. 16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Table 4.3 demonstrates what the different genres generated in box office revenues per site, which gives
a good indication of performance in the market while controlling for the size of release. Fantasy tops this
list, largely due to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and biopic is second, mainly due to the success
of The King’s Speech. Comedy, which took the largest slice of box office overall, is much lower placed when
the average box office per site is taken into account, indicating a long tail of less able performers.

Table 4.3 Films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland by genre, 2011
(ranked by average box office gross per site)
Average Gross
box office box office
Genre per site (£ million) Total sites

Fantasy 49,907 83.3 1,669
Biopic 32,770 61.6 1,881
Adventure 23,236 49.0 2,109
Family 22,868 46.9 2,050
Animation 22,840 170.8 7,478
Sci-fi 20,780 35.3 1,700
Romance 18,701 51.7 2,765
Comedy 15,467 253.6 16,395
Action 14,137 205.7 14,547
Thriller 13,161 55.3 4,203
Drama 9,494 58.5 6,158
Horror 9,416 37.6 3,995
War 8,104 0.3 39
Crime 6,864 12.4 1,802
Documentary 4,600 11.1 2,408
Musical/dance 3,338 1.5 449
Total 16,290 1,134.5 69,648
Note: Total sites = number of releases multiplied by average number of sites at widest point of release.


1

2

4.1.2 Genre of UK and UK independent film releases 3

Looking at UK films and UK independent films released in 2011, we see mainly similar rankings to those for
all films for percentages of releases by genre, but differences in share of box office by genre (Figures 4.1 and 4
4.2). Drama occupied first place for numbers of releases for UK, UK independent and all film releases, and
comedy was second for all films and joint second (with documentary) for UK films. For UK independent
films documentary was in second place with comedy third. The third placed genre for all films was action. 5
However, when looking at box office by genre, there are notable differences between the three categories.
For all three categories, comedy was the top earning genre (22% of the total box office both for all films and
for UK films and 35% of the box office share for UK independent films). For all films action had the second 6
highest box office share (18%), for UK films fantasy had the second highest box office share (18%) and for
UK independent films biopic had the second highest box office share (30%) (Tables 4.1, 4.4 and 4.5).
7
Table 4.4 UK films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland by genre, 2011 (ranked by gross box office)
% Gross %
Number of of all box office of total 8
Genre releases releases (£ million) box office Top performing title

Fantasy 1 0.8 73.1 17.8 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 9

Action 8 6.3 54.3 13.3 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
10
Adventure 5 3.9 38.2 9.3 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Animation 4 3.1 36.8 9.0 Arthur Christmas
Thriller 10 7.9 16.6 4.0 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy 11
Romance 9 7.1 16.5 4.0 One Day
Drama 28 22.0 14.8 3.6 My Week with Marilyn
12
Family 1 0.8 6.6 1.6 Horrid Henry: The Movie
Documentary 23 18.1 5.9 1.4 Senna
Sci-fi 1 0.8 2.1 0.5 Never Let Me Go 13
Crime 1 0.8 1.0 0.3 Brighton Rock
Horror 6 4.7 1.0 0.2 The Awakening
Musical/dance 1 0.8 0.0 0.0 Berliner Philharmoniker: A Musical Journey in 3D 14

War 1 0.8 0.0 0.0 Ice-Cold in Alex
Total 127 100.0 410.1 100.0 15
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. 16
Looking just at UK films, comedy topped the box office by genre chart in 2011 (Table 4.4). Independent
film The Inbetweeners Movie accounted for more than half of this genre’s total box office, and the second
highest grossing UK comedy, studio-backed film Johnny English Reborn, contributed nearly a quarter of the 17
total. Fantasy is second in the list, due to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’s gross of £73 million.
The success of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and X-Men: First Class, which together contributed
76% of the genre’s total, helped action to third place in the list, and the success of The King’s Speech 18
meant that biopic is fourth in the list. (The King’s Speech took 85% of the total box office for UK biopics.)
Drama had more releases than any other genre (22%), but took only 4% of the total box office gross.
19

20

21

22

Table 4.5 UK independent films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland by genre, 2011
(ranked by gross box office)
% Gross %
Number of of all box office of total
Genre releases releases (£ million) box office Top performing title

Thriller 9 8.2 15.2 10.1 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Drama 27 24.5 13.3 8.8 My Week with Marilyn
Romance 8 7.3 8.5 5.6 Jane Eyre
Family 1 0.9 6.6 4.4 Horrid Henry: The Movie
Action 5 4.5 3.6 2.4 The Three Musketeers
Documentary 22 20.0 2.7 1.8 TT3D: Closer to the Edge
Crime 1 0.9 1.0 0.7 Brighton Rock
Horror 6 5.5 1.0 0.7 The Awakening
Animation 2 1.8 0.1 0.1 Thomas & Friends: Day of the Diesels
Adventure 3 2.7 0.1 0.04 The Mirror Boy
Musical/dance 1 0.9 0.01 0.01 Berliner Philharmoniker: A Musical Journey in 3D
War 1 0.9 0.00 0.00 Ice-Cold in Alex
Total 110 100.0 150.8 100.0
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

Of the 127 UK films released in 2011, 110 were UK independent films. Because of the small number
of non-independent UK films there are only small differences in the proportions of releases by genre
between the two film categories.
As Table 4.5 shows, comedy was the most popular genre for UK independent films. The £53 million earned
by comedy films represented 35% of the total box office of all UK independent films. This is largely due to
the success of The Inbetweeners Movie which grossed more than £45 million. Biopic was the second highest
earning genre with 30% of the total box office. The King’s Speech’s record box office for a UK independent
film of £45.7 million accounted for almost all of the genre’s total. In third place is thriller and again one
film, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, accounted for the majority (93%) of the genre’s total box office.


1

2

Figure 4.1 Proportion of box office by genre for all films, UK films and UK independent films, 2011 3
% of box office
40

35 4

30

25 5

20

15
6
10

5
7
0
y
n

r

ce
re

n

fi

r

ar
ic

a

ily

sy

ce
e

ry

ro

lle
ed

m
im
io

io

i-
op
tu

W
an
a

an
ta

m

Sc
or
ct

at

ra

ri
nt
m

Cr
en

Bi

en

Fa

/d

m

Th
H
A

m

D

Fa
Co
dv

al

Ro
um
ni

ic
A

A

oc

us
D 8

M
All films 18.1 4.3 15.1 5.4 22.4 1.1 1.0 5.2 4.1 7.3 3.3 0.1 4.6 3.1 4.9 <0.01
UK films 13.3 9.3 9.0 13.1 21.8 0.3 1.4 3.6 1.6 17.8 0.2 <0.01 4.0 0.5 4.0 <0.01
9
UK independent 2.4 0.04 0.1 30.5 34.9 0.7 1.8 8.8 4.4 – 0.7 0.01 5.6 – 10.1 <0.01
films

Source: Rentrak, BBFC, IMDb, BFI RSU analysis. 10

Figure 4.2 Proportion of releases by genre for all films, UK films and UK independent films, 2011
11
% of releases
30

25 12

20
13
15

10
14

5

0 15
n

e

n

c

e

ry

a

ily
y

y

or

ce

ce

fi

r

ar
lle
i
r

m

m
ed

as
io

io

i-
op
tu

ta

W
r

an

an
m

Sc
or
i
ct

at

ra

ri
nt
m

Cr

en
en

Bi

Fa

/d

m

Th
H
A

m

D

Fa
Co

um
dv

al

Ro
ni

ic
A

A

oc

us
D

M

16
All films 16.3 1.8 3.9 1.8 20.3 3.8 12.2 22.2 0.9 0.9 5.7 0.7 2.9 0.9 5.0 0.7
UK films 6.3 3.9 3.1 3.9 18.1 0.8 18.1 22.0 0.8 0.8 4.7 0.8 7.1 0.8 7.9 0.8
UK independent 4.5 2.7 1.8 3.6 18.2 0.9 20.0 24.5 0.9 – 5.5 0.9 7.3 – 8.2 0.9 17
films

18

19

20

21

22

4.2 BBFC classification
All films in the UK must carry a classification indicating their suitability for exhibition in premises licensed
for cinematic exhibition by local authorities. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) classifies the
majority of films for theatrical release, although local authorities may grant their own classification if
they decide to do so.
The symbols used by the BBFC, and their meanings, are given in Table 4.6.

Table 4.6 BBFC cinema film classifications
U (Universal) Suitable for all
PG (Parental Guidance) General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children
12A No-one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult
15 No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema
18 No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema
Source: BBFC website.

4.2.1 Releases and box office by classification
Table 4.7 provides a picture of how 2011 releases were classified. It shows that, as in previous years, more
‘15’ films (38%) were released than any other category, but the largest share of box office gross was earned
by ‘12A’ films (45%). The proportion of ‘15’ films released was very similar to 2010 (37%), while the proportion
of ‘12A’ films released was up from 26% in 2010 to 30%. The ‘15’ classification accounted for 28% of the gross
box office.

Table 4.7 Releases in UK and Republic of Ireland by BBFC film classification, 2011
Gross %
Number of % box office of gross
BBFC classification releases of releases (£ million) box office Top performing title

U 49 8.8 174.4 15.4 Arthur Christmas
PG 73 13.1 116.5 10.3 Johnny English Reborn
12A 168 30.1 507.1 44.7 Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2
15 212 38.0 315.6 27.8 The Inbetweeners Movie
18 45 8.1 21.0 1.8 The Girl with the
Dragon Tattoo
No classification 11 2.0 0.1 0.0 The Portuguese Nun
Total 558 100.0 1,134.5 100.0
Source: Rentrak, BBFC, BFI RSU analysis.
Notes:
‘No classification’ means no classification issued for theatrical release. Some of these films have a classification for video release.
Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.


1

2

Table 4.8 shows the breakdown of classifications for UK films released in 2011, and Table 4.9 shows the 3
breakdown for UK independent films. The proportions of films released by BBFC classification were broadly
similar for all films, UK films and UK independent films. UK independent films had a lower proportion
of ‘12A’ releases than the other two categories (though, as with all films and UK films, the ‘12A’ classification 4
accounted for the second highest number of releases for this category). Another difference was that UK
independent films had a slightly higher proportion of films classified as ‘18’ than classified as ‘U’ whereas
the reverse was true for the other two categories. However, because of the high earning international and 5
UK non-independent films there were differences in box office takings by classification between UK
independent films and the others, all films and UK films (Figure 4.3).
6

Table 4.8 Releases of UK films in UK and Republic of Ireland by BBFC film classification, 2011
Gross %
Number of % box office of gross 7
BBFC classification releases of releases (£ million) box office Top performing title

U 14 11.0 49.3 12.0 Arthur Christmas
8
PG 15 11.8 26.7 6.5 Johnny English Reborn
12A 30 23.6 227.8 55.6 Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2
9
18 12 9.4 2.3 0.6 Neds
No classification 1 0.8 0.0 0.0 How Much Does Your Building Weigh, 10
Mr Foster?
Total 127 100.0 410.1 100.0
11
Notes:
‘No classification’ means no classification issued for theatrical release. Some of these films have a classification for video release. 12

Table 4.9 Releases of UK independent films in UK and Republic of Ireland by BBFC film classification, 2011 13

Gross %
Number of % box office of gross
BBFC classification releases of releases (£ million) box office Top performing title 14
U 11 10.0 7.4 4.9 Horrid Henry: The Movie
PG 14 12.7 6.1 4.0 Jane Eyre
15
12A 21 19.1 56.4 37.4 The King’s Speech
18 12 10.9 2.3 1.6 Neds 16
No classification 1 0.9 0.0 0.0 How Much Does Your Building Weigh,
Mr Foster?
Total 110 100.0 150.8 100.0 17

Notes: 18
‘No classification’ means no classification issued for theatrical release. Some of these films have a classification for video release.

19

20

21

22

As Figure 4.3 shows, for all films and UK films the highest earning classification was ‘12A’ (45% of the total
box office for all films and 56% of the total box office for UK films), whereas for UK independent films the
highest earning classification was ‘15’ (52% of the total box office). Six of the top 10 films at the UK box office
in 2011 were ‘12A’ films. Four of these were UK films but only one (The King’s Speech) was an independent
film. All five non-independent films contributed to the difference between all films and UK independent
films while three of these, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, had a major impact on the difference between UK films and
UK independent films (see Tables 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9).

Figure 4.3 Percentage of gross box office by BBFC film classification for all films, UK films
and UK independent films, 2011
% of gross box office
60

50

40

30

20

10

0 U PG 12A 15 18

All films 15.4 10.3 44.7 27.8 1.8
UK films 12.0 6.5 55.6 25.3 0.6
UK independent films 4.9 4.0 37.4 52.2 1.6

Note: Category ‘12A’ includes those films that were given the ‘12’ classification before 2003. The ‘12’ classification was superseded by ‘12A’ for films showing
at the cinema in August 2002. The first film given a ‘12A’ classification was The Bourne Identity.

There has been some gradual change in the proportions of films by classification over the last 11 years,
as shown in Figure 4.4. The most common classification ‘15’ has generally had a 37% – 40% share of annual
releases. (This increased to 44% in 2009, the year Slumdog Millionaire was released.) The second and third
most common classifications ‘PG’ and ‘12A’ have together accounted for over 40% of releases in most of the
11 years. During that time, the slow decline in the ‘PG’ classification has been compensated for by a rising
trend in the ‘12A’ classification. The ‘U’ and ‘18’ classifications have consistently accounted for the smallest
percentages of releases since 2001. However, from 2001 to 2010 there were more ‘18’ classified films released
each year, whereas in 2011 there were slightly more ‘U’ classified films than films with the ‘18’ classification
(9% of releases were classified as ‘U’ compared with 8% of releases classified as ‘18’).


1

2

Figure 4.4 Percentage of releases in UK and Republic of Ireland by film classification, 2001–2011 3
% of releases
50
45 4
40
35
30 5

25
20
6
15
10
5
7
0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
U 7.0 8.0 5.2 6.0 6.2 5.7 5.2 5.9 4.8 6.8 8.8
PG 19.0 23.0 16.1 18.0 17.1 14.9 15.9 14.6 14.3 14.4 13.1
8
12A 18.0 20.0 26.0 26.4 24.8 27.5 25.4 28.5 24.3 26.4 30.1
15 40.0 40.0 40.4 39.0 37.3 38.8 40.1 36.6 44.3 37.3 38.0
18 15.0 9.0 12.1 8.6 10.7 9.1 9.1 9.7 9.7 10.6 8.1
9
See note to Figure 4.3.

The shares of box office by film classification vary widely from year to year as demonstrated in Figure 4.5. 10
However, the box office ranking of the classifications has remained fairly constant over time, the top earner
being ‘12A’, with ‘U’ and ‘18’ consistently being the lowest earners up to 2010, and ‘PG’ and ‘15’ exchanging
second and third places over the years. In 2007 and 2008 films in the ‘PG’ category earned more at the box 11
office than those in the ‘15’ category, but this was reversed in 2009 with the ‘15’ films increasing their share
of the box office to 22% and ‘PG’ films reducing their share to 18%. The box office shares for these two
categories were similar in 2010 to those for 2009, but the rankings and shares have changed in 2011. In 2011 12
the ‘15’ classification remained in second place in the box office rankings but its share increased from 23%
to 28%, the ‘U’ classification overtook the ‘PG’ classification to move up to third in the rankings with a box
office share of 15% and ‘PG’ is fourth in the rankings with a share of 10%. 13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Figure 4.5 Percentage of gross box office of releases in UK and Republic of Ireland by film classification,
2001–2011
% of gross box office
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
U 10.2 13.4 10.4 16.6 16.7 13.9 11.8 8.4 11.6 17.8 15.4
PG 28.8 22.4 11.8 23.3 19.0 15.2 24.2 21.4 18.1 18.3 10.3
12A 30.3 39.8 42.4 28.2 40.4 43.9 34.7 44.8 41.6 37.7 44.7
15 23.5 21.1 29.2 26.6 19.9 21.2 23.7 20.0 22.1 22.7 27.8
18 7.3 3.6 6.3 5.2 3.8 5.7 5.5 5.4 6.5 3.4 1.8


4.2.2 Top films by classification
Table 4.10 gives the top 10 ‘U’ classified films in 2011. Animation is the genre most represented in the
table with seven out of 10 titles. (Animation is traditionally aimed at the youngest audiences for which
a ‘U’ classification is preferable). Only two films in the list (Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and Hop)
were not shown in 3D. Overall, for the eight 3D films, 54% of the box office was from 3D screens. The highest
percentage was for the 3D reversioning of The Lion King (89%), while the lowest percentage was for Cars 2
(38%). The top film in the list, Arthur Christmas, is one of two UK films in the top 10, which is one more
than last year.


1

2

Table 4.10 Top 10 ‘U’ classified films, 2011 3

Gross
Country box office
Title of origin (£ million) Distributor Genre
4
Arthur Christmas UK/USA 20.8 Sony Pictures Animation
The Smurfs USA 17.2 Sony Pictures Family
Gnomeo & Juliet UK/USA 15.8 eOne Films Animation 5

Cars 2 USA 15.6 Walt Disney Animation
Puss in Boots USA 14.4 Paramount Animation
6
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked USA 14.0 20th Century Fox Family
Rio USA 13.6 20th Century Fox Animation
The Lion King USA 12.4 Walt Disney Animation 7

Yogi Bear USA/NZ 9.0 Warner Bros Family
Hop USA 7.8 Universal Animation
8

Animation and comedy, with four films each, are the genres most represented in the top 10 performing 9
‘PG’ classified films (Table 4.11). Two of the animations, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
and Kung Fu Panda 2 were shown in 3D. Kung Fu Panda 2 took just under half its gross from 3D screens
and The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn took 65% of its gross from 3D screens. Two UK films 10
are in the chart, one fewer than in 2010. Again, the top performing title was a UK film.

11
Table 4.11 Top 10 ‘PG’ classified films, 2011
Gross
Country box office
Title of origin (£ million) Distributor Genre 12

Johnny English Reborn UK/USA 20.6 Universal Comedy
Tangled USA 20.5 Walt Disney Animation
13
Kung Fu Panda 2 USA 16.9 Paramount Animation
The Adventures of Tintin:
The Secret of the Unicorn USA/NZ 16.3 Paramount Animation 14
Mr. Popper’s Penguins USA 8.6 20th Century Fox Comedy
Rango USA 7.1 Paramount Animation
15
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son USA 5.2 20th Century Fox Comedy
Jane Eyre UK 5.1 Universal Romance
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World USA 4.3 Entertainment Action 16
The Zookeeper USA 3.5 Sony Pictures Comedy
17

The top three ‘12A’ films in 2011 were Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, The King’s Speech and
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which were the top two highest grossing films and the fourth 18
highest grossing film of the year respectively (and all three were UK films). Action, with four films,
is the genre most represented in the list. Five of the top 10 films came from the UK, one more than
last year (Table 4.12). 19

20

21

22

Table 4.12 Top 10 ‘12A’ classified films, 2011
Gross
Country box office

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 UK/USA 73.1 Warner Bros Fantasy
The King’s Speech UK 45.7 Momentum Biopic
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides UK/USA 32.9 Walt Disney Adventure
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 USA 30.8 eOne Films Romance
Transformers: Dark of the Moon USA 28.1 Paramount Action
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows UK/USA 26.2 Warner Bros Action
Rise of the Planet of the Apes USA 20.8 20th Century Fox Sci-fi
Fast & Furious 5 USA 18.5 Universal Action
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol USA 18.0 Paramount Action
X-Men: First Class UK/USA 15.0 20th Century Fox Action

By definition, ‘15’ classified films contain stronger material than those deemed suitable for younger
audiences. Depending on the type of film they are likely to involve more adult-oriented themes and the use
of stronger language. This is reflected in the top 10, where the comedy and thriller genres account for seven
of the films in the list (Table 4.13). The ‘15’ category films were topped by the independent UK comedy
The Inbetweeners Movie. Three of the 10 films came from the UK, two more than last year.

Table 4.13 Top 10 ‘15’ classified films, 2011
Gross
Country box office

The Inbetweeners Movie UK 45.0 Entertainment Comedy
The Hangover Part II USA 32.8 Warner Bros Comedy
Bridesmaids USA 23.0 Universal Comedy
Black Swan USA 16.2 20th Century Fox Drama
Paul UK/USA 14.2 Universal Comedy
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy UK/Fra 14.2 StudioCanal* Thriller
Paranormal Activity 3 USA 10.7 Paramount Horror
Horrible Bosses USA 10.5 Warner Bros Comedy
True Grit USA 8.5 Paramount Adventure
Limitless USA 8.3 Paramount Thriller
Note: * Optimum Releasing, the UK subsidiary of StudioCanal, was rebranded as StudioCanal in September 2011.


1

2

Because of the nature of ‘18’ classified films, which contain the strongest content, their audience appeal is 3
generally much narrower than other categories. The most popular genres of the top 10 titles in this category
in 2011 were action and drama, with three titles each, followed by thriller with two titles (Table 4.14). In 2009
two films, Bruno and Inglourious Basterds broke the £10 million barrier, but it is unusual for ‘18’ films to take 4
so much at the box office, and only the top ‘18’ classified film of 2011, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, did so.
Five UK films are among the top 10 of this classification in 2011, compared with only one in 2010.
5

Table 4.14 Top 10 ‘18’ classified films, 2011
Gross
Country box office 6

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo USA/Swe 12.0 Sony Pictures Thriller
7
Drive USA 3.0 Icon Action
Drive Angry (3D) USA 1.2 Lions Gate Action
Neds UK/Fra/Ita 1.0 eOne Films Drama 8
The Devil’s Double Bel 0.7 Icon Biopic
Blitz UK 0.6 Lions Gate Thriller
A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas USA 0.6 Warner Bros Comedy 9

Kill List UK 0.3 StudioCanal* Horror
Tyrannosaur UK 0.2 StudioCanal* Drama
10
Weekend UK 0.2 Peccadillo Pictures Drama
* See note to Table 4.13.

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

„ 19

3 For cinema admissions and box office in 2011 see Chapter 1 (page 8)
3 For top foreign language films of the last 11 years see Chapter 5 (page 46) 20
3 For a look at cinema audiences see Chapter 15 (page 140)
3 For information about film classification in the UK see www.bbfc.org.uk
21

22

Chapter 5:

Specialised films

Specialised films are a vital part of
our film culture and offer audiences
an experience of cinema that is very
different from mainstream commercial
fare. In 2011, they made up over
60% of films released in the UK
and grossed nearly £200 million.

Facts in focus:
346 specialised films were released in the UK in 2011
(62% of the total) earning £198.5 million (17.5% of the
total box office).

Films in 28 different languages (including English)
were released in the UK in 2011.

180 foreign language films made up 32% of total releases,
but shared just 2% of the UK box office.

The highest grossing foreign language film was
Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In with £1.5 million.

68 documentary films were released, accounting for
12% of releases and 1% of the total box office.

32 classic and archive films were re-released (6% of
the total), accounting for 1.2% of the total box office.


1

2

5.1 About specialised films 3

The BFI considers most feature documentaries, subtitled foreign language films and re-releases of archive/
classic films to be specialised. For films that do not fall into these categories, other criteria are applied and 4
consideration is given to films that are less easy to define as a particular genre or those that deal with
challenging and complex subject matter. For more information on the BFI’s definition of specialised film,
and to access its specialised film database, see www.bfi.org.uk/film-industry/lottery-funding-distribution- 5
and-exhibition/specialised-films.
The BFI’s definition of ‘specialised’ is broad and relates to those films that do not sit easily within
a mainstream and highly commercial genre. Many are from the independent production sector (although 6
they may be handled by a mainstream, studio-based distributor) or are made with a low production budget
(compared with a studio production). They may focus more on script and character than on effects and star
names and may be expected to appeal to a narrower audience segment than mainstream films. 7

5.2 Specialised films at the UK box office in 2011 8

In total, 346 specialised films were released in 2011, representing 62% of the total number of UK theatrical
releases in the year (Table 5.1). These films grossed £198.5 million, a 17.5% share of total box office earnings.
9
It is interesting to note the small share of gross box office earned by the first three categories of specialised
film: documentaries (1.0%), foreign language films (2.2%) and re-releases (1.2%).
10
Table 5.1 Specialised films in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011
Share of Gross Share of gross Average
Number of releases box office box office widest point 11
Type releases (%) (£ million) (%) of release

Documentaries 68 12 11.1 1.0 36
Foreign language 180 32 24.4 2.2 18 12
Re-releases 32 6 13.8 1.2 31
Other specialised films 88 16 150.2 13.2 88
13
All specialised films* 346 62 198.5 17.5 41
All films 558 100 1,134.5 100.0 125
Source: BFI RSU analysis of Rentrak data. 14
* Due to some overlap of categories (eg a film can be categorised as foreign language and as a documentary) the total refers to the number of specialised films,
not the sum total of the categories in the table.

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Image: 13 Assassins courtesy of Artificial Eye Chapter 5: Specialised films – 47
22

An analysis of specialised film releases and market share from 2001 to 2011 is shown in Figure 5.1.
The proportion of specialised film releases increased steadily from 2003 to 2009 while market share has
remained at around 8% apart from two peak years in 2009 and 2011 when a small number of specialised
titles crossed over to mainstream audiences.

Figure 5.1 Specialised films 2001–2011: percentage of releases and market share
%
80
70
60

50

40

30

20

10

0 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Specialised films as 58.2 58.0 50.5 55.4 55.7 58.8 64.4 66.6 69.0 63.6 62.0
% of total releases
Market share of 5.9 6.4 5.1 9.8 6.5 8.5 8.0 8.2 15.4 6.3 17.5
specialised films (%)

Source: BFI RSU analysis of Rentrak data.

By sorting specialised films into four separate categories – documentaries, foreign language films,
re-releases and other specialised films with a distinctive genre, hook or style – we can better understand
the patterns of specialised film distribution over time. As Figure 5.2 shows, there has been a steady increase
in the number of theatrically released feature documentaries over the last 11 years – from a low point of
four in 2001 to 68 in 2011. The number of re-released films tracked by Rentrak has remained largely the
same, although this figure does not include all re-releases, particularly limited or one-off screenings often
in independent cinemas. The number of foreign language films increased from a low point of 96 releases
in 2001 to a peak of 193 in 2005 and has since fluctuated. Finally, the more subjective category of films
with innovative or unconventional approaches, genre or style saw numbers decline from 80 in 2001
to a low of 20 in 2005 before rising again to a peak of 117 in 2009.

Figure 5.2 Number of specialised releases, 2001–2011
Number released
400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
Documentary 4 8 18 23 27 34 36 49 56 58 68
Foreign language 96 123 142 159 193 165 161 179 148 190 180
Re-release 25 25 17 21 20 25 29 26 26 19 32
Other specialised 80 58 36 47 20 73 109 97 117 88 88



1

2

The box office performance of specialised films, again split into the four categories of documentaries, 3
foreign language films, re-releases and other specialised films with a distinctive hook, genre or style,
is shown in Figure 5.3. Box office revenues for documentaries soared in 2009 with the release of Michael
Jackson’s This Is It, but they declined to £1.9 million in 2010 before rising again in 2011 with the success 4
of Senna and TT3D: Closer to the Edge. Foreign language film grosses have fluctuated depending on individual
high grossing titles (such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Amélie in 2001 and The Passion of the Christ
in 2004). 2011’s figure for foreign language films was the lowest since 2003. The combined revenues for 5
re-releases are comparatively small and have only risen above £2 million on four occasions in the last
11 years, again depending on one or two high profile re-issues. The 3D re-release of The Lion King
contributed to a record figure for re-releases in 2011. Finally, the more subjective category of titles with 6
distinctive and non-mainstream genres or styles saw a huge increase in revenue in 2011 (£150 million)
due to the performance of films such as The King’s Speech, Black Swan, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Hugo
which were classified as ‘specialised’ prior to theatrical release. 7

Figure 5.3 Box office gross (£ million) of specialised films, 2001–2011
8
£ million
250

9
200

150 10

100
11
50

0 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
Documentary 0.2 2.2 5.3 9.3 4.8 4.6 1.6 4.1 12.0 1.9 11.1
Foreign language 29.8 17.2 20.3 38.3 27.1 29.7 32.2 26.9 25.3 30.1 24.4
Re-release 2.3 1.4 1.3 0.6 0.3 1.2 1.7 1.0 2.7 3.7 13.8 13
Other specialised 12.2 32.7 14.5 33.2 23.3 37.4 39.7 45.1 133.1 30.5 150.2

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Chapter 5: Specialised films – 49
22

5.3 Foreign language films The 26 foreign languages were spread over
180 releases in the UK and Republic of Ireland
Films in 28 different languages (including English) (32% of all releases, down three percentage points
were released in the UK and the Republic of Ireland since 2010), earning £24 million at the box office
in 2011, compared with 29 in 2010 (Table 5.2). French (Table 5.3). This represented 2% of the total UK
was the next most common language after English gross box office for 2011, down from 3% in 2010.
in terms of number of releases, followed by Hindi,
Tamil and Spanish. Hindi was again the top
non-English language at the box office by value, Table 5.3 Foreign language films at the UK and
with a 1% share of revenues, followed by French Republic of Ireland box office, 2002–2011
(0.3%) and Spanish (0.2%). % of
% of Box office total gross
Number all releases (£ million) box office
Table 5.2 Languages of films released, 2011 2002 131 35.5 17.1 2.2
Gross Box office 2003 147 34.7 20.4 2.5
Main Number box office share
language of releases (£ million) (%) 2004 169 37.5 38.1 4.6
English 360 1,091.3 96.2 2005 203 43.5 26.9 3.2
English with others* 17 18.8 1.7 2006 171 33.9 29.8 3.5
Hindi 36 12.5 1.1 2007 170 32.9 32.3 3.5
French 41 3.7 0.3 2008 188 35.7 27.1 2.9
Spanish 11 2.5 0.2 2009 161 32.0 25.6 2.3
Japanese 7 1.2 0.1 2010 199 35.7 30.3 3.0
Tamil 25 1.2 0.1 2011 180 32.3 24.4 2.2
German 6 0.7 0.1 Source: Rentrak, BBFC, IMDb, BFI RSU analysis.
Norwegian 2 0.5 0.1 Note: Figures as at 12 February 2012.
Italian 6 0.5 0.1 Films in European languages other than
Farsi 1 0.4 <0.1 English earned 0.7% of the gross box office from
Punjabi 7 0.3 <0.1 15.4% of releases and South Asian sub-continent
Urdu 1 0.2 <0.1 languages shared 1.3% of the box office from 14%
of releases (Table 5.4). Taken together, foreign
Polish 2 0.2 <0.1
language films played on average at only 18 sites at
Danish 2 0.1 <0.1 their widest point of release (down from 19 in 2010)
Russian 2 0.1 <0.1 compared with an average of 176 for English
Portuguese 4 0.1 <0.1 language releases.
Cantonese 3 0.1 <0.1
Korean 3 <0.1 <0.1
Welsh** 1 <0.1 <0.1
Turkish 6 <0.1 <0.1
Malayalam 8 <0.1 <0.1
Bosnian 1 <0.1 <0.1
Czech 1 <0.1 <0.1
Greek 1 <0.1 <0.1
Kyrgyz 1 <0.1 <0.1
Sotho 1 <0.1 <0.1
Arabic 1 <0.1 0.1
Afghan Dari 1 <0.1 <0.1
Total 558 1,134.5 100.0
* English with others’ includes films whose main language was English
but with extensive use of other languages, such as Senna in English
and Portuguese.
** Welsh is a UK national language.


1

2

Table 5.4 Language of releases in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011 (ranked by number of releases) 3

Gross Average sites at
Number % of box office % of gross widest point
Main language of releases releases (£ million) box office of release
4
English and English with others* 377 67.6 1,110.1 97.8 176
European other than English** 86 15.4 8.5 0.7 14
South Asian sub-continent 77 13.8 14.2 1.3 23 5

Other Asian 14 2.5 1.3 0.1 17
Other international 4 0.7 0.4 <0.1 9
6
Total 558 100.0 1,134.5 100.0 125
* See note to Table 5.2. 7
** Includes Welsh.
Notes:
Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

The top foreign language film of 2011 was Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In (Table 5.5) which was the
only non-Hindi film to earn more than £1 million. Three Japanese and three French films also feature 9
in the top 10 alongside one German-French co-production.

Table 5.5 Top 10 foreign language* films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011 10

Gross
box office
Title Country of origin (£ million) Distributor Main language 11
1 The Skin I Live In Spain 1.5 20th Century Fox Spanish
2 Potiche France 0.8 StudioCanal French
12
3 Pina Germany/France 0.7 Artificial Eye German
4 Biutiful Mexico/Spain 0.6 StudioCanal Spanish
5 Trollhunter Norway 0.5 Momentum/Alliance Norwegian 13
6 Sarah’s Key France 0.5 StudioCanal French
7 Arrietty Japan 0.4 StudioCanal Japanese
8 Little White Lies France 0.4 Lions Gate French 14

9 13 Assassins Japan 0.4 Artificial Eye Japanese
10 Norwegian Wood Japan 0.4 Soda Pictures Japanese 15
* Excluding Hindi titles – see Table 5.6.
Note: Figures as at 12 February 2012. 16
Table 5.6 shows the top Hindi film releases at the UK box office in 2011. Three titles earned more than
£1 million, with RA.One topping the list (£1.5 million) followed by Don 2 and Bodyguard. Two India/UK
collaborations feature in the top 10 – Patiala House and Desi Boyz. 17

18

19

20

21

22

Table 5.6 Top 10 Hindi films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011
Box
office gross Main
Film Country of origin (£ million) Distributor language

1 RA.One India/USA 1.5 Eros International Hindi
2 Don 2 India 1.4 Reliance Big Pictures Hindi
Entertainment
3 Bodyguard India 1.4 Reliance Big Pictures Hindi
Entertainment
4 Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara India 0.9 Eros International Hindi
5 Patiala House India/UK 0.7 B4U Network Hindi
6 Ready India 0.6 Eros International Hindi
7 Desi Boyz India/UK 0.6 Eros International Hindi
8 Yamla Pagla Deewana India 0.5 Eros International Hindi
9 Delhi Belly India 0.5 UTV Motion Pictures Hindi
10 Mere Brother Ki Dulhan India 0.5 Yash Raj Films Hindi
Note: Figures as at 12 February 2012.

Table 5.7 shows the 10 highest grossing non-English language films since 2001. The top film is The Passion
of the Christ (£11.1 million), followed by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (£9.4 million). There are three Mandarin
and three Spanish films in the top 10, but only one French language title.

Table 5.7 Top 10 non-English language films, 2001–2011
UK box office
total
Film Language (£ million) Distributor Year of release

1 The Passion of the Christ Aramaic/Latin/ 11.08 Icon 2004
Hebrew
2 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Mandarin 9.37 Sony Pictures 2001
3 Amélie French 5.01 Momentum/ 2001
Alliance
4 Apocalypto Mayan 4.11 Icon 2007
5 Hero Mandarin 3.82 Walt Disney 2004
6 House of Flying Daggers Mandarin 3.78 Pathé 2004
7 Volver Spanish 2.88 Pathé 2006
8 The Motorcycle Diaries Spanish 2.75 Pathé 2004
9 Pan’s Labyrinth Spanish 2.72 Optimum* 2006
10 The Lives of Others German 2.70 Lions Gate 2007
* Optimum Releasing, the UK subsidiary of StudioCanal, was rebranded as StudioCanal in September 2011.

5.4 Documentaries
In all, 68 feature documentaries were released at the UK box office in 2011, representing 12% of theatrical
releases. They earned £11.1 million in total, around 1% of the overall box office gross. The most successful
documentary of the year was Senna, which earned £3.2 million, the highest ever gross for a British
documentary and the second highest total for any feature documentary released in the UK. There were
four other new entries in the chart (Table 5.8) including three documentaries which used 3D to good effect –
Richard de Aragues’s TT3D: Closer to the Edge, Wim Wenders’ Pina and Werner Herzog’s Cave of Forgotten Dreams.


1

2

The highest grossing non-music feature documentary of all time at the UK box office, Michael Moore’s 3
Fahrenheit 9/11, grossed £6.5 million in 2004. French natural history documentary March of the Penguins
is in third place with £3.1 million and 2003 UK film Touching the Void is at number four with £2.6 million.
4

Table 5.8 Top 20 non-concert feature documentaries at the UK box office, 2001–2011
Country Year of Box office gross Widest point of
Title of origin release (£) release (sites) Distributor 5

1 Fahrenheit 9/11 USA 2004 6,545,552 200 Optimum*
2 Senna UK/USA 2011 3,173,053 358 Universal 6
3 March of the Penguins France 2005 3,084,616 163 Warner Bros
4 Touching the Void UK 2003 2,643,252 50 Pathé
5 Bowling for Columbine USA 2002 1,667,625 37 Momentum/ 7

Alliance
6 TT3D: Closer to the Edge UK 2011 1,256,228 125 CinemaNX
8
7 Super Size Me USA 2004 1,111,093 83 Tartan
8 An Inconvenient Truth USA 2006 935,770 68 Paramount
9 Man on Wire UK/USA 2008 879,377 43 Icon 9
10 Etre et Avoir France 2003 708,116 15 Tartan
11 Pina Germany/ 2011 666,263 26 Artificial Eye
France 10

12 Cave of Forgotten Dreams Canada 2011 616,533 39 Picturehouse
13 Spellbound USA 2003 484,540 17 Metrodome 11
14 The September Issue USA 2009 427,767 18 Momentum/
Alliance
15 Capturing the Friedmans USA 2004 388,238 26 Tartan 12
16 Sicko USA 2007 378,669 166 Optimum*
17 Inside Job USA 2011 324,977 24 Sony Pictures
13
18 Exit Through the Gift Shop UK/USA 2010 317,335 41 Revolver
19 The Corporation Canada 2004 296,234 20 Metrodome
20 Of Time and the City UK 2008 245,189 25 BFI 14
15
Notes:
The table does not include music documentaries, IMAX-only documentaries and shorts.
Based on box office data for 2001–2011.
Fahrenheit 9/11 is regarded as the highest grossing feature documentary of all time because, even with price inflation, it is unlikely that any documentary films
16
before 1989 will have earned more in nominal terms.

Several concert performance documentaries, most in 3D, have been released theatrically over the last
four years (Table 5.9). The highest grossing of these, Michael Jackson’s This Is It, earned almost £9.8 million 17
in 2009. Three 2011 releases feature in the list of the highest grossing titles – Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,
Glee: The 3D Concert and Eyes Wide Open 3D featuring the UK group JLS.
18

19

20

21

22

Table 5.9 Top concert documentaries at the UK box office, 2008–2011
Country Year of Box office gross Widest point of
Title of origin release (£) release (sites) Distributor

1 Michael Jackson’s This Is It USA 2009 9,795,960 498 Sony Pictures
2 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never USA 2011 2,317,670 388 Paramount
3 Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: USA 2008 799,109 65 Walt Disney
Best of Both Worlds
4 U2 3D USA 2008 725,893 67 Revolver
5 Glee: The 3D Concert USA 2011 711,842 335 20th Century Fox
6 Shine a Light USA/UK 2008 697,320 159 20th Century Fox
7 Eyes Wide Open 3D UK 2011 510,536 210 Omniverse
8 Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert USA 2009 249,534 169 Walt Disney

5.5 Re-releases
According to Rentrak, 32 re-released titles accounted for 6% of theatrical releases in 2011 and generated
£13.8 million (1.2% of the total gross box office). However, not all box office revenues for re-releases are
tracked by Rentrak, which primarily focuses on first-run films. Some additional revenue for films which
tend to be booked for a limited time into specialised cinemas long after their initial release is missing
from this analysis, so the actual box office share is likely to be greater.
Table 5.10 highlights the top 20 re-releases at UK cinemas over the last 11 years. Re-releases in 3D take five
of the top 20 places, with 2011’s re-release of Walt Disney’s The Lion King leading the way with £12.4 million,
followed by Toy Story in 2009 and its sequel Toy Story 2 in 2010 which both grossed over £2 million. The 3D
version of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas appears twice in the list: it grossed £647,000 during
its 2006 re-release and £329,000 in 2007.
The chart features an interesting mix of genres. Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange grossed £2.1 million
in 2000 and Steven Spielberg’s 20th anniversary re-release of E.T. grossed a similar amount in 2002,
Ridley Scott’s Alien: The Director’s Cut grossed over £500,000 in 2003, while Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard
earned £347,000 from its limited release in the same year and a further £106,000 in 2010. Also in 2010,
the 25th anniversary re-release of sci-fi comedy Back to the Future grossed over £1.1 million.


1

2

Table 5.10 Top 20 re-releases at the UK box office, 2000–2011 3

Box office
Country Year of gross Widest point of
Title (year of original release) of origin re-release (£) release (sites) Distributor
4
1 The Lion King (3D re-release) (1994) USA 2011 12,364,925 454 Walt Disney
2 A Clockwork Orange (1972) UK 2000 2,067,302 328 Warner Bros
3 E.T. (20th anniversary) (1982) USA 2002 2,063,690 313 UIP* 5

4 Toy Story (3D re-release) (1996) USA 2009 2,017,464 251 Walt Disney
5 Toy Story 2 (3D re-release) (1999) USA 2010 2,000,829 261 Walt Disney
6
6 Back to the Future (1985) USA 2010 1,108,766 273 Universal
Pictures
7 Tim Burton’s The Nightmare USA 2006 646,798 5 Walt Disney 7
Before Christmas 3-D (1993)
8 Alien: The Director’s Cut (1979) UK/USA 2003 545,782 134 20th Century Fox
9 Jurassic Park (1993) USA 2011 511,258 277 Universal 8

10 Apocalypse Now Redux (1979) USA 2001 455,335 22 Walt Disney
11 The Leopard (1963) Italy/ 2003 346,807 5 BFI
9
France
12 It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) USA 2007 329,891 33 Park Circus
13 Tim Burton’s The Nightmare USA 2007 328,759 44 Walt Disney 10
Before Christmas 3-D (1993)
14 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) UK/USA 2001 326,496 4 Warner Bros
15 Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) USA 2001 313,443 5 BFI 11

16 A bout de souffle (1960) France 2000 173,301 5 Optimum**
17 This is Spinal Tap (1984) USA 2000 166,203 22 Optimum**
12
18 Amadeus (Director’s Cut) (1984) USA 2002 145,234 8 Warner Bros
19 Ghostbusters (1983) USA 2011 128,821 73 Park Circus
20 Metropolis (1927) Germany 2010 128,671 44 Eureka 13
Entertainment
14
* Until 2006 Paramount and Universal distributed jointly as UIP.
** Optimum Releasing, the UK subsidiary of StudioCanal, was rebranded as StudioCanal in September 2011.

15

16

17

18

„
19

3 For more on the box office see Chapter 1 (page 8) 20
3 For more on 3D films see Chapter 2 (page 18)
3 For more on genre and BBFC classification see Chapter 4 (page 31)
21

22

Chapter 6:

UK films internationally

UK films shared 17% of the $33 billion
worldwide gross box office in 2011,
with the final instalment of the Harry
Potter story, Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 2, the top film of the year.
Oscar®-winner The King’s Speech was
the highest ranked UK independent
film, earning over $414 million.

Facts in focus:
The UK share of the global theatrical market in 2011
was 17% ($5.6 billion), up from 14% ($4.5 billion) in 2010.
Independent UK films accounted for 3% of this share,
at a value of $900 million.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was the best
performing UK film at the worldwide box office, earning
over $1.3 billion in 2011.

UK films represented 8% of releases at the North
American box office (9% in 2010), and 16.5% of the
market (14% in 2010), at a value of $1,654 million.

In Europe, the top UK film was Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2 with over 25 million admissions.
Over 12 million tickets were sold across Europe for
The King’s Speech.


1

2

6.1 UK films worldwide 3

UK films enjoyed considerable success at the global box office in 2011 with both studio-backed and
independent films generating the highest grosses of the last decade. Global box office receipts reached 4
$32.6 billion in the year, up 65% in 10 years (Table 6.1). UK films had a 17% share of this market, earning
$5.6 billion, compared with $4.5 billion in 2010.
UK studio-backed films (UK films wholly or partly financed and controlled by US studios but featuring UK 5
cast, crew, locations, facilities, post-production and often UK source material) earned 14.4% of the worldwide
box office in 2011, with earnings of $4.7 billion, compared to $4 billion in 2010. UK independent films shared
2.8% of global revenues with earnings of $900 million in 2011, compared with $500 million in 2010. 6

Table 6.1 UK films global market share, 2002–2011
7
UK films Global
worldwide theatrical UK studio-backed UK independent
gross market UK share films share* films share
Year (US$ billion) (US$ billion) (%) (%) (%) 8
2002 1.8 19.8 9.1 7.6 1.5
2003 1.4 20.1 6.9 5.5 1.5
9
2004 2.9 24.9 11.6 10.0 1.6
2005 3.6 23.1 15.5 13.4 2.2
2006 2.2 25.5 8.6 7.5 1.2 10
2007 3.3 26.3 12.5 10.6 1.9
2008 4.2 27.8 15.1 13.3 1.8
2009 2.0 29.4 6.8 4.4 2.4 11

2010 4.5 31.8 14.2 12.6 1.6
2011 5.6 32.6 17.2 14.4 2.8 12
Source: BFI, Rentrak, MPAA, Screen Digest.
13

As Figure 6.1 shows, the UK market share fluctuates Figure 6.1 UK films global market share, 2002–2011
significantly from year to year and is highly %
dependent on the performance of a small number 16 14
of titles. The increase in market share of independent
14
UK films in 2011 was due mainly to the huge success
of The King’s Speech which grossed $389 million 12 15
worldwide ($414 million including 2010 earnings).
10

8 16

6

4 17

2

0 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 18

UK/US 7.6 5.5 10.0 13.4 7.5 10.6 13.3 4.4 12.6 14.4
studio share
19
UK 1.5 1.5 1.6 2.2 1.2 1.9 1.8 2.4 1.6 2.8
independent
share
20
Source: BFI.

21

Image: The Three Musketeers courtesy of Entertainment One UK Chapter 6: UK films internationally – 57
22

The highest grossing UK film of 2011 was the final title in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which earned over $1.3 billion worldwide (Table 6.2). This was followed by Pirates
of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which grossed $1 billion and The King’s Speech ($389 million in 2011,
$414 million overall).

Table 6.2 Top 10 UK films worldwide, 2011
Country Worldwide gross
Title of origin (US$ million)

1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 UK/USA 1,328
2 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides UK/USA 1,044
3 The King’s Speech* UK 389
4 Captain America: The First Avenger UK/USA 369
5 X-Men: First Class UK/USA 354
6 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows UK/USA 237
7 Gnomeo & Juliet UK/USA 194
8 Gulliver’s Travels UK/USA 181
9 Johnny English Reborn UK/USA 160
10 Arthur Christmas UK/USA 147
Total top 10 4,403
Source: BFI RSU.
Notes:
Worldwide gross includes the UK.
Table based on gross box office revenue in the 2011 calendar year.
* The figure for The King’s Speech excludes money made in 2010. The cumulative total is $414 million.

The highest grossing UK independent film was The King’s Speech which earned $389 million worldwide in
2011 (Table 6.3). This was followed by UK/France/Germany co-production The Three Musketeers ($132 million),
The Inbetweeners Movie ($92 million), Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy ($80 million) and Jane Eyre ($32 million).

Table 6.3 Top 10 UK independent films worldwide, 2011
Country Worldwide gross
Title of origin (US$ million)

1 The King’s Speech UK 389
2 The Three Musketeers UK/Fra/Ger 132
3 The Inbetweeners Movie UK 92
4 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy UK/Fra/Ger 80
5 Jane Eyre UK 32
6 The Eagle UK/USA# 30
7 My Week with Marilyn UK/USA# 27
8 One Life UK 13
9 Horrid Henry: The Movie UK 12
10 We Need to Talk About Kevin UK/USA# 6
Total top 10 813
Source: BFI RSU.
Notes:
Worldwide gross includes the UK.
Table based on gross box office revenue in the 2011 calendar year.
# The Eagle, My Week with Marilyn and We Need to Talk About Kevin were made with non-studio US support.


1

2

6.2 UK films in North America 3

Table 6.4 shows the country of origin of films released in the USA and Canada in 2011. The UK share of the
gross box office increased from 14% in 2010 to 16.5% in 2011 with UK films representing 8% of releases in the 4
North American market (down from 9% in 2010). The total revenue from these films stood at $1,654 million,
up from $1,437 million in 2010.
5
Table 6.4 Country of origin of films in the USA and Canada, 2011
Country Number % Box office Box office share
of origin of releases of releases (US$ million) (%) 6

UK independent films 37 6 121 1.2
UK studio-backed films* 15 2 1,533 15.3
7
UK films total 52 8 1,654 16.5
USA 354 53 8,040 80.1
Rest of the world 267 40 336 3.4 8
Total 673 100 10,030 100.0
9

As with the global market share, the market share for UK films in North America has fluctuated greatly over 10
the last 10 years depending on the performance of a very small number of titles (Table 6.5). The UK share
in 2011 (16.5%) was the highest recorded, up two percentage points on 2010.
11
Table 6.5 UK market share in North America, 2002–2011
UK market share
Year % 12

2002 7.2
2003 5.7
13
2004 11.0
2005 15.8
2006 9.2 14
2007 11.8
2008 16.3
15
2009 6.6
2010 14.2
2011 16.5 16

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was the top performing UK film in North America in 2011 earning
17
$381 million, followed by Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides with $241 million (Table 6.6).

18

19

20

21

Chapter 6: UK films internationally – 59
22

Table 6.6 Top 20 UK films at the USA and Canada box office (including co-productions), 2011
Title of origin (US$ million) Distributor

1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 UK/USA 381.0 Warner Bros
2 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides UK/USA 241.1 Walt Disney
3 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows UK/USA 184.7 Warner Bros
4 Captain America: The First Avenger UK/USA 176.6 Paramount
5 X-Men: First Class UK/USA 146.4 20th Century Fox
6 Gnomeo & Juliet UK/USA 99.8 Walt Disney
7 War Horse UK/USA 78.3 Walt Disney
8 Hugo UK/USA 64.8 Paramount
9 Arthur Christmas UK/USA 46.5 Sony Pictures
10 Paul UK/USA 37.4 Universal
11 The Debt UK/USA 31.2 Focus Features
12 The Iron Lady UK 23.1 The Weinstein Company
13 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy UK/Fra 22.1 Focus Features
14 Your Highness UK/USA 21.6 Universal
15 The Three Musketeers UK/Fra/Ger 20.4 Summit
16 The Eagle UK/USA 19.5 Focus Features
17 One Day UK/USA 13.8 Focus Features
18 My Week with Marilyn UK/USA 13.4 The Weinstein Company
19 Jane Eyre UK 11.2 Focus Features
20 Johnny English Reborn UK/USA 8.3 Universal
Note: Table lists the gross box office for films released in the USA and Canada in 2011 and includes 2012 earnings up to 12 February 2012.

6.3 UK films in Europe
Outside the UK and Republic of Ireland, the market share for UK films in major European territories ranged
from a high of 21% in Germany (including 4% for UK independent films) to 13% in France (Table 6.7).

Table 6.7 UK market share in selected European territories, 2011
Box office UK studio-backed UK independent
for UK films UK share films share* films share
Territory (€ million) (%) (%) (%)

Austria 24.4 19.5 16.4 3.1
France 27.0m (admissions) 13.0 10.3 2.7
Germany 196.4 21.4 17.5 3.9
Italy 110.3 17.1 13.8 3.3
Netherlands 43.2 19.1 15.8 3.3
Portugal 15.3 19.2 15.4 3.8
Spain 91.5 14.7 12.7 2.0

The top UK film in European countries (other than the UK and Republic of Ireland) in 2011 was Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 with over 25 million admissions (Table 6.8). The King’s Speech recorded the
highest admissions total for an independent UK film with over 12 million ticket sales.


1

2

Table 6.8 Top 20 UK films in other European countries, 2011 3

Country European
Title of origin admissions
4
1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 UK/USA 25,573,305
2 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides UK/USA 19,701,576
3 The King’s Speech UK 12,258,192 5

4 Hereafter* UK/USA 5,119,541
5 Johnny English Reborn UK/USA 4,975,855
6
6 Gnomeo & Juliet UK/USA 4,848,671
7 X-Men: First Class UK/USA 4,299,997
8 Paul UK/USA 4,278,636 7

9 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows UK/USA 3,980,292
10 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader UK/USA 3,041,554
8
11 Gulliver’s Travels UK/USA 2,979,569
12 Captain America: The First Avenger UK/USA 2,863,841
13 The Three Musketeers UK/Fra/Ger 2,456,051 9
14 Arthur Christmas UK/USA 2,375,198
15 127 Hours UK/USA 2,335,785
10
16 One Day UK/USA 1,552,393
17 Hugo UK/USA 779,429
18 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger* UK/USA/Spa 622,870 11
19 The Eagle UK/USA 575,567
20 The Debt UK/USA 435,303
12
Source: European Audiovisual Observatory Lumière Database.
Notes:
Data based on admissions from 24 European countries (excluding the UK and Republic of Ireland) in the 2011 calendar year.
* Hereafter and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger were released in 2010, the chart only covers admissions figures for 2011. 13

6.4 UK films in Latin America 14

UK films earned between 15% and 19% of the box office in the Latin American territories for which data
are available (Table 6.9). The top performing titles included Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,
The King’s Speech and The Three Musketeers. 15

Table 6.9 UK market share in selected Latin American countries, 2011 16
Territory (US$ million) (%) (%) (%)
17
Argentina 44.8 16.7 14.6 2.0
Brazil 130.3 17.0 14.9 2.1
Chile 17.4 19.1 17.8 1.2 18
Colombia 21.9 16.1 13.9 2.2
Mexico 134.3 16.7 15.5 1.2
19
Venezuela 34.0 15.1 13.9 1.2
* ‘Studio-backed’ means backed by one of the major US film studios. 20

21

Chapter 6: UK films internationally – 61
22

6.5 UK films in Asia
The highest grossing UK film in Japan and South Korea was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 with
The Three Musketeers and The King’s Speech the highest grossing independent films (Table 6.10).

Table 6.10 UK market share in Japan and South Korea, 2011

Japan 315.5 18.2 15.2 3.1
South Korea 129.0 11.3 10.2 1.1

6.6 UK films in Australasia
In 2011, UK films accounted for 19% of the theatrical market in Australia and 22% in New Zealand
(Table 6.11). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was the highest grossing UK film in both territories
with The Iron Lady and The Inbetweeners Movie the two highest grossing UK independent films in Australia.
The King’s Speech was the top UK independent film in New Zealand.

Table 6.11 UK market share in Australia and New Zealand, 2011

Australia 171.0 19.2 14.5 3.4
New Zealand 26.2 21.8 13.8 7.9

Note: Definition of ‘UK film’
For the purposes of this chapter, a UK film is one which is certified as such by the UK Secretary of State
for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport under Schedule 1 of the Films Act 1985, via the Cultural Test,
under one of the UK’s bilateral co-production agreements or the European Convention on Cinematographic
Co-production or a film which has not applied for certification but which is obviously British on the basis of
its content, producers, finance and talent. Most UK films in the analysis (including the major studio-backed
films) fall into the first group – films officially certified as British.

„
3 For more information on the UK and global market for filmed entertainment see Chapter 14 (page 134)
3 For more information about the UK film economy see Chapter 21 (page 189)

62 – BFI Statistical Yearbook 2012 Image: Tyrannosaur courtesy of StudioCanal

Chapter 7:

UK talent and awards

In a year when UK films topped the
box office at home, UK filmmaking
talent enjoyed huge success in the
global box office charts and at
international award ceremonies.
The skills that created such films as the
last Harry Potter movie, 2011’s highest
grossing worldwide release, and the
multi Oscar®-winner The King’s Speech,
took cinema and festival audiences by
storm and showcased British culture
and identity to the world.

Facts in focus:
Of the top 200 global box office successes of 2001–2011,
31 films are based on stories and characters created
by UK writers. Together they have earned more than
$20 billion (£12.3 billion) at the worldwide box office.

Half of the top 20 global box office successes of the last
11 years are based on novels by UK writers.

More than half of the top 200 films released worldwide
since 2001 have featured UK actors in lead or prominent
supporting roles.

UK directors were behind 24 of the 200 biggest films
of the last 11 years with David Yates topping the box
office league.

UK films and talent won 30 major film awards in 2011,
with eight of these awards being won at the Oscars®
and 15 at the BAFTAs. The 295 awards received
from 2001–2011 represented 14% of the total of all
major awards.

Chapter 7: UK talent and awards – 63

7.1 UK story material
The global box office performance of UK films and foreign productions which draw on UK source material
is a good indicator of the international impact and exposure of British culture. Of the top 200 grossing films
released worldwide between 2001 and 2011, 29 are UK qualifying films, and UK-originated story material
provided the inspiration for 31 films, a feat only bettered by US story material. Collectively these 31 films
have earned $20.6 billion (£12.3 billion) at the global box office.
Novels by British writers have provided the source material for 10 of the top 20 grossing films worldwide
since 2001 (Table 7.1).

Table 7.1 Top 20 grossing films worldwide, 2001–2011
Gross
Country box office UK story material
Rank Title of origin (US$ million) US distributor (writer)

1 Avatar USA 2,782 20th Century Fox
2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Part 2 UK/USA 1,328 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
The Return of the King USA/NZ 1,119 New Line Novel by JRR Tolkien
4 Transformers: Dark of the Moon USA 1,117 Paramount
Dead Man’s Chest USA 1,065 Buena Vista
6 Toy Story 3 USA 1,064 Walt Disney
On Stranger Tides UK/USA 1,042 Walt Disney
8 Alice in Wonderland USA 1,024 Walt Disney Novel by Lewis Carroll
9 The Dark Knight UK/USA 1,002 Warner Bros
10 Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone UK/USA 975 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
At World’s End USA 961 Walt Disney
12 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Part 1 UK/USA 955 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
Order of the Phoenix UK/USA 939 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
14 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince UK/USA 934 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
15 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers USA/NZ 923 New Line Novel by JRR Tolkien
16 Shrek 2 USA 915 DreamWorks
17 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire UK/USA 896 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
18 Spider-Man 3 USA 892 Sony Pictures
19 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs USA 888 20th Century Fox
20 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets UK/USA 879 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
Source: BFI RSU.

Looking just at films based on UK story material, the top 20 grossing films adapted from stories or characters
created by UK writers are listed in Table 7.2. Eighteen are adaptations of novels and short stories written
by UK authors, one is based on a successful stage production and one is from an original screenplay.


1

2

Table 7.2 Top 20 grossing films worldwide based on stories and characters created by UK writers, 2001–2011 3

Gross
Country box office UK story material
Rank Title of origin (US$ million) US distributor (writer)
4
Deathly Hallows: Part 2 UK/USA 1,328 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
2 The Lord of the Rings: 5
The Return of the King USA/NZ 1,119 New Line Novel by JRR Tolkien
3 Alice in Wonderland USA 1,024 Walt Disney Novel by Lewis Carroll
4 Harry Potter and the 6

Philosopher’s Stone UK/USA 975 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
7
Deathly Hallows: Part 1 UK/USA 955 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
Order of the Phoenix UK/USA 939 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
8
Half-Blood Prince UK/USA 934 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
8 The Lord of the Rings: 9
The Two Towers USA/NZ 923 New Line Novel by JRR Tolkien
9 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire UK/USA 896 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
10 Harry Potter and the 10
Chamber of Secrets UK/USA 879 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
The Fellowship of the Ring USA/NZ 868 New Line Novel by JRR Tolkien 11

12 Inception Original screenplay
UK/USA 823 Warner Bros by Christopher Nolan
12
Prisoner of Azkaban UK/USA 796 Warner Bros Novel by JK Rowling
14 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion,
13
the Witch and the Wardrobe USA/NZ 749 Walt Disney Novel by CS Lewis
15 Mamma Mia! Musical book and screenplay
UK/USA 602 Universal by Catherine Johnson
14
16 Casino Royale UK/USA/
Cze 600 Sony Pictures Novel by Ian Fleming
17 The War of the Worlds USA 596 Paramount Novel by HG Wells 15
18 Quantum of Solace UK/USA 575 Sony Pictures Based on Ian Fleming novels
19 Sherlock Holmes Based on Sir Arthur Conan
UK/USA 524 Warner Bros Doyle novels and short stories 16
20 How to Train Your Dragon USA 495 Paramount Novel by Cressida Cowell
Source: BFI RSU.
17
Of the 31 films from the top 200 based on UK stories and characters, the majority (84%) were based on the
work of new and classic authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Fleming, CS Lewis, JK Rowling and
JRR Tolkien (Figure 7.1). A new entry, which went straight to the top of the list was the top grossing UK film 18
of 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which was based on the novel by JK Rowling (to date the
Harry Potter franchise has taken over $7.7 billion at the worldwide box office). There are three other new
films in the top 200 which are based on UK story material. These are The King’s Speech, which is based on an 19
original screenplay by David Seidler, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, based on the writings of Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, based on the novel by CS Lewis.
20

21

22

Figure 7.1 Origin of UK story material in the top 200 films at the international box office, 2001–2011
%
Novel 84
Original screenplay 10
Comic book/graphic novel 3
Musical 3

7.2 UK actors
UK acting talent is widely recognised as being among the best in the world and more than half (129) of the
top 200 films at the international box office since 2001 have featured British actors in either lead/title roles
(40) or in the supporting cast (89). The prominent role played by UK actors in many of the major blockbusters
of the last decade is reflected in Figure 7.2 which shows the top 12 British actors based on appearances
in the top 200 films. The Harry Potter franchise features heavily in this chart.
Helena Bonham Carter is at the top of the list, as she has appeared in nine of the top 200 films, with four
of the nine being Harry Potter films. Second in the list are the regular stars of the Harry Potter franchise
(only the three main performers are shown in Figure 7.2 but several others have appeared in all seven films).
In third place is Orlando Bloom who has been in seven of the top 200 films including the Lord of the Rings
trilogy. Gary Oldman has also appeared in seven of the top 200 films including four Harry Potter films and
two films in the Batman franchise (Batman Begins and The Dark Knight).
Ian McKellen and Christopher Lee have both made six appearances in the top 200 films having featured
in some of the biggest franchises in cinema history such as Lord of the Rings, the Star Wars prequels and
the X-Men films. Robert Pattinson’s roles in all of the Twilight films and in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
means that he has appeared in five of the top 200 films. Jonathan Pryce has appeared in four of the top
200 films, three times in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, as well as in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
John Cleese’s role in two Harry Potter films puts him in the list with four appearances. He also appeared
in Die Another Day and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. Michael Caine also has four appearances for two
Batman films, Austin Powers in Goldmember and Inception.


1

2

Figure 7.2 Top 12 UK actors featured in the top 200 films at the worldwide box office, 2001–2011 3
(number of appearances in brackets)
Total gross box office (US$ billion)
10 4

8
5

6

6
4

2
7

0
rt at fe/
nt /
)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)
)

)
rt am

(8

(7

(6

(6

(5

(4

(4

(4
(9

(7
ri n
G so
pe W lif

an

n

ee

n

e

se

e
er

m
Ca nh

8

yc

in
le

so
Ru a c

oo

ee
rL
m
m d
Bo

el

Ca
Pr
in
Ra

Cl
Bl

ld

he
cK

tt

an
a

el
O
do

hn
Em l

Pa
en

op
M
ie

ha
th
y
an
an

Jo
el

ar

st
n

rt

ic
na
Ia
H

ri

be
G
rl
D

M
Ch

Jo
O

Ro
9
Total gross 9.44 7.69 6.09 5.63 4.53 4.14 3.36 2.98 2.54 2.49
box office
(US$ billion)

Source: BFI RSU. 10

Note: Includes actors who have made four or more appearances in the top 200 films, either in lead/title role or supporting role (not including voices
in animated films).
11

7.3 UK directors
Twenty-four of the 200 highest grossing films at the worldwide box office have been directed by British 12
12
directors (Figure 7.3 and Table 7.3). David Yates’s four Harry Potter films (Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 and 2) made
him the British director with the most commercial success in recent years, with total box office takings 13
of $4.16 billion. Christopher Nolan is second having directed Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Inception
which have combined box office takings of $2.2 billion. The third place is taken by Mike Newell who directed
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which together grossed $1.23 billion. 14
Ridley Scott is in fourth place, with three films (Kingdom of Heaven, Hannibal and American Gangster) which
grossed over $936 million between them. Guy Ritchie and Paul Greengrass rank next with combined grosses
of $859 million and $731 million respectively for their Sherlock Holmes and Jason Bourne films. Two women 15
feature in the top 200, Phyllida Lloyd for Mamma Mia! ($602 million) and Beeban Kidron for Bridget Jones:
The Edge of Reason ($255 million).
16
Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire ($377 million) is one of only two independent films in the list. The other
is Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech, a new entry to the top 200 with a worldwide gross of $414 million to date.
Four other British directors appear for the first time in the list. Rupert Wyatt’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes has 17
grossed $483 million, Kenneth Branagh’s Thor has taken $448 million, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of
the Dawn Treader directed by Michael Apted has grossed $416 million and Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First
Class has taken $353 million at the worldwide box office. 18

19

20

21

22

Figure 7.3 Top 10 UK directors based on top 200 grossing films at the global box office, 2001–2011
(numbers of films in brackets)
Gross box office (US$ million)
5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

0
2)
)

)

3)

)

)

)

)

)

)
(4

(3

(2

(2

(1

(1

(1

(1
l(

t(
es

an

e

ss

d

tt

h

ed
el

ot

hi

oy

ag
ya
ra
at

ew

pt
ol

Sc

tc

Ll

an
W
g
Y

rN

A
Ri

en
N

ey

a
id

Br

el
rt
lid
he

e

uy

re
dl
av

pe

ha
ik

h
G

yl
Ri
op

G

et
D

M

Ru

ic
Ph
ul

nn
st

M
Pa
ri

Ke
Ch

Worldwide gross 4,156 2,199 1,228 936 859 731 602 483 448 416
from films in
top 200 (US$ million)

Source: BFI RSU.

Table 7.3 UK directors from the top 200 films at the global box office and their films, 2001–2011
Total gross
box office
Director Film(s) (US$ million)

David Yates Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 4,156
Christopher Nolan Batman Begins, The Dark Knight
Inception 2,199
Mike Newell Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 1,228
Ridley Scott American Gangster, Hannibal, Robin Hood 936
Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 859
Paul Greengrass The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum 731
Phyllida Lloyd Mamma Mia! 602
Rupert Wyatt Rise of the Planet of the Apes 483
Kenneth Branagh Thor 448
Michael Apted The Chronicles of Narnia: 416
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Tom Hooper The King’s Speech 414
Danny Boyle Slumdog Millionaire 377
Matthew Vaughn X-Men: First Class 353
Beeban Kidron Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason 255
Source: BFI RSU.


1

2

7.4 Awards for UK films and talent 3

UK films and British talent, in front of and behind the camera, consistently enjoy major award recognition.
Table 7.4 illustrates the number of awards won since 2001 by UK films and individuals at two major 4
international award ceremonies (the Academy Awards® and BAFTA Film Awards) and the major international
film festivals (Berlin, Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and Venice). In all, there were 295 award-winners,
representing 14% of the awards made. 5

Table 7.4 Awards for British films and talent, 2001–2011
Year Number of UK award winners* UK share % 6

2001 25 14
2002 24 15 7
2003 22 13
2004 22 13
2005 23 14 8

2006 25 14
2007 32 15
9
2008 32 15
2009 36 17
2010 24 12 10

2011 30 15
Total 295 14
11
Source: BFI.
* Awards include the Academy Awards® and BAFTA Film Awards, as well as Berlin, Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and Venice festivals.

Awards and nominations are an important tool for raising the critical reputation and international profile 12

of UK film. UK films and talent won 30 major academy and festival awards in 2011, 15% of the total number
conferred. The awards and winners are shown in Table 7.5.
13
At the 2011 Oscars®, The King’s Speech won four awards including Best Picture. It also won the Best Director
award (Tom Hooper), Best Leading Actor (Colin Firth) and Best Original Screenplay (David Seidler). There
were also awards for British talent associated with other films. Christian Bale won Best Supporting Actor 14
for The Fighter, Dave Elsey won the Make Up award (with Rick Baker) for The Wolfman and Atticus Ross won
the Best Original Score award (with Trent Reznor) for The Social Network. One of Inception’s four Oscars® was
for Best Visual Effects, which went to the British team of Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley 15
and Peter Bebb.
In addition to its success at the Academy Awards®, The King’s Speech was the most successful film at the
BAFTAs with seven wins, including Best Film and Outstanding British Film. Of its five awards to individuals, 16
three went to British talent. Helena Bonham Carter won Best Supporting Actress and, matching their
successes at the Oscars®, Colin Firth won Best Leading Actor and David Seidler won Best Original Screenplay.
The King’s Speech also won two awards for non-British talent. Geoffrey Rush won Best Supporting Actor and 17
Alexandre Desplat won the Best Music award.
At the Sundance Festival Tyrannosaur won three awards. Paddy Considine won the World Cinema Directing 18
Award: Dramatic, and both Olivia Colman and Peter Mullan won World Cinema Special Jury Prizes: Dramatic
for Breakout Performances. Three other awards went to British films or talent at the Sundance Festival.
Felicity Jones won the Special Jury Prize: Dramatic for her role in Like Crazy, James Marsh won the World 19
Cinema Directing Award: Documentary for Project Nim and the British documentary Senna won the
World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary.
20

21

22

Of the 30 awards to British films and talent in 2011, Helena Bonham Carter’s BAFTA award and the awards
to Felicity Jones and Olivia Colman at the Sundance Festival were the only three awards won by British
women or by British films made by women, compared with 10 from 24 awards in 2010. (The list does not
include non-British wins for UK films such as the Golden Osella Outstanding Technical Contribution Award
won by Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan for Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights at the Venice Festival.)
However, one other British female filmmaker did collect an award for her film, but this award is not included
in the list as the award was for the film rather than the person, and the film is American. Erica Dunton
collected the Audience Award – Best of Next at the Sundance Festival for her film To.get.her. Another
British-born filmmaker not included in the list because an award was made to the film not an individual
is John Michael McDonagh who wrote and directed the Irish film The Guard which won a Special Mention
for Best First Feature at the Berlin Festival.

Table 7.5 UK award winners, 2011
Award ceremony/festival Award Recipient Title

Academy Awards ®
Best Picture Film The King’s Speech
27 February 2011 Award presented to Iain Canning,
Emile Sherman and Gareth
Unwin
Actor in a Leading Role Colin Firth The King’s Speech
Actor in a Supporting Role Christian Bale The Fighter
Directing Tom Hooper The King’s Speech
Make-Up Dave Elsey (with Rick Baker) The Wolfman
Music (Original Score) Atticus Ross (with Trent Reznor) The Social Network
Visual Effects Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Inception
Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
Writing (Original Screenplay) David Seidler The King’s Speech
BAFTA Film Awards Academy Fellowship Sir Christopher Lee
13 February 2011
Outstanding British The Harry Potter Films
Contribution to Cinema Award presented to JK Rowling
and David Heyman
Best Film Film The King’s Speech
Award presented to Iain Canning,
Emile Sherman and
Gareth Unwin
Outstanding British Film Film The King’s Speech
Award presented to Tom Hooper,
David Seidler, Iain Canning, Emile
Sherman and Gareth Unwin
Outstanding debut Chris Morris Four Lions
by a British writer,
director or producer
Original Screenplay David Seidler The King’s Speech
Leading Actor Colin Firth The King’s Speech
Supporting Actress Helena Bonham Carter The King’s Speech
Cinematography Roger Deakins True Grit
Production Design Guy Hendrix Dyas Inception
(with Larry Dias and
Doug Mowatt)


1

2

Award ceremony/festival Award Recipient Title 3

Special Visual Effects Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin, Inception
Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
4
Make-Up and Hair Paul Gooch (with Valli O’Reilly) Alice in Wonderland
Short Animation Film The Eagleman Stag
Award presented to 5
Michael Please
Short Film Film Until the River
Award presented to Paul Wright Runs Red 6
and Poss Kondeatis
Orange Wednesdays Rising Tom Hardy
Star Award 7

Sundance Film World Cinema Audience Film Senna
Festival Award: Documentary Award presented to Asif Kapadia
21–31 January 2011 8

World Cinema Directing James Marsh Project Nim
Award: Documentary
9
World Cinema Directing Paddy Considine Tyrannosaur
Award: Dramatic
World Cinema Special Jury Olivia Colman Tyrannosaur 10
Prize: Dramatic for Breakout
Performances
World Cinema Special Jury Peter Mullan Tyrannosaur 11
Prize: Dramatic for Breakout
Performances
Special Jury Prize: Dramatic Felicity Jones Like Crazy 12

Venice Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize: Best Film Film Shame
31 August – Award presented to
10 September 2011 Steve McQueen 13

Source: BFI.
Note: No awards were made to British talent or films at Berlin, Cannes or Toronto in 2011.
14

15

16

17

18

„
19

3 For more details on the film distribution sector in 2011 see Chapter 9 (page 86) 20
3 For more information about the exhibition sector in 2011 see Chapter 10 (page 94)
3 For more background on film production in 2011 see Chapter 17 (page 155)
21

22

Chapter 8:

Theatrical release history
and comparative
performance of
UK films
A successful theatrical release is seen
as key to a film’s long-term prospects,
and competition for the available
release slots is fierce. However, more
than half of the domestic UK films
which are not released theatrically
do reach an audience by being
shown at other venues or becoming
available on other platforms.

Facts in focus:
More than half (54%) of domestic UK films with budgets
of £500,000 or more shot between 2003 and 2009 were
released in at least one of 19 territories within two years
of principal photography, accounting for 71% of the total
UK film production budget over this period.

The percentage of films achieving a theatrical release
increased with the level of budget – just 14% of films
with budgets of less than £500,000 achieved a theatrical
release in at least one of 19 territories within two years
of principal photography.
For higher budget (£5 million or more) domestic UK films
the highest proportion of the international box office
came from the USA and Canada; for films with lower
budgets the highest percentage of box office came
from the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Using an international box office to budget ratio of 2 or
more as an approximate measure of profitability, overall
11% of domestic UK films with budgets of £500,000 or
more produced from 2003 to 2009 were profitable.
Of the films which do not achieve a theatrical release,
55% become available, or get shown, on other platforms
but, for low budget films, 41% are shown only at film
festivals and so are seen by a relatively small number
of viewers.

Statistical Yearbook 2012

1

2

8.1 Theatrical release of UK films 3

This chapter looks at the theatrical release performance of UK domestic films in the UK and internationally.
UK domestic films are features made by UK production companies that are produced wholly or partly 4
in the UK. Creative input to domestic films is from the UK producers, but some of the films are made with
financial backing from the major US studios. In previous Yearbooks, the performances of different categories
of UK films have been compared, but the present chapter compares UK domestic films of different 5
budget levels.
Two types of analysis are presented: release history of domestic UK films by year of production, and
release history of domestic UK films by budget level. Comprehensive data on films with budgets of less 6
than £500,000 are available only from 2008 onwards, so the analysis by production year includes only
films with budgets of £500,000 or more, but the analysis by budget levels includes all domestic UK films.
7
The reference period is the production years 2003 to 2009. Production year is defined as the year in which
principal photography begins. We restricted our analysis to these years because comprehensive production
tracking data are only available from 2003, and 2009 is the latest production year included as it may take
8
a number of years for a film to be theatrically released, as Figure 8.1 shows.
It should be borne in mind that the number of effective theatrical release slots each year is tightly
constrained, there being only 52 weekends per year. Films can also be released on DVD/Blu-ray, shown 9
on terrestrial or multi-channel television, or downloaded or streamed over different digital platforms.
The theatrical release territories included in this analysis are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile,
10
Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, UK and
Republic of Ireland (one territory), USA and Canada (one territory) and Venezuela. These 19 territories are
covered because they account for the majority (75% in 2011, according to Screen Digest Cinema Intelligence)
11
of the global theatrical market, and because title-matched box office data for these territories are available1.

8.2 Time to first theatrical release 12

Figure 8.1 shows the time taken from principal photography to first release in at least one of the above
19 territories for 267 domestic UK films with budgets of £500,000 or more shot between 2003 and 2007. 13
Films with budgets of less than £500,000 are excluded from Figure 8.1 because comprehensive information
on these films is available only for 2008 onwards. However, the low budget films are included in the sections
which look at the performance of domestic UK films by budget level. 14

Overall, nearly three fifths of the higher budget films produced between 2003 and 2007 were released
within two years, but a significant minority (10%) took longer than two years to get a first theatrical release.
This means that the closer the time of production is to the present day, the lower the proportion of films 15

which have been released. For this reason, the analysis of release history is limited to films shot up to
the end of 2009 and ‘release’ is defined as a theatrical release within two years of principal photography.
This will underestimate the final release rate by about 10%, but provides a common measure for 16

comparing films produced in different years.

17

18

19

20
1 For Colombia and Venezuela box office data are available only from early 2007, so it is possible that some of the earlier films were released in these
territories but were missed from the present study. The earliest box office data for Portugal, Netherlands and Japan are for August 2006, September 2004
and January 2004 respectively, so it is also possible that some of the films produced before these dates are wrongly recorded as not having been released
in these territories. For the other 14 territories the box office data are available from before 2003.
21

Image: Slumdog Millionaire courtesy of Pathé Chapter 8: Theatrical release history and comparative performance of UK films – 73
22

Figure 8.1 Elapsed time from principal photography to first international release of UK films shot in 2003–2007
% of all films produced
50.0
45.0
40.0
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0
ar

s

s

s

ed
s
ar

ar

ar
ar
ye

as
ye

ye

ye
ye
<1

le
<2

<4

4+
<3

re
to

to

ot
to

N
1

3
2

% of 13.5 43.4 8.2 2.2 0.4 32.2
all films
produced

Source: Rentrak, BFI.
Note: Release rates up to the end of 2011. Here ‘international’ release means a release in any of 19 Rentrak territories, including the UK and
Republic of Ireland.

8.3 Release rate of UK films in the UK and Republic of Ireland
Of the 438 domestic UK films (with budgets of £500,000 or more) shot between 2003 and 2009, 215 (49%) were
released theatrically in the UK and Republic of Ireland within two years of principal photography (Table 8.1).
Films produced in 2007 and 2009 had the lowest release rate (44%) while those made in 2003 had the highest
release rate (63%). The overall release rate would have been 59% (260 films) without the two-year follow-up
limit (see section 8.3).
Table 8.1 also shows that released films tend to have higher budgets than the unreleased ones. The median
budget of the released films over this period was £2.4 million which is twice the median for the unreleased
films. Films which were released theatrically accounted for 67% of the total film budget over this period.
The lowest rate was in 2008 when films which achieved a theatrical release accounted for just under half
of the year’s total domestic film production budget.


1

2

Table 8.1 Domestic UK films release rates in the UK and Republic of Ireland, production years 2003–2009 3

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total

Number released within two years of
4
principal photography 29 20 30 28 31 38 39 215
% released within two years of principal photography 63.0 50.0 56.6 49.1 43.7 46.3 43.8 49.1
Number of films produced 46 40 53 57 71 82 89 438 5
Median budget of released films (£ million) 3.8 3.3 2.2 2.4 1.9 1.9 2.6 2.4
Median budget of unreleased films (£ million) 1.5 1.9 1.3 1.0 1.1 1.4 1.0 1.2
6
Median budget of all films (£ million) 2.9 2.3 2.0 1.6 1.2 1.7 1.4 1.7
Released films’ % of total budget 81.3 68.2 69.6 79.3 59.1 49.6 65.1 67.0
Source: Rentrak, DCMS, BFI. 7
Notes:
Only films with budgets of £500,000 or more are included in the table.
Release rates subject to two-year release limit (see section 8.2).
A film is considered to be released theatrically if it was recorded as such by Rentrak. 8

8.4 Release rate of domestic UK productions by different budget levels in the UK and 9
Republic of Ireland
Table 8.2 shows that over the reference period, the higher the budget for a domestic UK film, the more
10
likely it is to achieve a theatrical release in the UK and Republic of Ireland within two years of principal
photography. Just 13% of films with budgets of less than £500,000 were released theatrically, compared
with 83% of films with budgets of £10 million or more. However, as mentioned earlier in the chapter, some
11
domestic UK films are made with financial support from the major US studios, which would also distribute
the films. Two thirds of the films in the highest budget band had financial support from one of the major
studios. Two of the five films in this budget band which were not released in the UK were supported by
12
one of the studios.

Table 8.2 Release rates of domestic UK films in the UK and Republic of Ireland by budget level, production 13
years 2003–2009
Budget
<£0.5 £0.5–£2 £2–£5 £5–£10 £10+ 14
million million million million million Total

Number released within two years
of principal photography 59 85 73 32 25 274 15

% released 12.7 35.4 59.3 71.1 83.3 30.3
Number of films produced 466 240 123 45 30 904
16
Median budget of released films (£ million) 0.2 1.1 2.9 6.3 16.4 1.8
Source: Rentrak, DCMS, BFI.
Notes: 17
A film is considered to be released theatrically if it was recorded as such by Rentrak.

18

19

20

21

Chapter 8: Theatrical release history and comparative performance of UK films – 75
22

8.5 Box office performance of domestic UK productions by budget level in the UK and
Republic of Ireland
Table 8.3 shows the median box office takings for domestic UK films by budget level. The table shows that
the median box office increases with the level of budget. The median UK box office for the 59 domestic UK
films shot between 2003 and 2009 with budgets of less than £500,000 was £4,000, compared with a median
box office of £5.4 million for the 25 films with budgets of £10 million or more. However, it is likely that the
distributors of the higher budget films spend more on promotion and advertising of the films, which will
have an impact on box office takings. This is particularly true of the higher budget films made and
distributed with financial support from the major US studios.

Table 8.3 Box office performance of domestic UK productions in the UK and Republic of Ireland, by budget
level, production years 2003–2009 (ranked by median box office)
Median Mean Number of
Budget level (£ 000) (£ 000) films released

£10+ million 5,350 8,763 25
£5 – £10 million 1,042 4,273 32
£2 – £5 million 386 1,019 73
£0.5 – £2 million 39 252 85
<£0.5 million 4 36 59
Total 137 1,656 274
Notes:
Figures shown are of UK films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland within two years of principal photography (see section 8.2).
Box office figures valid to the end of 2011.
The median (the value at which equal numbers of films have higher and lower box office values) is a better representation of the ‘middle’ of the distribution
of box office revenues than the mean which tends to have an upward skew due to a small number of high box office films. Means are also shown in the
table for reference.

8.6 International release rates of UK films (19 territories)
Table 8.4 shows that 54% of all domestic UK films (with budgets of £500,000 or more) shot over the
years 2003 to 2009 were released theatrically in one or more of 19 territories within two years of the start
of principal photography. The overall release rate would have been 63% (276 films) without the two-year
follow-up limit (see section 8.2). The lowest rate was 44% for films produced in 2009, and the highest rate
was 67% for films produced in 2003. However, although 2009 had the lowest rate and 2003 had the highest
rate, looking at the numbers of films released, more 2009 productions than 2003 productions were released
(39 from 2009 and 31 from 2003).
Overall, the films which achieved an international release accounted for 71% of the aggregate budgets of all
films produced in the period. This, together with Table 8.1, provides some reassurance that a high proportion
of the total UK film budget and associated tax relief are attached to films which gain theatrical releases.


1

2

Table 8.4 International release rates of domestic UK films, production years 2003–2009 3

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total

Number released within two years of
4
% released within two years of principal photography 67.4 57.5 62.3 50.9 50.7 53.7 43.8 53.7
Number of films produced 46 40 53 57 71 82 89 438 5
Median budget of released films (£ million) 3.8 3.4 2.3 2.4 2.0 1.9 2.6 2.4
Median budget of unreleased films (£ million) 1.0 1.7 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.3 1.0 1.1
6
Median budget of all films (£ million) 2.9 2.3 2.0 1.6 1.2 1.7 1.4 1.7
Released films’ % of total budget 85.4 75.7 80.7 79.9 65.0 53.8 65.1 71.3
Source: Rentrak, DCMS, BFI. 7
Notes:
Release rates are calculated two years after principal photography (see section 8.2).
A film is ‘internationally released’ if it was recorded as such in any one of the 19 Rentrak territories monitored (see section 8.1 for the list). 8

8.7 International release rates of domestic UK productions at different budget levels 9

Table 8.5 shows that, as with UK releases, international release rates increased with increasing budget
levels. Just 14% of films with budgets of less than £500,000 achieved a theatrical release in at least one
10
of the 19 Rentrak territories, compared with 87% of films with budgets of £10 million or more. Two thirds
of the films in the highest budget band had financial support from one of the major US studios,
including two of the four non-released films.
11
It is possible that the ‘true’ international release rates could be higher than indicated by Table 8.5.
For example, many European countries, including all Nordic countries, where domestic UK films might
be expected to be released, are missing from our box office coverage. 12

Table 8.5 International release rates of domestic UK films by budget level, production years 2003–2009
13
Budget
<£0.5 £0.5–£2 £2–£5 £5–£10 £10+
14
Number released within two years
of principal photography 65 92 83 34 26 300
% released 13.9 38.3 67.5 75.6 86.7 33.2 15
Number of films produced 466 240 123 45 30 904
Median budget of released films (£ million) 0.2 1.1 2.9 6.3 15.9 1.8
16
Notes:
Release rates are calculated two years after principal photography (see section 8.2).
A film is ‘internationally released’ if it was recorded as such in any one of the 19 Rentrak territories monitored (see section 8.1 for the list). 17

8.8 International box office performance of domestic UK productions by budget level 18
As with box office earnings in the UK, the average international box office takings for domestic UK films
increased with increasing budget levels. The median international box office for films with budgets of less
than £500,000 was $8,000, compared with $37 million for films with budgets of £10 million or more. Note 19
that the box office data cover only 19 international territories (including the UK and Republic of Ireland).
The global median box office for domestic UK films would be higher than the figures presented here.
20

21

22

Table 8.6 Box office (US$) for domestic UK films released in at least one of 19 territories by budget level,
production years 2003–2009 (ranked by median box office)
Median Mean Number of
Budget level (US$ 000) (US$ 000) films released

£10+ million 36,951 54,276 26
£5 – £10 million 4,765 28,116 34
£2 – £5 million 1,151 3,567 83
£0.5 – £2 million 138 914 92
<£0.5 million 8 96 65
Total 377 9,178 300
Notes:
Figures shown are for UK films released in at least one of 19 Rentrak territories within two years of principal photography (see section 8.2).
Box office figures valid to end of 2011.

8.9 Local and overseas share of box office of UK films
Figure 8.2 shows that overall 29% of the international box office for domestic UK films (from 19 Rentrak
territories) came from the local (UK and Republic of Ireland) theatrical market but, looking at films of
different budget levels, there were differences in the proportions of total international box office from
the local market. For films with budgets over £5 million, three quarters of the total international box office
came from overseas, for films with budgets between £500,000 and £5 million, just over half of the total
international box office came from overseas, but for the low budget films, nearly two thirds of the total
international box office came from the local market.

Figure 8.2 Local and overseas share of domestic UK film box office, production years 2003–2009
% share
80.0

70.0

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0 <£0.5 million £0.5 – £2 million £2 – £5 million £5 – £10 million £10+ million Total

UK/R. of Ireland 64 44 43 25 26 29
Overseas 36 56 57 75 74 71

Notes:
Release rates subject to limit of two years from principal photography (see section 8.2).


1

2

Table 8.7 shows the relative importance of the international territories for UK films. The North American 3
market accounted for 33% of the total international box office for domestic UK films, grossed from the
19 Rentrak territories. The domestic market (the UK and Republic of Ireland) accounted for 29% of the total
box office, followed by the European countries (22%), Australia and New Zealand (8%), Japan and Korea (4%) 4
and the main territories of Latin America (4%). The commonality of the English language between most UK
films and the North American audience and the fact the US box office is the largest in the world (28% share
of the total world box office in 2011, according to Screen Digest) partly explain the higher share of total box 5
office of UK films attributed to the North American market.

6
Table 8.7 Share of 19 territory international box office of domestic UK films by geographically grouped
territories, production years 2003–2009
Share of international
Territories box office (%) 7

USA and Canada 33
UK and Republic of Ireland 29 8
Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain 22
Australia, New Zealand 8
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela 4 9

Japan, Korea 4
Total of Rentrak multi-territory box office 100 10
Notes:
Release rates subject to two-year release limit (see section 8.2). 11

It is interesting to look at the relative importance of international territories for domestic UK films
at different budget levels. Table 8.8 shows the box office share over the groups of territories for the films 12
in budget bands.
For the higher budget films (over £5 million), the USA and Canada is the most lucrative market accounting
13
for around one third of the international box office. Second is the UK and Republic of Ireland (one quarter
of the international market), closely followed by the European territories which account for just under
a quarter of the total box office. For the films with budgets under £5 million the domestic market (UK and
14
Republic of Ireland) is the most important, and its share of the total international box office increases as
the budget level decreases.
For films with budgets between £500,000 and £5 million, the UK and Republic of Ireland accounts for just 15
under half the total market, followed by the European territories with about a quarter of the market and the
USA and Canada with one fifth of the total international box office. For the lowest budget films (less than
£500,000) the UK and Republic of Ireland accounts for 62% of the total international box office, followed 16
by the European territories (22%). Although the USA’s box office is the world’s largest, the USA and Canada
is a small market for low budget domestic UK films. This territory accounts for just 6% of the total
international box office for these films (less than Australia and New Zealand’s 10%). 17

For films of all budget levels the European territories account for very similar shares of the total international
box office (24% for films with budgets of £500,000 to £5 million and 22% for films of all other budget levels). The
South American territories, Japan and Korea are not major markets for domestic UK films of any budget levels. 18

19

20

21

22

Table 8.8 Share of 19 territory international box office of domestic UK films by geographically grouped
territories for different budget levels, production years 2003–2009
Share of international box office (%)
<£0.5 £0.5–£2 £2–£5 £5–£10 £10+
Territories million million million million million

USA and Canada 6 17 21 36 34
Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands,
Portugal, Spain 22 24 22 22 22
UK and Republic of Ireland 62 45 44 25 27
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico,
Venezuela 0 5 2 5 3
Australia, New Zealand 10 7 8 8 9
Japan, Korea 0 1 2 5 5
Total of Rentrak multi-territory box office 100 100 100 100 100
See notes to Table 8.7.
Totals may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

8.10 Profitability
It is difficult to measure the overall profitability of UK films. However, a proxy measure such as the ratio
of international box office to budget can be a useful indicator. Previous analysis suggests that if a low to
medium budget British film generates worldwide box office revenues greater than twice its budget, it is
likely to be in profit by the time returns from ancillary revenues (physical video, digital downloads, TV, etc)
are added to its income stream and all costs deducted (including VAT, exhibition, distribution and retail
margins, prints and advertising, etc). Below that level it is likely to have made a loss. In the present study,
the international box office from the 19 Rentrak territories is used as a proxy measure for ‘worldwide’ box
office. Figure 8.3 shows the budget to box office ratio by budget of UK films shot between 2003 and 2009
which had gained a theatrical release within two years of principal photography.
Over this period only 25 (11%) of the 235 domestic UK films (with budgets of £500,000 or more) released
internationally (in at least one of the 19 Rentrak territories) achieved a multi-territory box office to budget
ratio of 2 or above. This suggests that only a small number of internationally released UK feature films are
likely to have made profits for their producers and investors and underlines the highly risky nature of
investment in film production.


1

2

Figure 8.3 International box office/budget ratio by budget of domestic UK films across 19 territories, 3
production years 2003–2009
Box office/budget ratio
4
8

7
5

6

6

5

7
4

3 8

2
9

1

10
0
10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000
Budget (£ 000)
11
Each dot is one film.
Notes: 12
The horizontal axis is in log scale. Some films are not shown in order to avoid disclosing budget information.
13
Overall, 11% of the released domestic UK films with budgets of £500,000 or more achieved a multi-territory
box office to budget ratio of 2 or above. However, there were variations between years over the period 2003
to 2009, as Table 8.9 shows. In 2008 only 5% of released films achieved a box office to budget ratio of 2 or
14
more, but in 2006 and 2007 just under 14% of films achieved this ratio.

Table 8.9 Percentage of domestic UK films achieving multi-territory box office to budget ratio of 2 or above 15
by year of production, 2003–2009
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total
16
Number of films released with two years of
Number of films achieving a ratio of 2 or above 3 3 3 4 5 2 5 25 17
% of films achieving a ratio of 2 or above 9.7 13.0 9.1 13.8 13.9 4.5 12.8 10.6
18
Notes:
19

20

21

22

Table 8.10 shows that, as with release rates and average box office takings, the proportion of domestic UK
films achieving a multi-territory box office to budget ratio of 2 or above increases with the level of budgets.
For domestic UK films with budgets of less than £500,000 only 3% achieve this proxy measure of profitability,
but for domestic UK films with budgets of £10 million or more 31% achieve the ratio. However, 18 of the
26 released films in this budget band, including all eight films which achieved the box office to budget ratio
of 2 or more, are films which received financial support, which would include multi-territory distribution
and promotion, from one of the major US studios.

Table 8.10 Percentage of domestic UK films achieving multi-territory box office to budget ratio of 2 or above
by budget level, production years 2003–2009
<£0.5 £0.5–£2 £2–£5 £5–£10 £10+

Number of films released within two years
65 92 83 34 26 300
of principal photography
Number of films achieving a ratio of 2 or above 2 5 7 5 8 27
% of films achieving a ratio of 2 or above 3.1 5.4 8.4 14.7 30.8 9.0
Notes:

8.11 Films which were not released theatrically
In this chapter a film is considered to have been released theatrically if it was released within two years
of principal photography. Films released more than two years after principal photography have been
considered as not released when calculating release rates. Our data on box office and theatrical release
details (opening date, distributor, etc) are supplied by Rentrak, and so the definition of release also depends
on having the release data from them. Occasionally a film might be released for a short time in a small
number of venues and is not tracked by Rentrak. Such a film would be included as not released in the
release rate calculations (even if the limited release occurred within two years of principal photography).
Even where a film is not shown in a cinema (whether tracked or not), there are many other ways for it
to be seen by an audience, and so it is of interest to know what happens to films which do not achieve
a theatrical release.
Our data included 514 films for which we had information on production, but no data on theatrical release
from Rentrak. Using other sources of information (IMDb, film festival websites, films’ own websites, etc) the
outcome of these film projects (whether they have been shown at any venue or festival or whether they are
available on any medium) was investigated. There are many possibilities for the outcome of a film project
and Table 8.11 shows the number of films which fall into three broad outcome categories:
• the film has been completed and shown or is available;
• the film is still in production or post-production; and
• no information found.
The last category includes all films for which no information was available from the sources investigated,
it does not indicate a definite outcome. For example, any film for which production has been abandoned
would fall into the last category, but not all films in this category would have been abandoned. Table 8.11
shows that, overall, 55% of films which do not achieve a theatrical release are shown or are available
on some other platform.


1

2

Table 8.11 Outcome of film projects by budget for domestic UK films which have not been 3
released theatrically
Budget
4
Outcome of film project <£0.5 million £0.5–£2 million >=£2 million Total

Shown/available 204 53 27 284
Still in production/post-production 43 9 3 55 5
No information 107 56 12 175
Total 354 118 42 514
6
Source: BFI RSU.
Note: Films which had limited releases that were not tracked by Rentrak are considered to be not released.

7
For non-released films with budgets between Figure 8.4 Percentages of ‘non-released’ film projects
£500,000 and £2 million, just 45% of films have been falling into each of three basic outcome categories
shown at a small venue or festival or are available by budget level 8
to the public on some platform, compared with %
58% of films with budgets of less than £500,000 and 100
64% of films with budgets of £2 million or more 90 9
(Figure 8.4). For the low budget films (under £500,000)
80
the percentage which were still in production or
70
post-production is 12%, compared with 8% for films 10
with budgets between £500,000 and £2 million, and 60
7% for films with budgets of £2 million or more. 50

40 11

30

20
12
10

0 <£0.5 million £0.5–£2 >=£2
million million
13
Shown/
available 57.6 44.9 64.3
Still in production/
post-production 12.1 7.6 7.1 14

No information 30.2 47.5 28.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0
15
Source: BFI RSU.
Notes:
Films which had limited releases that were not tracked by Rentrak are 16
considered to be not released.

17

18

19

20

21

22

For films that have been identified as having been shown at some venue or available on some platform,
Table 8.12 shows where they have been shown or are available. Some films are available on more than
one platform or have been shown or broadcast and are also available on DVD or online.

Table 8.12 Numbers of ‘non-released’ films shown or available by budget
Budget
<£0.5 million £0.5–£2 million >=£2 million Total

Available on DVD 81 25 17 123
Available online 14 4 0 18
Shown on TV 7 7 11 25
Limited UK theatrical release 16 4 1 21
Theatrical release in India 1 4 1 6
Shown at film festival and other 37 14 6 57
Shown at film festival only 95 12 2 109
Total 204 53 27 284
Source: BFI RSU.
Notes:
Categories may sum to more than the totals as some films are included in more than one category.
Films which had limited releases that were not tracked by Rentrak are considered to be not released.

For the films which did not achieve a theatrical release, but are available or have been shown on other
platforms, there are differences by budget level in the percentages shown or available on different platforms
(Figure 8.5). The percentage of films available on DVD or shown on TV increased with the level of budget,
whereas the reverse is true of screenings at film festivals. The films shown at festivals have been divided
into films screened at festivals and also available elsewhere and films screened at festivals only. A film
festival provides in effect a one-off opportunity for a film to be viewed so a film shown just at a festival has
less opportunity to reach an audience than one shown at a festival and also available on other platforms.
A high percentage of low budget films (47%) have been shown at festivals only.
The difference between budget levels in the percentage of films shown on TV stands out, with 41% of films
with budgets of £2 million or more having been shown on TV, compared with 13% of films with budgets
between £500,000 and £2 million, and just 3% of films with budgets of less than £500,000. A higher
percentage of lower budget films (8% of films in both of the two lower budget bands) had had a limited
theatrical release which has not been tracked by Rentrak compared with the higher budget films (4% of
films with budgets of £2 million or more). However, for the higher budget films the 4% represents just one
film, and there was no information to show that any of the films in this budget band were available online.
Rather than an indication that there is little demand for the higher budget films on these platforms, these
low figures are more likely to have occurred because a low percentage of the higher budget films fail to
achieve a tracked theatrical release.


1

2

Figure 8.5 Percentages of ‘non-released’ films in each shown or availability category by budget 3
%

70

60 4

50

40 5

30

20
6
10

0 Available Available Shown Limited UK Theatrical Shown at Shown at
on DVD online on TV theatrical release film festival film festival 7
release in India and other only
>=£2 million 63.0 0.0 40.7 3.7 3.7 22.2 7.4
£0.5–2 million 47.2 7.5 13.2 7.5 7.5 26.4 22.6
8
<£0.5 million 39.7 6.9 3.4 7.8 0.5 18.1 46.6

Source: BFI RSU.
9
Notes:
Percentages over categories add to more than 100 as some films are included in more than one category.
Films which had limited releases that were not tracked by Rentrak are considered to be not released.

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

„
18

3 For cinema admissions and box office in 2011 see Chapter 1 (page 8) 19
3 For UK films on video see Chapter 11 (page 111)
3 For UK films on television see Chapter 13 (page 124)
3 For UK films internationally see Chapter 6 (page 56) 20
3 For US studio involvement in UK film production in 2011 see Chapter 17 (page 155)
3 Analysis of the film economy is given in Chapter 21 (page 189)
21

22

Chapter 9:

Distribution

In an increasingly crowded theatrical
marketplace, distributors are spending
more on advertising than ever before.
Advertising spend in 2011 was
16% higher than in 2010 while the
number of releases was virtually
unchanged.

Facts in focus:
The top 10 distributors had a 94% share of the market
in 2011, the same as in 2010.

Weekdays (Monday to Thursday) accounted for 42% of
the box office, the highest share since our records began.

Opening weekends represented 28% of the total
box office.

The estimated total advertising spend was £197 million.
The average advertising spend for studio-backed UK
films was £1.6 million and for UK independent films
was just under £0.2 million.

Statistical Yearbook 2012

1

2

9.1 Distributors in 2011 3

Table 9.1 shows that the top 10 distributors had a 94% share of the market in 2011 from the release
of 254 titles (37% of total releases). This is similar to 2010 when the top 10 distributors had a 94% share 4
of the market from 38% of total releases. The remaining 98 distributors handled a total of 435 titles,
63% of all releases, but gained only a 6% share of the box office.
The leading distributor was Warner Bros, which released the top earning film of 2011, Harry Potter and the 5
Deathly Hallows: Part 2, as well as The Hangover Part II and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Table 9.1 shows
box office takings by distributor for all films on release in 2011, and hence the box office takings of some
films which were released in 2010 but remained on release into 2011 are included. In second place in the 6
list of top 10 distributors is Paramount whose highest earning films of the year were The Adventures of Tintin:
The Secret of the Unicorn, Kung Fu Panda 2, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
All of these films are in the list of the top 20 films of the year. 7

Table 9.1 Distributor share of box office, UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011
8
Market Films on Box office
share release in gross
Distributor (%) 2011 (£ million)
9
Warner Bros 18.2 30 210.4
Paramount 16.3 32 189.4
20th Century Fox 12.1 31 140.0 10
Universal 11.8 34 136.9
Walt Disney 8.7 14 100.2
Sony Pictures 7.2 24 83.5 11

Entertainment 6.7 22 77.2
eOne Films 5.1 11 58.9
12
Momentum 4.6 13 53.0
StudioCanal/Optimum* 3.8 43 44.5
Sub-total 94.4 254 1,094.0 13

Others (98 distributors) 5.6 435 65.3
Total 100.0 689 1,159.3
14
Source: Rentrak.
Notes:
Box office gross = cumulative box office total for all films handled by the distributor in the period 31 December 2010 to 5 January 2012.
15
Percentages may not add to sub-totals due to rounding.

Foreign language films accounted for one third of releases at the UK box office in 2011. The top 10
16
distributors of foreign language films released 93 of the total 182 titles (Table 9.2). There were more
releases in Hindi than any other non-English language in 2011 so companies releasing Indian films – such
as Eros International, Reliance Big Pictures, UTV Motion Pictures, B4U Network and Ayngaran International –
17
dominate the list. 20th Century Fox, the distributor of the highest grossing foreign language film of the year
(Pedro Almodvar’s The Skin I Live In) also released two Hindi language titles, Dum Maaro Dum and Force.
Ayngaran International released the most foreign language titles (17) in 2011, while Eros International’s
18
16 releases had the biggest share of the box office (£5.8 million).
The distributor of non-Indian foreign language films with the highest box office share was StudioCanal/
Optimum, whose titles included Biutiful, Potiche and Sarah’s Key. 19

20

21

Image: My Week with Marilyn courtesy of Entertainment Film Distributors Chapter 9: Distribution – 87
22

Table 9.2 Top 10 distributors of foreign language films in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011
(ranked by box office gross)
Films Average Box office
released widest point gross
Distributor in 2011 of release (£ million)

Eros International 16 39 5.8
Reliance Big Pictures 6 41 3.5
StudioCanal/Optimum* 14 23 2.8
Artificial Eye 9 22 1.9
20th Century Fox 3 80 1.9
UTV Motion Pictures 6 35 1.5
B4U Network 12 15 1.3
Ayngaran 17 10 0.8
Yash Raj Films 2 38 0.6
Soda Pictures 8 10 0.5
Notes: The list includes distributors releasing two or more foreign language titles in 2011.

9.2 Distributors 2004–2011
The distributors’ market shares fluctuate from year to year (Table 9.3). The leading distributor of 2010,
Warner Bros, was again the top distributor in 2011, with similar market shares in both years. In 2011
Warner Bros releases included the top film of the year, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, as well
as other popular titles such as The Hangover Part II and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The share of box
office made by distributors outside the top 10 was just under 6% in 2011, which is the third highest share
for distributors in this category since 2004. In the last few years it has ranged from under 3% in 2005 to
just below 8% in 2009.

Table 9.3 Distributor market share as percentage of box office gross, 2004–2011
Distributor 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Warner Bros 14.7 18.2 8.2 15.6 11 11.2 18.3 18.2
Paramount – – – 14.7 16.9 10.8 14.8 16.3
20th Century Fox 10.7 14.3 20.9 13.9 9.4 16.6 15.9 12.1
Universal Pictures – – – 13.9 18.5 10.5 10.2 11.8
Walt Disney 14.5 13.1 15.7 10.7 9.9 12.4 14.0 8.7
Sony Pictures 10 6.8 16.1 8.2 12.5 11.3 6.9 7.2
Entertainment 7.9 9.4 7.9 9.5 8.0 8.6 2.5 6.7
eOne Films – – – – – 4.9 5.5 5.1
Momentum 2.2 1.9 2.3 3.4 3.5 – – 4.6
StudioCanal/Optimum – – – – – – 2.2 3.8
Lions Gate 1.0 0.3 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.9 3.5 –
Pathé 2.8 3.4 3.2 1.3 2.1 2.9 – –
UIP* 29.8 29.1 18.9 – – – – –
Top 10 total** 96.1 97.3 96.4 94.5 94.5 92.2 93.7 94.4
Others 3.9 2.7 3.6 5.5 5.5 7.8 6.3 5.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Source: Rentrak.
* Until 2006 Paramount and Universal distributed jointly as UIP.
** Top 10 total refers to the top 10 distributors of that particular year. The table is ranked by top 10 distributors in 2011.
Note: Percentages may not add to sub-totals due to rounding.


1

2

9.3 Weekend box office 3

In 2011, 58% of the box office was taken at weekends (Friday to Sunday), the lowest percentage of the
last eight years (Table 9.4). As in 2009 and 2010, the films released in 2011 included a significant number 4
which attracted large weekday audiences. Films which appeal to older audiences tend to get good weekday
admissions and family films tend to draw weekday audiences during school holidays. Some of the top
films of the year belonged in these categories. The best known example of a film which appeals to older 5
audiences is The King’s Speech, which took 42% of its box office during the week. Other films with broad
appeal took even higher percentages of box office outside the weekend. My Week with Marilyn, for example,
took 48% of its box office during the week. Also, some of 2011’s family films, such as Arthur Christmas and 6
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, were very successful at the box office. Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 2 was released on 15 July but 47% of its box office was taken during weekdays in August when
school pupils were on holiday. 7
In addition, the ‘Orange Wednesdays’ promotion continued to have an impact in 2011 with 14% of the box
office being taken on Wednesdays (the highest percentage of box office taken on Wednesdays over the last
eight years). 8

Table 9.4 Box office percentage share by weekday/weekend, 2004–2011
9
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Friday 15.3 18.0 16.5 16.4 16.7 16.4 16.0 16.6
Saturday 24.5 27.0 25.1 27.8 24.4 24.0 24.1 23.8 10

Sunday 19.9 19.0 18.7 19.3 18.3 17.8 18.5 17.6
Weekend 59.7 64.0 60.3 63.5 59.4 58.2 58.6 57.9
11
Monday 9.7 8.0 9.5 7.2 9.4 9.2 9.5 9.2
Tuesday 10.1 8.0 9.5 9.0 9.5 9.5 9.3 9.1
Wednesday 10.7 10.0 10.9 11.6 11.9 13.7 13.2 13.9 12

Thursday 9.8 10.0 9.7 8.7 9.9 9.5 9.3 9.8
Weekday 40.3 36.0 39.7 36.5 40.7 41.8 41.4 42.1
13
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Source: Rentrak.
Note: Percentages may not add to weekend/weekday sub-totals due to rounding. 14

The opening weekend box office as a share of total theatrical revenue was 28% in 2011 as shown in Table 9.5.
The year’s top film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, took £23.8 million on its opening weekend,
15
which is the record for a three-day opening weekend (if a film is previewed before the official Friday
opening, its opening weekend box office figures include the takings from its previews). This opening
weekend gross represented 33% of the film’s total box office. Both Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and
16
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 were high grossing films and both took almost half their total
grosses on their opening weekends.
17

18

19

20

21

Chapter 9: Distribution – 89
22

Table 9.5 Opening weekend as percentage of total box office, 2007–2011
% of total in % of total in % of total in % of total in % of total in
opening opening opening opening opening
weekend weekend weekend weekend weekend
Range of box office results (£ million) 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

>30 35.8 21.7 18.8 27.4 29.4
20 – 30 30.2 31.0 23.0 35.8 22.6
10 – 19.9 20.0 29.2 32.2 26.1 27.6
5 – 9.9 25.4 27.6 26.1 26.7 26.2
1 – 4.9 28.1 27.4 30.3 30.4 32.2
0.2 – 0.9 31.9 34.1 35.5 31.9 35.5
<0.2 34.1 34.8 36.5 34.8 38.5
All films 28.5 27.3 26.1 28.6 28.1
Note: Opening weekends include preview figures. For films with a limited initial opening, the wider release figure is included in the analysis.

Four of the top five films of the year (including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, mentioned above)
took nearly one third of their total grosses in their opening weekends. In contrast, the second highest
grossing film of the year, The King’s Speech, took £3.5 million in its opening weekend, which represents
just 8% of its total gross. Figure 9.1 shows the box office takings by week of release for the two films.
The King’s Speech stayed on release for 27 weeks, whereas Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was
shown for 17 weeks. Also, the week-to-week decrease in box office takings for The King’s Speech was low,
helped by its successes at the BAFTA Awards and the Oscars®, and by good word-of-mouth
recommendations.


1

2

Figure 9.1 Box office takings by week of release for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and 3
The King’s Speech
£ million
25.0 4

20.0
5

15.0

6
10.0

5.0
7

0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
The King’s 3.53 4.23 2.74 1.69 1.08 0.35 0.09 0.03 0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01
Speech 8

Harry Potter 23.77 4.57 1.74 0.77 0.26 0.09 0.05 <0.01 <0.01
and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 2
9

10
9.4 Release costs
The opening weekend is recognised as being crucial to the success of a film, both in cinemas and on
subsequent release platforms. This is particularly true of high budget productions aimed at mass audiences. 11

Distributors invest heavily in advertising in order to raise a film’s profile across all media (outdoor posters,
print media, television, radio and increasingly online). The estimated total advertising spend by distributors 12
in 2011 was £197 million, up 16% from £171 million in 2010 (Table 9.6). As there were almost the same
number of films released in 2011 as in 2010 (557 in 2010 and 558 in 2011), the average advertising spend per
film has increased by the same percentage. Both press and radio spend have fallen over the last eight years 13
(from £30.1 million and £9.7 million respectively in 2003), though the 2011 spend for press was higher than
in 2010.
14
Table 9.6 Estimated advertising spend, 2003 and 2007–2011
(£ million)
15
Medium 2003 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

TV 61.2 74.1 79.3 74.3 76.0 90.8
Outdoor 46.6 65.3 56.2 57.0 61.0 69.1 16
Press 30.1 27.0 22.6 19.9 19.9 22.0
Radio 9.7 8.4 9.4 10.7 7.6 6.8
17
Internet – 4.7 4.5 6.4 6.1 8.5
Total 147.6 179.5 172.0 168.3 170.6 197.2
Source: Nielsen Media Research. 18

Figure 9.2 shows the percentage share of advertising spend by medium since 2007. Over the period most
advertising spend has been via TV and outdoor advertisements. As noted, spend on advertisements in the
press has been steadily decreasing, in part due to falling newspaper circulations. Advertising on the internet 19

accounted for the lowest spend until 2010, but has been steadily increasing over the period and overtook
radio for the first time in 2011.
20

21

22

Figure 9.2 Percentage share of advertising spend by medium, 2007–2011
%
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
TV 41.3 46.1 44.1 44.5 46.0
Outdoor 36.4 32.7 33.9 35.8 35.0
Press 15.0 13.1 11.8 11.7 11.2
Radio 4.7 5.5 6.4 4.5 3.4
Internet 2.6 2.6 3.8 3.6 4.3

Source: Nielsen Media Research.

Approximately £47 million was spent on advertising British films in 2011, up from £36 million in 2010.
This increase is mainly due to the advertising spend of the UK/USA studio films, though a few UK
independent films received similarly high levels of advertising. In 2011, there were 17 UK/USA studio
films released compared with 11 in 2010. The advertising spend for studio-backed films was £28 million
(£1.6 million per film on average) and the spend on advertising independent films was £19 million
(an average of just under £0.2 million per film).
Using the information on advertising spend, and estimating print costs, the total release costs for various
release widths can be estimated. When all cinema screens had analogue projection, we estimated print
costs at £1,000 per print. Now, however, a high proportion of cinema screens have digital projection.
With both analogue and digital distribution, as well as striking and refurbishing 35mm prints, distributors
incur digital mastering and duplication costs and in many instances now Virtual Print Fees (VPF).
The current VPF system which sees fees payable on separate bookings has meant that costs for the widest
releases, where prints are not moved to other cinemas, have come down compared with the cost of
producing a 35mm print for the same film, while those for smaller releases, where prints are commonly
transferred to another cinema, have increased in comparison. However, given that VPF come out of print
savings, it seems reasonable to assume that, overall, the current cost of prints for a film is similar to the
cost when all prints were analogue.
So, keeping the estimate of a typical print cost of £1,000 per print and adding the Nielsen Media Research
advertising spend estimate plus 20% for other public relations campaigns, publicity and premiere costs,
the average release cost for different levels of theatrical release can be calculated (Table 9.7). This shows
that for films released across the widest number of cinemas (500+), the average release cost was
£3.1 million, compared with £2.6 million in 2010 and £3.4 million in 2009.
Average release costs for the films with the widest releases have increased from 2010 levels but are lower
than in 2009. As mentioned above, the 2011 average advertising costs for all films was 16% higher than
the 2010 average, and Table 9.7 shows that average release costs for films in the top four width of release
categories (ie those which spend most on advertising) were higher in 2011 than in 2010. Films with widest
points of release between 50 and 200 on average spent less on advertising in 2011 than in 2010 but, overall,
release costs were higher in 2011 than in 2010.


1

2

Table 9.7 Estimated release cost by width of release, 2008–2011 3

Average Average Average Average
release costs release costs release costs release costs
Sites at widest 2008 2009 2010 2011
point of release (£ million) (£ million) (£ million) (£ million) 4

500+ 3.95 3.40 2.65 3.14
400 – 499 2.21 2.05 2.09 2.17 5
300 – 399 1.39 1.32 1.24 1.38
200 – 299 0.90 0.84 0.77 0.82
100 – 199 0.43 0.51 0.33 0.31 6

50 – 99 0.18 0.21 0.20 0.16
10 – 49 0.08 0.06 0.04 0.05
7
<10 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01
Source: Nielsen Media Research, Rentrak, BFI RSU analysis.
Note: The print costs calculations assume print costs for a combination of digital and analogue distribution are the same as for analogue distribution. 8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

„ 19

3 For further details about the UK box office in 2011 see Chapter 1 (page 8)
3 For more information about the top films at the UK box office in 2011 see Chapter 2 (page 18) 20
3 For information about specialised film releases at the UK box office see Chapter 5 (page 46)
3 For an overview of employment in film distribution see Chapter 22 (page 198)
21

22

Chapter 10:

Exhibition

The number of screens in the UK
continues to rise, although the number
of screens per person and admissions
per person vary considerably across the
UK. Complementing the commercial
sector, however, is a thriving voluntary
sector in film exhibition, and film
society membership is high in areas less
well served by commercial cinemas.

Facts in focus:
The UK had 3,767 screens, 96 more than 2010,
in 745 cinemas.

There were six screens for every 100,000 people,
the same as in 2010, but lower than countries such as
the USA (12.6 screens per 100,000 people), France (9.1),
Australia (8.8), Spain (8.4) and Italy (6.7).

Northern Ireland had the highest number of screens
(11.3) per 100,000 people in the UK, while the
East Midlands (4.6), North East (4.5) and the
East of England (4.0) had the lowest.

Only 7% of screens were dedicated to ‘specialised’
(that is non-mainstream) programming, with 0.2%
dedicated mainly to South Asian films.

The UK had the second highest number of digital screens
in Europe with 2,714 screens (behind France’s 3,653 digital
screens). The UK had 1,475 screens capable of screening
digital 3D features (54% of all digital screens).

The average ticket price was £6.06.


1

2

10.1 UK cinema sites 3

Figure 10.1 shows the number of cinema sites in the UK from 2002 to 2011. The total number of sites has
fluctuated over the period with a low of 644 in 2004 and a high of 745 in 2011. The number of purpose-built 4
multiplex sites, however, has steadily risen from 229 in 2002 to 285 in 2011. Multiplexes made up 38% of all
cinema sites in 2011.
5
Figure 10.1 UK cinema sites by type of site, 2002–2011
Number of sites
800 6

700

600
7
500

400
8
300

200

100 9

0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Multiplex 229 234 238 242 249 258 269 275 278 285
10
Traditional and
mixed use 439 444 406 417 448 469 457 448 438 460
Total sites 668 678 644 659 697 727 726 723 716 745
% multiplex sites 34 35 37 37 36 35 37 38 39 38 11

Source: Dodona Research, BFI RSU analysis.
Notes:
Data on cinema sites before 2002 are not available. 12
Multiplexes are defined as purpose-built cinema complexes with five or more screens while excluding those that were converted from traditional cinema sites.

13
10.2 UK screens
The number of owned or programmed cinema screens (excluding those operated in venues such
as schools and private screening rooms) increased in 2011 compared with 2010, rising by 96 to 3,767, 14
as Figure 10.2 shows.
The proportion of multiplex screens (see definition in the note to Figure 10.1) was the same in 2011 as in
15
2010. There has been an increase of 74% in the number of such screens since 1999 compared with an 18%
fall in the number of traditional and mixed use screens (used for film screenings only part of the time).
The UK has gained 1,209 multiplex screens since 1999 and lost 200 traditional or mixed use screens.
16
The proportion of multiplex screens increased from 59% in 1999 to 75% in 2009. This proportion
was maintained in 2010 and 2011.
17

18

19

20

21

Image: TT3D: Closer to the Edge courtesy of CinemaNX. Photographer Stephen Davison Chapter 10: Exhibition – 95
22

Figure 10.2 UK cinema screens by type of cinema, 1999–2011
Number of screens
4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Multiplex 1,624 1,874 2,115 2,299 2,362 2,426 2,453 2,512 2,578 2,689 2,735 2,767 2,833
Traditional and
mixed use 1,134 1,080 1,049 959 956 916 904 928 936 921 916 904 934
Total screens 2,758 2,954 3,164 3,258 3,318 3,342 3,357 3,440 3,514 3,610 3,651 3,671 3,767
% multiplex screens 58.9 63.4 66.8 70.6 71.2 72.6 73.1 73.0 73.4 74.5 74.9 75.4 75.2


Table 10.1 shows that more multiplex sites and screens opened than closed in 2011 while there were also
net gains in the number of traditional sites and screens over the year. The number of traditional screens
had been falling each year since 2008 but increased by 30 from 2010 to 2011 as shown in Figure 10.2.
A total of 18 sites (all traditional) closed in 2011, 14 fewer than the number of closures in 2010, with a
loss of 22 screens (30 fewer than in 2010). Forty-seven sites opened (including seven multiplexes), adding
118 screens, including 66 multiplex screens. The changes in screen numbers shown in Table 10.1 include
changes in numbers of screens in existing cinemas as well as in newly opened and closed cinemas.

Table 10.1 Site openings and closures, 2011
Multiplex Traditional

Sites Screens Sites Screens

Opened 7 66 40 52
Closed 0 0 18 22
Net difference +7 +66 +22 +30

10.3 Screen location
In 2011, 97% of all screens in the UK were located in town or city centres, edge of centre, ‘out of town’
or suburban locations.
Table 10.2 shows suburban and rural cinemas tend to have fewer screens on average than their urban
counterparts, although town and city centre sites are also relatively small. In 2011, the number of suburban
screens stayed the same, but there was an increase in the numbers of screens in all other locations.
The increase in the number of rural screens was small, however, with the addition of just one screen.


1

2

Table 10.2 Screens by location, 2003–2011 3

Average no.
% change of screens
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2010–2011 per site
4
Town/city centre 1,470 1,502 1,495 1,555 1,616 1,683 1,732 1,726 1,785 3.4 3.9
Out of town 1,234 1,243 1,250 1,262 1,284 1,303 1,297 1,311 1,335 1.8 9.8
5
Edge of centre 464 465 479 478 486 499 498 506 518 2.4 8.9
Suburban 33 33 38 40 30 30 27 28 28 0.0 1.9
Rural 117 99 95 105 98 95 97 100 101 1.0 1.4 6

Total 3,318 3,342 3,357 3,440 3,514 3,610 3,651 3,671 3,767 2.6 5.1
7

10.4 Screen density and admissions per person – international comparisons
8
A standard way to gauge the level of cinema provision is by ‘screen density’, ie the number of screens
per unit of population. In 2011 the UK figure was 6.1 screens per 100,000 people, slightly higher than 2010’s
figure of 6.0. This level of access to screens falls short of the numbers in other major film territories: USA 9
(12.6), France (9.1), Australia (8.8), Spain (8.4) and Italy (6.7). Germany’s screen density, of 5.7 screens per
100,000 people, is slightly less than the UK’s (source: Screen Digest).
Table 10.3 shows the numbers of admissions per person in a number of major film territories. The UK saw 10

more admissions per person (2.7) than Spain, Italy and Germany despite having a lower screen density than
Spain and Italy. Of the major territories, Australia and the USA had the highest admissions per person
(3.8 for both countries). 11

Table 10.3 Admissions per person in major film territories, 2003–2011 12
Australia USA France UK Spain Italy Germany

2003 4.5 4.8 3.0 2.8 3.2 1.5 1.8
13
2004 4.5 4.6 3.4 2.9 3.3 1.7 1.9
2005 4.0 4.3 3.0 2.7 2.9 1.5 1.5
2006 4.0 4.3 3.2 2.6 2.7 1.6 1.7 14
2007 4.0 4.3 3.0 2.7 2.6 1.7 1.5
2008 3.9 4.1 3.2 2.7 2.3 1.7 1.6
15
2009 4.1 4.2 3.4 2.8 2.4 1.6 1.8
2010 4.1 4.0 3.4 2.7 2.2 1.8 1.5
2011 3.8 3.8 3.6 2.7 2.1 1.7 1.6 16

Source: Screen Digest.

17
10.5 Screen density and admissions per person in the UK
As in previous Yearbooks we are able to present screen provision data based on two types of regional
18
classification. The datasets are not directly comparable because of differences in the way the regions
are defined; they do, however, shed light on different aspects of national and regional variation
in screen provision.
19

20

21

Chapter 10: Exhibition – 97
22

The Cinema Advertising Association produces monthly admissions totals for each of the television
advertising regions used by the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA). Screen and admissions
data for 2011 using these television regions are presented in Table 10.4. Although London had the highest
numbers of screens and sites, its screen density (6.8) was lower than that of Northern Ireland (11.5) and
slightly higher than Lancashire and Central Scotland (both 6.5). The North East had the lowest screen
density (4.3) among all ISBA regions.

Table 10.4 Screens and admissions by ISBA TV region, 2011 (ranked by screens per 100,000 people)
Screens per
% of total Population 100,000 Admissions Admissions Admissions
ISBA TV region Screens screens Sites (000)* people (000) per screen per person

Northern Ireland 203 5.4 29 1,773 11.5 5,856 28,845 3.3
London 829 22.0 161 12,263 6.8 42,639 51,434 3.5
Lancashire 452 12.0 65 6,966 6.5 17,486 38,685 2.5
Central Scotland 235 6.2 37 3,626 6.5 11,955 50,874 3.3
Wales and West 304 8.1 71 4,789 6.3 12,148 39,961 2.5
South West 115 3.1 38 1,830 6.3 4,180 36,351 2.3
Northern Scotland 78 2.1 19 1,256 6.2 3,727 47,787 3.0
Southern 331 8.8 81 5,401 6.1 16,025 48,415 3.0
Border 35 0.9 18 608 5.8 1,394 39,827 2.3
Midlands 552 14.7 101 9,832 5.6 23,932 43,354 2.4
East of England 217 5.8 47 4,188 5.2 11,451 52,771 2.7
Yorkshire 292 7.8 51 5,890 5.0 14,176 48,546 2.4
North East 124 3.3 27 2,885 4.3 6,594 53,175 2.3
Total 3,767 100.0 745 61,307 6.1 171,563 45,543 2.8
Source: Dodona Research, Beacon Dodsworth, Cinema Advertising Association (CAA), BFI RSU analysis.
* Mid-year population estimates 2009. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI).

As Figure 10.3 shows, in 2011 there was a positive and statistically significant linear relationship between
cinema admissions per person and screen density, ie the higher the number of screens per person, the
higher the admissions level. However, this association should not be interpreted as a causal relationship as
it would be hard to prove whether higher demand caused the higher supply of cinema screens or vice versa.
The pattern of admissions by screen density for ISBA regions in 2011 was very similar to the patterns
in 2010 and earlier years. In 2011, as in 2010, some regions had above average screen densities but their
levels of admissions remained low. For example, Lancashire had a relatively high screen density of 6.5 per
100,000 people but its cinema admissions rate was lower than average at 2.5 admissions per person.
There are many factors which might contribute to differences in admissions in different areas. There could be
a high number of screens per person in an area, but the cinemas might not be easy to access for many of the
people living in the area. Other factors possibly affecting levels of admissions include the age composition
of the population (60% of cinema-goers were under 35 in 2010) and competition from other forms of
entertainment (and from other platforms for watching film).


1

2

Figure 10.3 Cinema admissions per person by screen density across ISBA regions, 2011 3

Admissions per person
4.0
4
London
3.5
Northern Northern
Scotland Central Scotland Ireland 5

3.0 Southern

East of England Wales and West
Midlands 6

2.5 Lancashire
Yorkshire Border South West
North East
7
2.0 4 6 8 10 12
Screen density
Source: Dodona Research, Beacon Dodsworth, CAA, BFI RSU analysis. 8
* Mid-year population estimates 2009. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector
Information (OPSI).
Notes:
The line shown above is derived from a weighted linear regression so the results are more influenced by areas with larger population, 9
for example, London and the Midlands. The relationship between the variables is positive and statistically significant.
The area of the circle is proportional to the ISBA region’s population.
Screen density means number of screens per 100,000 people.
10
Table 10.5 gives screen information for each of the English regions, plus Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland.
11
Table 10.5 Screens and population in the nations and regions, 2011 (ranked by screens per 100,000 people)
Population Average
(in 000) number of 12
% of total mid-year Screens per screens
Nation/region Screens screens Sites 2010* 100,000 people per site

Northern Ireland 203 5.4 29 1,799 11.3 7.0 13
London 597 15.8 117 7,825 7.6 5.1
North West 455 12.1 68 6,936 6.6 6.7
Wales 189 5.0 48 3,006 6.3 3.9 14

South East 532 14.1 120 8,523 6.2 4.4
Scotland 325 8.6 64 5,222 6.2 5.1
15
South West 323 8.6 85 5,274 6.1 3.8
West Midlands 311 8.3 53 5,455 5.7 5.9
Yorkshire and The Humber 256 6.8 46 5,301 4.8 5.6 16

East Midlands 205 5.4 38 4,481 4.6 5.4
North East 118 3.1 23 2,607 4.5 5.1
17
East of England 236 6.3 50 5,832 4.0 4.7
Others** 17 0.5 4 n/a n/a 4.3
Total 3,767 100.0 745 62,261 6.1 5.1 18

Source: Dodona Research, Office for National Statistics (ONS), BFI RSU analysis.
* Mid-2010 Population Estimates, ONS.
** Others include the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. 19
n/a = not available.

20

21

22

The order of national and regional variation in screen provision changed slightly in 2011 with the
North West moving from fifth place to third in the screen density rankings. Northern Ireland had
the highest number of screens per 100,000 people of the four nations (11.3), followed by Wales (6.3),
Scotland (6.2) and England (5.8).
Table 10.5 also shows that Northern Ireland and the North West had on average over six screens per site
compared with the UK average of five. The South West, Wales and the South East fell below the average,
showing a tendency towards smaller cinemas and, particularly for the South West, proportionally fewer
multiplex screens (Table 10.6).

10.6 Type of cinema screens by nation and region
Table 10.6 provides a snapshot of variations in multiplex provision around the UK. The North West had the
largest number of multiplex screens (405), 15 more than both the South East and London. The North West
also had the highest proportion of multiplex screens (89%). In England the lowest concentration of multiplex
screens was found in the South West (59%), which had a high number of traditional and mixed use screens
(the third highest after London and the South East). The proportion of multiplex screens for England as
a whole was 75%.

Table 10.6 Cinema screens by type by nation or region, 2011 (ranked by percentage multiplex)
Traditional and
Nation/region Multiplex % multiplex mixed use Total

North West 405 89.0 50 455
Northern Ireland 169 83.3 34 203
Yorkshire and The Humber 211 82.4 45 256
North East 97 82.2 21 118
East Midlands 161 78.5 44 205
West Midlands 241 77.5 70 311
Wales 146 77.2 43 189
Scotland 248 76.3 77 325
East of England 176 74.6 60 236
South East 390 73.3 142 532
London 390 65.3 207 597
Others* 10 58.8 7 17
South West 189 58.5 134 323
Total 2,833 75.2 934 3,767
* Others include the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.


1

2

10.7 Mainstream, specialised and South Asian programming 3

Dodona Research categorises screens according to whether they show mostly mainstream, specialised
(ie non-mainstream, including ‘arthouse’) or South Asian films. 4
Table 10.7 shows that by far the majority of screens chiefly show mainstream films. In 2011, 571 cinemas
with 3,501 screens showed mostly mainstream films (a 2% increase in the number of screens and a 4%
increase in the number of sites compared with 2010). This compared with 171 sites (259 screens, 7% of 5
screens) showing specialised films and three cinemas (seven screens, 0.2% of screens) dedicated mainly
to South Asian films. The numbers of screens showing mostly specialised films increased by 4% in 2011
and the number of cinemas increased by 5%. 6

Table 10.7 Sites and screens by programme, 2005–2011
7
Sites Screens

Programme 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
8
South Asian 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 18 18 10 10 10 7 7
Specialised 132 157 177 168 168 163 171 206 231 255 250 253 248 259
Mainstream 522 535 546 554 551 550 571 3,133 3,191 3,249 3,350 3,388 3,416 3,501 9


The majority (67%) of specialised screens were found in single, independent cinemas (ie not part of a chain).
10
The pattern of programme type by location in 2011 is shown in Table 10.8. Screens showing mostly
South Asian films were located in town or city centres and suburban areas, while those devoted to
specialised film were mainly found in town or city centres. The overall pattern remained similar to 2010. 11

Table 10.8 Percentages of screens by location and programme, 2011
12
Location South Asian Specialised Mainstream Total

Town/city centre 71.4 83.8 44.6 47.4
Out of town – 2.7 37.9 35.4 13

Edge of centre – 1.9 14.7 13.8
Suburban 28.6 3.9 0.5 0.7
14
Rural – 7.7 2.3 2.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Source: Dodona Research, BFI RSU analysis. 15

Note: Percentages may not add to totals due to rounding.

This geographical analysis is extended in Tables 10.9 and 10.10, which reveal the distribution of South Asian 16
and specialised screens around the UK. Table 10.9 shows that 71% of all screens showing South Asian films
were found in London, with the remainder in the East Midlands, both areas having large British
South Asian populations. 17

18

19

20

21

22

Table 10.9 Geographical spread of South Asian screens, 2011
Region South Asian screens %

London 5 71.4
East Midlands 2 28.6
Total 7 100.0

Screens showing mainly specialised films were concentrated in London and the South East, which
accounted for 44% of the UK total in 2011 (Table 10.10). The South West had 28 specialised screens and
Scotland 27, accounting for 11% and 10% respectively, of such screens. The North East (3.1%), Wales (2.7%)
and Northern Ireland (0.8%) had the smallest percentages of specialised screens.

Table 10.10 Geographical spread of specialised screens, 2011
Nation/region Specialised screens %

London 80 30.9
South East 35 13.5
South West 28 10.8
Scotland 27 10.4
West Midlands 18 6.9
East of England 16 6.2
East Midlands 13 5.0
Yorkshire and The Humber 13 5.0
North West 12 4.6
North East 8 3.1
Wales 7 2.7
Northern Ireland 2 0.8
Total 259 100.0

10.8 Exhibitors
The number of exhibitors that owned or programmed 20 or more screens in the UK was 11 in 2011,
the same as in 2008, 2009 and 2010 (13 in 2005 and 2006, 12 in 2007), as shown in Table 10.11. The five largest
exhibitors owned approximately 75% of all UK screens. The order of the list remained similar to last year
except that Reel Cinemas lost three sites and 15 screens, and so moved from seventh to joint eighth
(with the same number of screens as Movie House Cinemas) in the list.


1

2

Table 10.11 Cinema screens by exhibitors with 20+ screens, 2011 3

Exhibitor Sites Screens % of total screens

Odeon 111 865 23.0
4
Cineworld 78 791 21.0
Vue 68 660 17.5
National Amusements 21 274 7.3 5

Ward Anderson 28 245 6.5
Apollo 14 83 2.2
6
City Screen 20 57 1.5
Movie House Cinemas 5 39 1.0
Reel Cinemas 12 39 1.0 7
Merlin Cinemas 11 33 0.9
AMC 2 28 0.7
8
Others
(18 major exhibitors and 312 independent single venue exhibitors) 375 653 17.3
Total 745 3,767 100.0 9
Source: Dodona Research.
Figures correct as at March 2012.
Notes: 10
In 2011 Odeon was owned by Terra Firma Capital Partners, a European private equity firm.
Cineworld was the only publicly-quoted exhibitor in the UK. It was formed in 1995 and acquired the former Cine-UK and UGC chains in 2004.
Vue, which acquired Warner Village cinemas in 2003, was previously owned by SBC International Cinemas. The private equity firm Doughty Hanson & Co 11
acquired Vue in 2010.
National Amusements was owned by the family of Sumner Redstone, chairman of US media giant Viacom.
Ward Anderson was headquartered in the Republic of Ireland where it operated the IMC, Omniplex and Cineplex chains.
12

10.9 Exhibitor revenues
13
Dodona Research reports that total exhibitor revenue in 2011 stood at £1,237 million, 1.3% higher than
in 2010. The total revenue includes net box office receipts, net concession revenue and screen advertising
receipts. Net concession revenue stood at £286 million (a decrease of 3% compared with 2010). The top 10
14
exhibitors had a 90% share of gross box office in 2011 (Table 10.12).
Average ticket prices, calculated by dividing UK box office gross for the year (£1,040 million) by total UK
admissions (171.6 million), rose from £5.84 in 2010 to £6.06 in 2011, an increase of 4%. 15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Table 10.12 Exhibitor share of box office in the UK, 2011
Exhibitor Market share (%) Box office gross (£ million)

Cineworld 26.3 273.1
Odeon 25.7 267.1
Vue 22.8 237.1
National Amusements 6.8 70.9
Ward Anderson 4.2 43.5
City Screen 1.6 17.1
Apollo 1.6 16.1
AMC 0.7 7.3
Movie House Cinemas 0.7 7.2
Curzon 0.6 6.3
Sub-total 90.9 945.7
Others 9.1 94.2
Total 100.0 1,040.0
Source: Rentrak.
Note: Figures may not add to totals due to rounding.

10.10 Digital projection
10.10.1 Digital screens worldwide and in the UK
According to Screen Digest, at the end of 2011 there were 63,825 DCI–level (Digital Cinema Initiatives;
see Glossary) digital screens worldwide, an increase of 82% compared with the 35,070 screens in 2010.
Table 10.13 shows the number of high-end digital (often referred to as ‘D-Cinema’ in the industry)
screens in the world from 2005 to 2011. Worldwide, the numbers of digital screens have almost
doubled each year since 2008.

Table 10.13 Number of high-end digital screens in the world, 2005–2011
% of % change
total in screens
Region 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2011 2010–2011

Americas 345 2,030 4,666 5,752 8,170 16,734 29,664 46.5 77.3
Asia-Pacific 272 430 919 1,471 3,513 7,920 15,197 23.8 91.9
Europe… 229 532 864 1,542 4,605 10,149 18,521 29.0 82.5
of which UK 38 148 296 310 642 1,415 2,714 4.3 91.8
Africa and Middle East 2 4 6 28 84 267 443 0.7 65.9
Total 848 2,996 6,455 8,793 16,372 35,070 63,825 100.0 82.0
Notes:
Figures valid to March 2012. Figures prior to 2007 include a small number of digital screens using the earlier projectors (1.3K DLP Cinema projectors)
that do not meet the DCI specifications. The minimum projector resolution for DCI is 2K (see Glossary).

The rise in the worldwide number of digital screens continued in 2011, with a total increase of
28,755 screens. It was fuelled by the continuing growth of digital screens in the Americas, which had the
largest increase in numbers from 2010 to 2011 (12,930, 45% of the worldwide total). Europe’s increase in
digital screens from 2010 to 2011 accounted for 29% of the worldwide increase, and the Asia-Pacific region
accounted for 25%. The number of digital screens in Africa and the Middle East increased from 267 in 2010
to 443 in 2011, but while this increase of 176 screens was a 66% increase for the region, it represented just
1% of the worldwide total increase.


1

2

In Europe 21 countries had more than 100 digital screens in 2011, compared with 17 in 2010 as shown 3
in Table 10.14. The top five countries had 62% of all of the high-end digital screens in Europe, the same
percentage as in 2010. France increased its number of screens by 91%, from 1,910 in 2010 to 3,653 in
2011, and continues to have the largest number of digital screens in Europe (20% of the European total). 4
The largest percentage increases from 2010 to 2011 were seen in Hungary (a 218% increase from 61 to
194 screens) and in Romania (a 144% increase from 63 to 154 screens), though these countries have
small percentages (1% and 0.8% respectively) of Europe’s total number of digital screens. 5

Table 10.14 European countries with 100 or more high-end digital screens, 2010–2011
6
(ranked by number of screens in 2011)
Year % increase
% of 2011 from
Country 2010 2011 Europe total 2010 7

France 1,910 3,653 19.7 91.3
UK 1,415 2,714 14.7 91.8
8
Germany 1,151 2,091 11.3 81.7
Italy 876 1,608 8.7 83.6
Russia 943 1,499 8.1 59.0 9
Spain 824 1,463 7.9 77.5
Poland 333 650 3.5 95.2
10
Netherlands 240 560 3.0 133.3
Belgium 283 434 2.3 53.4
Austria 299 430 2.3 43.8 11
Norway 268 428 2.3 59.7
Portugal 319 397 2.1 24.5
Switzerland 147 339 1.8 130.6 12

Czech Republic 135 301 1.6 123.0
Denmark 132 286 1.5 116.7 13
Sweden 147 278 1.5 89.1
Ireland 156 241 1.3 54.5
Hungary 61 194 1.0 218.0 14

Finland 93 178 1.0 91.4
Romania 63 154 0.8 144.4
15
Ukraine 84 149 0.8 77.4
Rest of Europe 270 474 2.6 75.6
Europe total 10,149 18,521 100.0 82.5 16

See note to Table 10.12. Figures valid to March 2012.
Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. 17

The overall increase in the number of high-end digital screens in the Asia-Pacific region was slightly higher
than in Europe between 2010 and 2011, though the total number of screens was lower. Screen numbers in
18
the region rose by 92% in 2011, from 7,920 to 15,197. China had just over half of the region’s digital screens,
and Japan, which doubled its number of screens in 2011, had the second highest number of screens in the
region. The largest percentage increase in the number of digital screens was in Indonesia, where screen
19
numbers increased by more than 1,000% from 34 to 397. Table 10.15 shows that the top four countries all
had more than 1,000 digital screens and accounted for 84% of all digital screens in the region. Every country
in the region had more than 100 digital screens by the end of 2011.
20

21

22

Table 10.15 Numbers of high-end digital screens in countries in the Asia-Pacific region, 2010–2011
(ranked by number of screens in 2011)
Year % of 2011
Asia-Pacific % increase
Country 2010 2011 total from 2011

China 4,204 7,853 51.7 86.8
Japan 980 1,991 13.1 103.2
South Korea 1,133 1,745 11.5 54.0
Australia 452 1,121 7.4 148.0
India 279 535 3.5 91.8
Taiwan 219 404 2.7 84.5
Indonesia 34 397 2.6 1,067.6
Turkey 160 272 1.8 70.0
Hong Kong 155 195 1.3 25.8
Thailand 82 181 1.2 120.7
New Zealand 45 152 1.0 237.8
Malaysia 44 127 0.8 188.6
Philippines 84 112 0.7 33.3
Singapore 49 112 0.7 128.6
Asia-Pacific total 7,920 15,197 100.0 91.9
See note to Table 10.13.

10.10.2 3D and alternative content programming
Of the 2,714 high-end digital screens in the UK in 2011, 1,475 (54%) were 3D-capable digital screens.
Some of the popular 3D screenings in 2011 included Arthur Christmas, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Part 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and two documentaries, TT3D: Closer to the Edge and
Cave of Forgotten Dreams.
Table 10.16 shows the increasing number and proportion of 3D digital screens in the UK. The growth in
3D digital screens coincided with an increase in the availability of 3D content internationally. Forty-seven
digital 3D features (films produced in stereoscopic 3D format) were released in 2011, compared with
28 in 2010.

Table 10.16 3D digital screens in the UK, 2006–2011
Number of 3D Total digital 3D % of all
Year digital screens screens digital screens Top performing digital 3D title in the UK and Republic of Ireland

2006 Tim Burton’s
5 148 3.4 The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D
2007 47 296 15.9 Beowulf
2008 69 310 22.3 Fly Me to the Moon
2009 449 642 69.9 Avatar
2010 1,067 1,415 75.4 Toy Story 3
2011 1,475 2,714 54.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Source: Screen Digest, Rentrak, BFI RSU analysis.
Note: 3D digital screens are capable of screening content made in stereoscopic 3D format. Top performing digital 3D titles in the UK and Republic of Ireland
are based on takings from 3D and IMAX screenings.


1

2

Alternative content (AC) or non-feature film programming has become a regular feature over the past 3
five years in the UK as more cinemas become equipped with digital screens. The availability of a digital
screen base has allowed a wider range of content on the big screen, allowed interactivity between the
screen and the audience and potentially improved the use of auditorium capacity during typically quiet 4
periods. Also, since alternative content events usually have only one or two screenings they tend to
generate higher occupancy rates than feature films.
5
In the last few years such events have ranged from live or recorded operas, ballets and pop music
concerts to film screenings with live question and answer sessions and live sporting events. There were
109 alternative content events screened in UK cinemas in 2011, more than double 2010’s 54 events,
6
according to Screen Digest (Figure 10.4).
As in earlier years, in 2011 with 43 events, opera was the most popular form of alternative content, followed
by ballet with 17 events. The Met Opera had previously been the company with the most screenings of its 7
performances but its success attracted other cultural institutions into the cinema. In 2011 these included
the Bolshoi, the ENO, the Mariinsky Theatre, the Teatro la Fenice, La Scala, the Vienna State Opera and the
Zurich Opera House. Popular music was also well represented with 13 events, which included recorded 8
shows of live performances mixed with interviews and documentary, and also live performances. Of the
12 films shown, eight were documentaries and the others included a live element where the film was
followed by a question and answer session with members of the cast or production teams. 9

Figure 10.4 Alternative content events screened in UK cinemas by type of event, 2007–2011
Number of events 10
50

45
11
40

35

30 12

25

20 13
15

10
14
5

0
ce

on
ts

n
e

’s

ts
lm
ra

nc sic

nc sic
y

t

co u al

ev al
ry
co u ar

t
al
rt

rt
tr

lle

en
io
ed
n
er

15
er
m ic

an
pe

o

n
A
ic

et
m l

hi
Fi

ea

re
pu

at
Sp

Ba

io
s
m

us

Po

s
O

D
as
ild
Th

uc

at

Fa
Po

Co

M
Cl

N
Ch

Ed

2007 8 11 7 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16
2008 39 9 4 6 6 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2009 34 2 11 1 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
2010 24 4 15 2 5 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17
2011 43 13 12 2 7 0 1 17 6 2 0 0 1 3 1 1

Notes: 18
Figures include live and recorded events.
‘Film’ includes film screenings followed by a live ‘question and answer’ session.
‘Children’s’ includes cartoons or short features that would normally be released on television or DVD, as well as children’s films.
19
More than 60% of the 109 events were shown live. Four events were shown in both live and recorded
versions and a further 65 events were shown live only. Of the 65 live events, 19 were shown on Saturdays,
and the next most popular days were Sundays and Tuesdays with 10 events each. The least popular days
20
for showing live events were Fridays and Mondays which had four and three events respectively.

21

22

Although exhibitors’ revenues from alternative The British Federation of Film Societies (BFFS) has
content events are small compared with box office surveyed its members on an annual basis since
revenues for feature films, they continue to grow 2005/06 in order to measure the size, composition
strongly each year (Figure 10.5). In 2011 revenues and geographical distribution of the community
from alternative content events were just under cinema sector in the UK. Here we present
£13 million, compared with just under £8 million in a summary of the key findings from the
2010 and less than £5 million in 2009. Two examples 2010/11 survey.
of high earning alternative content events screened
While many film societies and community cinemas
in 2011 are the Met Opera’s performance of
have been in existence over a long period, new ones
Anna Bolena on 14 October and the 25th anniversary
are established all the time. Over half (58%) of the
performance of The Phantom of the Opera screened
responding organisations in the latest survey were
live from the Royal Albert Hall on 30 September.
established in 2000 or later, while 16% were
According to Rentrak, Anna Bolena’s box office
established in the 1960s or earlier.
takings were £135,000 (which, if included with the
weekend’s films, would have put it in 13th place in Most of the film societies that responded (79%)
the weekend’s box office rankings) and The Phantom operated a membership system in 2010/11 (up
of the Opera’s takings were £551,000 (third place slightly from 76% in 2009/10) and the average
in the weekend box office rankings). membership size was 162. The membership
of responding societies stood at 13,474. The
BFFS estimates a total membership of around
Figure 10.5 Revenues from alternative content events
54,000 across all film societies known to it.
screened in UK cinemas, 2006–2011
£ million The average full annual membership fee was
14 £23.50 (down from £25.19 in 2009/10). Just under
12 one third of societies that operated a membership
system charged an additional admission fee (27%).
10
The average admission fee charged was £3.80.
8 A minority of responding societies offered season
6 tickets (17%). Season ticket charges ranged
from £13.00 to £55.00, and the average number
4
of season ticket holders in a film society stood
2 at 100 in 2010/11.
0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
The responding organisations programmed a total
Alternative of 528 different titles during the 2010/11 season.
content revenues 0.2 0.8 3.1 4.9 7.9 12.7 British films accounted for 26% of the films
Source: Screen Digest. screened, and 27% of the films shown were
in a foreign language (up from 20% in 2009/10).
More than two thirds (70%) of titles were screened
10.11 Community cinema in the UK by only one film society (up from 62% in 2009/10),
indicating the diversity of programming choices
The screening of feature films in the UK is not
made by individual societies. However, some titles
limited to cinemas belonging to the major cinema
proved popular choices across many film societies,
operators. There is a thriving sector of voluntary
and 13 films were programmed by 10 or more
providers which make a wide variety of films
societies. Figure 10.6 shows the number of
available to local communities which are often
screenings by category of film. Titles sourced via the
underserved by the commercial operators. This
BFFS booking scheme accounted for 104 screenings.
sector is often referred to as community cinema.
Members of local communities are generally more
involved in the programming of such cinemas
than their commercial counterparts. Screenings
of films in this sector are in venues such as village
halls, mixed arts spaces, independent cinemas
and the like.


1

2

Figure 10.6 Number of community cinema screenings by type of film, 2010/11 3
Number of screenings
700
4
600

500
5
400

300
6
200

100
7
0

ry
e

s

s
sh

20 de

tit g
t

m
g

e in
or
ta
ua
iti

00

*
re a
fil

le
m ok
Sh
en

fo m
Br

ng

ve

he bo
um

be ms
la

hi

sc FS
gn

oc

l
rc
8

Fi

BF
A
D
ei
r
Fo

Number of screenings 581 610 79 154 68 369 104

Source: BFFS. 9
Notes:
* The booking scheme provides BFFS members with access to a catalogue of over 400 non-mainstream films.
Figures include both film societies and community cinemas.
10
Eight of the films programmed by 10 or more respondents in 2010/11 were British, and three were in
a foreign language. The three most programmed films were An Education (in English), The White Ribbon
(in German), and The Secret in Their Eyes (in Spanish), all of which were first released in 2009. Just over half 11
(53%, the same as in the previous two years) of all responding organisations held special events in addition
to screenings in 2010/11.
12
The average audience size in 2010/11 was 70, with the largest being 260 and the smallest being six
admissions. The sum total of all admissions from responding organisations was 119,355. If this is
extrapolated to all societies, the BFFS estimates that the total number of admissions in 2010/11 would
13
have been around 255,000. One third of community cinemas saw an increase in their annual admissions,
and over half (51%) recorded roughly the same number (at a time when commercial cinema admissions
were flat).
14
The most commonly used format for screenings was DVD (used ‘usually’ or ‘sometimes’ by 97% of
responding organisations). Blu-ray was ‘usually’ used for screening purposes by 22%, up from 5% the
previous year, and a further 29% ‘sometimes’ screened films in this format. Just 11% of responding societies 15
still used VHS, one in five (19%) project using 35mm, and 7% ‘usually’ or ‘sometimes’ use 16mm. One in
10 screened via digital cinema ‘usually’ or ‘sometimes’ in 2010/11, and 9% ‘sometimes’ used online
downloads/streaming. 16

The majority of film societies used only one venue for screenings (82%), and public buildings (eg civic
centres and village or town halls) were the most common type (used by 51% of respondents). Other types
of venue included school halls or college/university lecture theatres (used by 25% of respondents), theatres 17

(17%), commercial cinemas (12%) and mixed arts centres (9%). Responding societies and community
cinemas also used cafes, pubs, church halls, social clubs, leisure centres and museums for screenings.
18
Film societies and community cinemas enhance film provision in thematic or geographical areas otherwise
underserved by commercial cinemas. On average, film societies and community cinemas were located
around seven miles from the nearest commercial cinema. Moreover, 39% operated in rural areas (with 19
10% in remote rural areas more than 10 miles from the nearest settlement) compared with less than 3%
of commercial screens (see Table 10.8). Figure 10.7 shows the percentage share of BFFS membership by
nation and region. 20

21

22

Figure 10.7 Share of BFFS membership by nation and region, 2010/11
%
South West 25
South East 17
Scotland 12
North West 9
Yorkshire and The Humber 9
Wales 6
East of England 5
London 5
East Midlands 3
West Midlands 3
North East 2
Northern Ireland 2

Source: BFFS.

The South East and South West regions accounted for nearly two fifths (38%) of the total annual film society
and community cinema admissions in 2010/11. In comparison, the Southern and South West ISBA regions
accounted for only 12% of total admissions to commercial cinemas in 2011 (see Table 10.4).

„
3 For cinema admissions and box office see Chapter 1 (page 8)
3 For more on 3D films see Chapter 2 (page 18)
3 For information on specialised films in 2011 see Chapter 5 (page 46)
3 For a look at cinema audiences see Chapter 15 (page 140)
3 For employment in the exhibition sector see Chapter 22 (page 198)
3 Website for British Federation of Film Societies (BFFS): www.bffs.org.uk

110 – BFI Statistical Yearbook 2012 Image: Senna © 2011 Universal Pictures. Courtesy of Universal Studios Licensing LLC

1

Chapter 11:

Film on physical video
2

3

4

5

6

Despite falling revenues, physical video 7

remains the most important element
of the film value chain. In 2011, feature 8

film video sales and rentals in the UK
generated over £1.4 billion. 9

Facts in focus:
10
The combined sales and rental market for all video on
physical media in 2011 was £2 billion, and feature film
on video accounted for £1.4 billion.
11

There were 86 million feature film physical video rentals
in 2011 (84 million in 2010) and 152 million sales
(160 million in 2010). 12

Film accounted for 74% of the volume of the video sales
market and 67% of the value. UK films accounted for 13
around 22% of all films sold on video.

The most popular purchase on DVD in 2011 was
14
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Online video rental with postal delivery accounted for
46% of all feature film video rental transactions in 2011. 15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Chapter 11: Film on physical video – 111
Chapter 1: The box office
22

11.1 Film in the video retail market
‘Video’ is used in this chapter as the generic description of all physical video, including DVD, Blu-ray
and other physical formats, in line with the British Video Association’s (BVA) definition, and does not
include downloads. (For information on films rented or purchased by download or streaming,
see Chapters 12 and 14.)
In 2011, 207 million videos in all categories were sold, down 4.9% on 2010. As Figure 11.1 shows, the total
market value was £1,749 million, down 7.3% from 2010’s market value of £1,839 million. (The value data have
been revised from the figures published last year which showed a market value of £2,089 million for 2010.)
DVDs accounted for the majority of all categories of video sales (87% by value and 92% by volume). Blu-ray
disc sales accounted for 12.7% of total video sales by value and 7.4% of sales by volume in 2011 (compared
with 10.8% by value and 5.8% by volume in 2010).
Feature film represented approximately 67% of the retail video market by value (£1,165 million) and 74%
by volume. UK films accounted for around 22% of sales, by volume, of film on video.

Figure 11.1 Retail video sales (all categories), 1999 –2011
Million
3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Volume (million) 96 114 135 169 208 234 222 228 249 257 243 223 207
Value (£ million) 878 1,101 1,417 1,896 2,245 2,478 2,309 2,219 2,246 2,237 1,975 1,839 1,749

Data in this table include all categories of retail video: film, TV, sport, fitness, etc.

The number of films sold on video more than trebled between 1999 and 2008, from 61 million units
to 196 million, before falling in 2009 to 180 million. The decrease in sales has continued since 2009,
with 160 million units sold in 2010 and 152 million sold in 2011 (Figure 11.2).
As Figure 11.3 shows, the average unit price increased with the introduction of DVD in the late 1990s to
reach a peak in 2002, but there has been a general downward trend since then. The average price increased
in 2010 compared with 2009, but fell again to £7.64 in 2011 (compared with £7.90 in 2010).


1

2

Figure 11.2 Film on video retail sales, 1999–2011 3
Million
1,800
4
1,600

1,400

1,200 5

1,000

800 6

600

400 7

200

0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 8

Volume (million) 61 76 96 128 158 180 164 165 188 196 180 160 152
Value (£ million) 451 601 821 1,175 1,392 1,557 1,399 1,302 1,440 1,454 1,311 1,267 1,165 9

Source: BFI RSU analysis of Official Charts Company and BVA data.
Note: Includes some feature films which would be classified as ‘children’s’ videos in the BVA Yearbook.
10

Figure 11.3 Average retail price of film per unit, 1999–2011
Price (£) 11
10
9
8 12
7
6
5 13
4
3
2 14

1
0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
15
Price 7.46 7.87 8.56 9.15 8.80 8.64 8.52 7.89 7.68 7.42 7.29 7.90 7.64

Source: BFI RSU analysis of Official Charts Company and BVA data.

Table 11.1 shows the top selling films on video in 2011. The two instalments of Harry Potter and the Deathly 16
Hallows, which between them sold nearly five million units, took first and second place. Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was the highest grossing film at the 2011 UK box office; the second and third highest
earning films, The King’s Speech and The Inbetweeners Movie, were fourth and third in the video chart 17
respectively.
Eight of the top 10 selling films on video were films which were released theatrically in 2011, and the other
18
two (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Inception) were released in 2010. Inception was also in the
top selling video chart for 2010 but Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 was released on video too late
in the year to make the 2010 chart.
19
The two Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films were also the highest selling film titles on Blu-ray disc
in 2011, followed by Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
20

21

22

Table 11.1 Top 10 best selling films on physical video formats, 2011
Title Country of origin Distributor

1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 UK/USA Warner Bros
3 The Inbetweeners Movie UK Channel 4 DVD
4 The King’s Speech UK Momentum
5 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides UK/USA Walt Disney
6 Paul UK/USA Universal
7 Transformers: Dark of the Moon USA Paramount
8 The Hangover Part II USA Warner Bros
9 Bridesmaids USA Universal
10 Inception UK/USA Warner Bros
Source: Official Charts Company, BVA.

Comedy was the highest selling genre of films sold on video in 2011, accounting for 23% of the market
(20% in 2010) as Figure 11.4 shows. Drama was the next most popular with 17% of all sales, followed by
action/adventure with 15%. (It should be noted that these categories, as defined by the BVA, differ from
the genre categories assigned to the theatrical market by the BFI Research and Statistics Unit in Chapter 4.)

Figure 11.4 Sales breakdown by film genre, 2011
Genre %
Comedy 23.1
Drama 17.3
Action/adventure 15.4
Family 14.8
Sci-fi 8.3
Thriller 7.9
Horror 6.1
War 2.6
Musical 1.8
Western 1.3
Documentary 1.0
Anime 0.3
Adult 0.1
Bollywood 0.01
Source: Official Charts Company, BVA.
Note: These genres are assigned by the BVA and the categories are not the same as those from Chapter 4.

The list of the top 10 UK performers on sell-through video in 2011 (Table 11.2) features seven UK qualifying
titles which are also in the overall top 10 for the year. These include both Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
films, and the all time top two UK independent films at the UK box office, The King’s Speech and
The Inbetweeners Movie. Also appearing in this list is Senna, a documentary on the life of Brazilian
racing driver Ayrton Senna.
The two Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films, The Inbetweeners Movie and Pirates of the Caribbean:
On Stranger Tides also appear in the list of top 10 selling film titles on Blu-ray disc in 2011.


1

2

Table 11.2 Top 10 best selling UK qualifying films on physical video formats, 2011 3


4
3 The Inbetweeners Movie UK Channel 4 DVD
4 The King’s Speech UK Momentum 5

5 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides UK/USA Walt Disney
6
7 Inception UK/USA Warner Bros
8 Gnomeo & Juliet UK/USA eOne Films
9 Senna UK/USA Universal 7
10 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader UK/USA 20th Century Fox
Source: BFI RSU analysis of Official Charts Company data.
8
The list of top 10 UK independent films sold on video in 2011 is topped by The Inbetweeners Movie followed
by The King’s Speech. In third place is Kick-Ass which was the highest selling independent UK film on video
in 2010. Only one other film from the 2011 chart, Harry Brown, also appeared in the 2010 chart. All other films 9
in the latest list are 2011 releases, or were released too late in 2010 to appear in that year’s chart (Table 11.3).

Table 11.3 Top 10 best selling UK independent films on physical video formats, 2011 10


1 The Inbetweeners Movie UK Channel 4 DVD 11
3 Kick-Ass UK/USA# Universal
4 Four Lions UK Elevation Sales/ 12
StudioCanal
5 The Eagle UK/USA# Universal
13
6 Harry Brown UK Elevation Sales/Lions
Gate
7 Horrid Henry: The Movie UK eOne Films 14
8 Made in Dagenham UK Paramount
9 Anuvahood UK Revolver
10 Ironclad UK/USA# Warner Bros 15

# Kick-Ass, The Eagle and Ironclad were made with independent (non-studio) US support.
16
Table 11.4 shows the top 10 best selling feature documentaries on video in 2011. This list does not include
documentaries which are based on music concerts. The top selling documentary on video in 2011 was
Senna, the all time highest grossing UK documentary at the UK box office. In second place in the chart 17
is another documentary about motor sport, the 3D film about the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races,
TT3D: Closer to the Edge. In third place is another sporting documentary, Fire in Babylon, a film about
the West Indian cricket teams of the 1970s and 1980s. These top three documentaries were released 18
theatrically in 2011 but the chart also includes some older films. Tyson was released in the UK in 2009,
March of the Penguins was released in 2005 and Touching the Void was released in 2003. Six of the top 10
documentaries were UK films. 19

20

21

22

Table 11.4 Top 10 best selling documentary films on physical video formats, 2011

1 Senna UK/USA Universal
2 TT3D: Closer to the Edge UK eOne Films
3 Fire in Babylon UK Revolver
4 Exit Through the Gift Shop UK Revolver
5 March of the Penguins Fra Warner Bros
6 Inside Job USA Sony Pictures
7 Knuckle UK/Ire Revolver
8 Catfish USA Momentum
9 Tyson USA Revolver
10 Touching the Void UK Channel 4 DVD
Note: Recordings of music concerts are not included.

Swedish and Chinese films accounted for nine of the top 10 selling foreign language films on video in 2011
(Table 11.5). The top five films in the list are Swedish including all three Millennium trilogy films. At number
five in the list is Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In, whose video sales may have been boosted by the
release of the US remake, Let Me In, at the end of 2010. The only film in the list not from either Sweden
or China is Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 film, Pan’s Labyrinth.

Table 11.5 Top 10 best selling foreign language films on physical video formats, 2011

1 The Girl Who Played with Fire Swe/Den/Ger Momentum
2 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Swe/Den/Ger Momentum
3 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest Swe/Den/Ger Momentum
4 Arn: The Knight Templar Swe/UK High Fliers
5 Let the Right One In Swe Momentum
6 Ip Man 2 Hong Kong/China Show Box
7 Ip Man Hong Kong/China Show Box
8 Pan’s Labyrinth Mex/Spa/USA Elevation Sales/
StudioCanal
9 Confucius China Show Box
10 Little Big Soldier China/Hong Kong Show Box

Classic titles also remain popular, due in part to the release of anniversary and other special editions. Films
which sold well in 2011 include Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Gone With the Wind, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music,
To Kill a Mockingbird and The Wizard of Oz, which together accounted for more than half a million sales
during the year.


1

2

11.2 Film in the video rental market 3

There were 96 million rental transactions of all categories of physical video in 2011, with a total value
of £274 million, including over-the-counter and online rentals. (The latest Screen Digest/BVA data show that 4
in 2010 there were 93 million transactions with a value of £278 million. These data have been revised from
the figures published last year of 72 million transactions with a value of £208 million. The data for feature
film rentals have also been revised.) 5
Film on video rentals in the UK in 2011 totalled 86 million, with an average value of £2.85. Online renting
of physical discs (with postal delivery) accounted for 52% of rental transactions of all categories of video,
and 46% of film on video rental transactions. 6

The number of feature film rental transactions in 2011 was two million more than 2010’s 84 million, but the
value of the physical rental market fell from £253 million in 2010 to £246 million in 2011. The peak value of
7
the physical rental market was £494 million in 2001 and the current value of the market is approximately
half that (Figure 11.5). The decrease in the market’s value is due mainly to the rapid decline of the over-the-
counter rental market in the face of competition from multi-channel television, rental downloads (from
8
providers such as iTunes), film theft and the availability and lower cost of retail DVDs.

Figure 11.5 Film on video rental market, 2001–2011 9
Million
600

10
500

400 11

300
12

200

13
100

0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 14

Transactions (million) 198 183 160 159 133 110 92 88 89 84 86
Value (£ million) 494 494 462 476 389 327 280 265 263 253 246 15

Source: Screen Digest, BVA.

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

The most popular genres of rented films were drama and comedy both of which accounted for 22%
of rentals, followed by action and children’s/family titles (Figure 11.6). (It should be noted that these
categories, as defined by Kantar Worldpanel, differ from the genre categories assigned to the theatrical
market by the BFI Research and Statistics Unit in Chapter 4.)

Figure 11.6 Video rental share by genre, 2011
%
Drama 22.4
Comedy 21.9
Action 17.6
Children’s/family 10.5
Thriller 9.5
Horror 7.2
Sc-fi 5.2
Others 5.7

Source: Kantar Worldpanel, BVA.
Note: These genres are assigned by Kantar Worldpanel and the categories are not the same as those from Chapter 4.

The list of top 10 online rentals in 2011 is topped by The King’s Speech, which was the fourth highest selling
film on video of 2011 (Table 11.6). No other film appears in both charts.

Table 11.6 Top 10 online video rentals*, 2011

2 Black Swan USA 20th Century Fox
3 The Social Network USA Sony Pictures
4 True Grit USA Paramount
5 Unknown USA/Ger Elevation Sales/StudioCanal
6 127 Hours UK/USA 20th Century Fox
7 Limitless USA Momentum
8 The Tourist USA/Fra Elevation Sales/StudioCanal
9 The Fighter USA Momentum
10 Due Date USA Warner Bros
Source: BVA.
* ‘Online rental’ refers to online ordering with postal delivery. See Glossary.


1

2

The list of top 10 over-the-counter rentals in 2011 shows a different pattern from the online rentals, 3
with five titles appearing in both rental lists (Table 11.7). The five titles are Unknown, Limitless, Due Date,
The Social Network and The Tourist. Only Paul from this chart also appears in the list of top 10 selling films
on video in 2011. 4

Table 11.7 Top 10 over-the-counter video rentals, 2011
5

1 Unknown USA/Ger Elevation Sales/StudioCanal
2 Limitless USA Momentum 6

3 Due Date USA Warner Bros
4 Source Code USA/Fra Elevation Sales/StudioCanal
7
6 Just Go With It USA Sony Pictures
7 The Social Network USA Sony Pictures 8

8 Little Fockers USA Paramount
9 The Tourist USA/Fra Elevation Sales/StudioCanal
9
10 The Adjustment Bureau USA Universal
Source: BVA.
10

11.3 Hardware
According to the BVA, in 2011 some 1.3 million Blu-ray stand-alone players were sold, increasing the 11
cumulative sales since launch by 60%. BVA and Screen Digest figures also show that by the end of the year
12% of households owned a Blu-ray player and nearly 93% of households owned at least one video player
(including all physical formats). 12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

„ 20
3 For more information about top films at the UK box office see Chapter 2 (page 18)
3 For more information about the UK film market as a whole see Chapter 14 (page 134)
21

22

Chapter
12:
1:
Chapter 12:

Video on Demand
Film on office
The box UK television

Video on Demand (VoD) brings films
directly to our television and computer
screens and, increasingly, to our
portable devices, anytime, anywhere.
Although revenues remain relatively
small, there is evidence of increasing
consumer engagement with
these services.

Facts in focus:
The total Video on Demand film market was estimated
to be worth £166 million in 2011, up 13% on 2010.

15 million households were able to access television-
based VoD in 2011 and spent an estimated £114 million
on films.

Online film revenues increased by 32% to £52 million.


1

2

12.1 The television-based VoD market 3

The Video on Demand (VoD) market in the UK is a highly competitive sector with rival services engaged
in fierce competition to gain access to studio and independent content. 4
VoD services in the UK can be divided into television-based and online services. Around 15 million
UK households were able to access VoD films via television in 2011 with the market increasing from
an estimated £107 million in 2010 to £114 million in 2011 (Figure 12.1). 5

In terms of television-based VoD providers, approximately 3.8 million Virgin Media TV subscribers are able
to access a true-VoD service (a system which streams content in real time from a server to the viewer) while
6
the 10.5 million Sky satellite subscribers are able to access a push VoD service, offering films which can then
be stored on personal video recorders (PVRs) through the Sky Anytime service. Alternatively, broadband
subscribers are able to access a true VoD service via the Sky Anytime+ platform.
7
The BT Vision IPTV service (717,000 subscribers) offers true-VoD access to its film catalogue. For digital
terrestrial television (DTT) viewers, Picturebox via Top Up TV Anytime offers a limited number of titles
available through a compatible Freeview+ PVR. 8

12.2 Online VoD 9

Despite overall broadband penetration of 76% (fixed and mobile) and average broadband speeds increasing
from 6.2 Mbps to 7.6 Mbps the online VoD market remained small in 2011, with estimated revenues of
10
around £52 million, including approximately £600,000 from subscription services (Figure 12.1). However,
this represents a 32% increase on 2010 and a 735% increase on 2008.
While television-based providers are increasingly adding online VoD services to their offers, online 11
‘over-the-top’ VoD providers LoveFilm and Netflix are competing to become the dominant player in this
growing market and, backed by considerable acquisitions budgets, are building up large libraries of content.
Online VoD services in the UK employ four basic types of business model: 12

• Rental VoD – one-off rental, also known as download to rent (DTR);
• Retail or download-to-own (DTO) or electronic-sell-through (EST); 13
• Subscription VoD (SVoD) – unlimited access to content for a fixed monthly sum; and
• Free/advert-supported VoD.
Screen Digest estimates that the combined value of the television-based and online VoD film market was 14

£166 million in 2011, up from £146 million in 2010. This represents approximately 4% of the total UK filmed
entertainment market.
15
Data on the performance of individual titles are still unavailable for this sector and we are therefore unable
to report statistics on the top performing titles or the market share of UK, independent or specialised films.
16

17

18

19

20

21

Image: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked © 2011 Twentieth Century Fox, Chapter 12: Video on Demand – 121
Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. and Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. All rights reserved. 22

Figure 12.1 Value of the UK VoD market, 2002–2011
£ million
180
160

140
120

100

80

60

40

20

0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Television- 62.6 67.6 72.7 73.5 67.2 74.5 95.7 100.9 107.3 113.9
based VoD
Online VoD 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.5 6.2 22.2 39.1 51.8
Total value of 62.6 67.6 72.7 73.5 67.3 75.0 101.9 123.1 146.4 165.7
VoD market
(£ million)


12.3 Viewings of on demand films
Although the VoD market remains small, there are signs of increasing consumer engagement. In Opening
our eyes1, the recent report on the UK public’s views on the cultural contribution of film, one in 10 of the UK
sample watched a film downloaded or streamed from the internet at least once a week, and just over one
in five (23%) did so at least once a month (Figure 12.2). In terms of portable device consumption, 5% watched
a film on a mobile device at least once a week, and 11% did so at least monthly (Figure 12.3).

1 Opening our eyes: How film contributes to the culture of the UK, a report for the BFI by Northern Alliance and Ipsos MediaCT, 2011.


1

2

Figure 12.2 Frequency of viewing downloaded/streamed films by age, 2011 3
Percentage
100
90 4
80
70
60 5

50
40
6
30
20
10
7
0 15–24 25–34 35–54 55+
Never 32.2 35.1 57.3 79.8
Less than once every 6 months 14.9 12.6 15.7 7.5
8
Once every 2–6 months 12.6 10.3 9.8 4.9
Once a month 8.6 5.9 4.1 3.3
2–3 times a month 12.6 12.2 5.1 1.5
Once a week 8.6 11.5 4.6 1.2 9
Several times a week 10.5 12.4 3.4 1.7

Source: BFI.
10

Figure 12.3 Frequency of viewing films on mobile devices by age, 2011
Percentage 11
100
90
80 12
70
60
50 13
40
30
20 14

10
0 15–24 25–34 35–54 55+
Never 60.0 55.8 76.5 89.8 15
Less than once every 6 months 13.7 14.2 9.3 5.3
Once every 2–6 months 6.6 9.5 5.5 2.8
Once a month 5.2 1.7 2.4 0.6 16
2–3 times a month 6.0 7.8 2.5 0.7
Once a week 6.2 6.9 2.2 0.5
Several times a week 2.3 4.1 1.7 0.4 17
Source: BFI.

18

„ 19

3 For more information on film on physical video see Chapter 11 (page 111)
3 For more information on film on television see Chapter 13 (page 124) 20
3 For an overview of the film market as a whole see Chapter 14 (page 134)
3 For more information on film audiences see Chapter 15 (page 140)
21

Chapter 12: Video on Demand – 123
22

Chapter 13:

Film on UK television

In terms of viewer numbers, the single
most important platform for film
consumption is television. Viewers
had a choice of over 5,500 film titles
across all channels in 2011, and the
cumulative film audience was an
estimated 3.9 billion.

Facts in focus:
There were 5,570 unique film titles on television in
2011, including 2,013 on terrestrial, 1,475 on pay TV
film channels and 3,527 on other digital film channels.

There were 2,221 film transmissions (2,013 unique titles)
on terrestrial channels, up from 2,075 in 2010. Of these,
478 (22%) were UK films, and 60 (3%) were foreign
language films.

The top film on terrestrial television was Indiana Jones
and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on BBC One,
with 7.9 million viewers.

There were 3.9 billion viewings of feature film across all
television formats (except pay-per-view) in 2011 – over
22 times the number of cinema admissions.


1

2

13.1 Programming on the terrestrial channels 3

Table 13.1 shows the number of feature films broadcast on the five terrestrial channels in 2011 and the
number of UK titles broadcast in that time. UK films are broken down into older titles (more than eight years 4
old) and recent theatrical releases (released in the last eight years). Here, UK films include all titles listed
as UK originated by the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB), plus UK co-productions given
other nationalities (mostly USA) in the BARB data. 5
There were 2,221 films on terrestrial television in 2011, up from 2,075 in 2010, an average of over six films
a day.
6

Table 13.1 Feature films broadcast on terrestrial television, 2011
Number Number UK films Number of Recent* UK films 7
of films of UK films as % recent* UK as % of total
Channel broadcast broadcast of total films broadcast films broadcast

BBC One 268 32 12 24 9.0
8
BBC Two 419 135 32 62 14.8
ITV1 388 118 30 56 14.4
Channel 4 621 143 23 35 5.6 9
Channel 5 525 50 10 15 2.9
Total 2,221 478 22 192 8.6
10
Source: Attentional, BFI RSU analysis.
* A recent film is one which has been theatrically released, or intended for theatrical release, in the UK since 2003.

Sixty foreign language films were screened on the main terrestrial channels in 2011, 3% of the total, slightly 11
up from 59 in 2010 (also 3% of the total), as Table 13.2 shows. With 880,000 viewers, the top foreign language
film was the Jackie Chan martial arts comedy Rumble in the Bronx (dubbed in English from the original
Cantonese), which was also the most popular foreign language film in 2009, followed by South Korean 12
thriller Oldboy with 350,000 viewers on Channel 4.

13
Table 13.2 Foreign language films broadcast on terrestrial television, 2011
Number
of foreign % Average
language of channel’s audience Top rated foreign Audience 14
Channel films broadcast film output (million) language film (million)

BBC One 1 0.4 0.9 Rumble in the Bronx 0.9
BBC Two 8 1.9 0.2 Spirited Away 0.3 15

ITV1 0 0.0 – – –
Channel 4 51 8.2 0.1 Oldboy 0.3
16
Channel 5 0 0.0 – – –
Total 60 2.7 0.1 – –
Source: Attentional, BARB, BFI RSU analysis. 17

Figure 13.1 illustrates the number of foreign language films broadcast on terrestrial television between 2004
and 2011. Channel 4 has consistently shown the most foreign language films, although overall numbers
18
remain low, with a peak of 76 titles in 2009.

19

20

21

Image: The Duchess courtesy of Pathé Chapter 13: Film on UK television – 125
22

Figure 13.1 Number of foreign language films broadcast on terrestrial television, 2004–2011
Number of films
80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

BBC One 7 1 2 5 6 1 0 1

BBC Two 18 12 2 9 17 25 7 8

ITV1 0 2 0 0 1 3 2 0

Channel 4 32 43 35 46 46 42 50 51

Channel 5 3 3 2 3 3 5 0 0
Total 60 61 41 63 73 76 59 60

Source: Attentional, BFI RSU analysis.

13.2 Films on peak time terrestrial television, 2002–2011
The proportion of peak time hours (18:00 to 23:59 hours) dedicated to feature films varied widely across
the terrestrial channels in the 10-year period 2002–2011 (Figure 13.2). Channel 5 and Channel 4 broadcast the
most films in peak time hours over the decade. In 2011, over one fifth of Channel 5’s peak time output was
feature film, followed by 16% of ITV1 output and 15% of Channel 4’s programming.

Figure 13.2 Film as a percentage of peak time programming hours by channel, 2002–2011
Percentage
30

25

20

15

10

5

0
2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

BBC One BBC Two ITV1 Channel 4 Channel 5
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
BBC One 7 9 8 8 20 13 19 19 4 2

BBC Two 5 4 6 3 10 6 7 5 3 4

ITV1 6 5 7 7 7 9 9 19 16 16

Channel 4 9 10 12 11 21 15 16 15 13 15

Channel 5 25 13 29 22 27 19 17 21 22 21

Source: Attentional.


1

2

13.3 Audiences for film on terrestrial television 3

The average audience for a film shown on peak time terrestrial television in 2011 was 3.4 million on
BBC One (from 27 transmissions), 1.2 million on BBC Two and ITV1, 1.7 million on Channel 4 and 1 million 4
on Channel 5. The peak time average audience for film declined between 2002 and 2009 on most of the
terrestrial channels (Figure 13.3).
5
Figure 13.3 Average audience for peak time film, 2002–2011
(000)
5,000 6
4,500
4,000
3,500 7

3,000
2,500
8
2,000
1,500
1,000
9
500
0
2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010
10
BBC One BBC Two ITV1 Channel 4 Channel 5

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
BBC One 4,156 3,760 3,112 2,964 1,383 1,250 1,056 1,088 1,574 3,371 11
BBC Two 1,836 2,028 1,547 1,417 917 1,324 1,081 830 1,146 1,232

ITV1 4,671 4,684 3,290 3,253 2,400 2,201 2,112 1,161 1,283 1,157
12
Channel 4 2,031 1,886 1,931 1,997 1,595 1,388 1,306 1,001 1,306 1,655

Channel 5 1,594 1,722 1,650 1,593 1,190 1,099 1,094 1,009 1,135 1,017

Source: Attentional, BARB. 13

13.4 Top films on terrestrial television 14

The most popular film on terrestrial television in 2011 was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,
with 7.9 million viewers tuning in to its premiere on BBC One (Table 13.3). In theatrical revenue terms,
15
this is equivalent to a box office gross of £48 million (its actual gross in the UK was £40 million).

16

17

18

19

20

21

Chapter 13: Film on UK television – 127
22

Table 13.3 Top 10 films on terrestrial television, 2011
Country of Year of TV audience
Title Channel origin theatrical release (million)

1 Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull BBC One USA 2008 7.9
The Curse of the Black Pearl BBC One USA 2003 6.8
3 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ITV1 UK/USA 2005 6.5
4 Mamma Mia! ITV1 UK/USA 2008 6.3
5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ITV1 UK/USA 2007 6.2
6 Ratatouille BBC One USA 2007 6.0
7 Quantum of Solace ITV1 UK/USA 2008 5.6
8 Kung Fu Panda BBC One USA 2008 5.6
9 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa BBC One USA 2008 5.3
10 Shrek the Third BBC One USA 2007 5.0
Source: Attentional, BARB.

The top 10 UK films of 2011 (Table 13.4) included seven transmissions of films from the Harry Potter series.
The highest ratings were recorded for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on ITV1.

Table 13.4 Top 10 UK originated films on terrestrial television, 2011

1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ITV1 UK/USA 2005 6.5
2 Mamma Mia! ITV1 UK/USA 2008 6.3
4 Quantum of Solace ITV1 UK/USA 2008 5.6
5 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ITV1 UK/USA 2004 4.6
6 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ITV1 UK/USA 2002 4.4
7 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ITV1 UK/USA 2001 4.3
8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ITV1 UK/USA 2004 3.9
10 Mr Bean’s Holiday ITV1 UK/USA 2007 3.4
Note: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was broadcast twice on ITV1 – on 1 January and 30 July. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was also broadcast
twice – on 13 August and 17 December.


1

2

The highest audience figure for a UK independent film was for The Duchess with 3.4 million viewers 3
on BBC Two, followed by Glorious 39 and The Bank Job (Table 13.5).

4
Table 13.5 Top 10 independent UK films on terrestrial television, 2011
5
1 The Duchess BBC Two UK/Fra/Ita 2008 3.4
2 Glorious 39 BBC Two UK 2009 2.8
3 The Bank Job Channel 4 UK/USA* 2008 2.8 6
4 Four Lions Channel 4 UK 2010 2.7
5 The Queen ITV1 UK/Fra/Ita 2006 2.6
7
6 The Young Victoria BBC Two UK/USA* 2009 2.6
7 How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Channel 4 UK 2008 2.2
8 Dorian Gray Channel 4 UK 2009 2.1 8
9 Nativity! BBC Two UK 2009 1.9
10 The Queen ITV1 UK/Fra/Ita 2006 1.7
9
Notes:
The Queen was broadcast twice on ITV1 – on 28 August and 31 December.
* The Bank Job and The Young Victoria were made with independent (non-studio) US support. 10

13.5 Films on multi-channel television 11

Multi-channel television (freeview/satellite/cable) accounted for almost 45% of all television viewing in
2011 and Table 13.6 lists the number of films shown, the average audience, the top film and audience for
the top film, for a selection of digital channels which broadcast feature films. The ITV digital channels 12

screened over 1,700 films in 2011, with an average audience of around 280,000 viewers. Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull recorded the largest audience for a single screening on multi-channel television,
with over 1.5 million viewers on BBC Three. 13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Table 13.6 Feature films on selected digital channels, 2011
Number of film Average film Audience for
Channel transmissions audience Top film top film

BBC Three 128 659,000 Indiana Jones and the 1,560,000
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
BBC Four 77 170,000 Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life 1,030,000
E4 245 366,000 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York 996,000
Film4 2,836 202,000 Transporter 3 1,379,000
5* 263 215,000 Hancock 460,000
5 USA 415 187,000 Death Race 684,000
G.O.L.D. 105 147,000 Matilda 426,000
Horror Channel 880 13,000 An American Werewolf in London 113,000
ITV2–4 1,712 280,000 Casino Royale 1,243,000
More 4 422 123,000 Titanic 623,000
Movies 24 1,287 7,000 Deck the Halls 55,000
Movies 4 Men 1–2 2,435 6,000 Scorcher 55,000
Sky 1–2 210 112,000 Forrest Gump 517,000
Sunrise TV 1,159 6,000 Coolie 57,000
Syfy 378 41,000 The Medallion 187,000
True Movies 1–2 209 9,000 Submerged 45,000
Turner Classic Movies 1–2 4,208 12,000 Rio Lobo 140,000
Viva 79 64,000 Men in Black 292,000
Watch 171 135,000 Matilda 625,000

The top film on free-to-air digital multi-channel (in terms of total audience across all transmissions)
was Hot Fuzz on ITV2 with a total audience of 8.1 million from 12 transmissions (Table 13.7).

Table 13.7 Top 10 feature films on free-to-air digital multi-channel television, 2011
Number of Year of Total
Title Channel transmissions Country of origin theatrical release audience

1 Hot Fuzz ITV2 12 UK 2007 8,114,000
2 Independence Day E4/Film4 8 USA 1996 5,821,000
3 Iron Man E4/Film4 6 USA 2008 5,168,000
4 Dark Blue 5 USA 39 USA 2002 4,965,000
5 The Bourne Ultimatum ITV2 8 UK/USA 2007 4,661,000
6 Back to the Future ITV2 8 USA 1985 4,550,000
7 Knocked Up ITV2 8 USA 2007 4,155,000
8 Catwoman ITV2 10 USA 2004 4,105,000
9 Gladiator ITV2/Sky 1/Sky 2 10 USA 2000 4,070,000
10 Shooter E4/More 4 6 USA 2007 3,942,000


1

2

Table 13.8 outlines the number of films shown, the average audience and the top film on the UK’s pay TV 3
film channels. The various Sky Movie channels broadcast a total of 1,316 films across 44,960 slots while
Disney Cinemagic broadcast 72 titles across 1,522 slots with an average audience of 29,000. The highest
rated broadcast of a film on UK pay TV was Grown Ups, with 494,000 viewers on Sky Movies Premiere. 4

Table 13.8 Feature films on pay TV film channels, 2011
5
Number of film Average film Audience
Channel transmissions audience Top film for top film

Disney Cinemagic 1,522 29,000 Tangled 518,000
6
MGM HD 1,328 1,000 Navy Seals 21,000
Sky Movie channels 44,960 12,000 Grown Ups 494,000
Source: Attentional, BARB. 7

The top film in terms of combined viewings on the pay TV film channels in 2011 was Shrek Forever After,
which attracted a total audience of almost 5 million viewers from 55 transmissions on the Sky Movie
8
channels (Table 13.9).

Table 13.9 Top 10 feature films on pay TV film channels, 2011 9

Year of
Number of Country of theatrical Total
Title Channel transmissions origin release audience*
10
1 Shrek Forever After Sky Movies 55 USA 2010 4,961,000
2 Alice in Wonderland Sky Movies 178 USA 2010 4,810,000
3 Finding Nemo Disney Cinemagic 94 USA 2003 4,766,000 11

4 How to Train Your Dragon Sky Movies 68 USA 2010 4,619,000
5 Toy Story 3 Sky Movies 48 USA 2010 4,546,000
12
6 Sherlock Holmes Sky Movies 122 UK/USA 2009 4,426,000
7 Clash of the Titans Sky Movies 105 UK/USA 2010 4,245,000
8 Robin Hood Sky Movies 130 UK/USA 2010 4,174,000 13
9 Prince of Persia:
The Sands of Time Sky Movies 123 UK/USA 2010 3,996,000
14
10 Percy Jackson and the
Lightning Thief Sky Movies 105 USA/Can 2010 3,947,000
15
* Audience figures refer to total audience for all transmissions of that film across all subscription film channels in 2011.

16
13.6 The audience for film on all television channels, 2000–2011
In 2011, there were 3.9 billion viewings of film on television, compared with cinema admissions
of 172 million. This represents approximately 68 film viewings per person per year (Figure 13.4). 17
Following six years of steady growth, the audience for digital multi-channel film screenings
is now almost equal to the number of terrestrial television viewings.
18

19

20

21

22

Figure 13.4 Total audience for feature film on television (except pay-per-view), 2000–2011
Million
4,500
4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Terrestrial 2,901 2,929 2,601 2,833 2,579 2,350 1,949 1,827 1,808 1,725 1,633 1,674
Pay TV film
channels 647 673 741 820 734 671 634 490 489 559 558 596
Other digital
multi-channel 0 0 75 268 305 374 722 796 969 1,118 1,477 1,632
Total 3,548 3,602 3,417 3,921 3,618 3,395 3,305 3,113 3,266 3,402 3,668 3,902

Source: BFI RSU, Attentional, BARB.

Figure 13.5 shows the total number of films shown on television since 2000. The total number of screenings
declined in 2011 following three years of growth led by the increase in transmissions on the pay TV
channels. In terms of unique film titles, there were 2,013 films broadcast on terrestrial, 1,475 titles on the
pay TV film channels and 3,527 on other digital channels. Overall, 5,570 individual film titles were shown
across all television channels in 2011.

Figure 13.5 Total number of film transmissions on all television channels (except pay-per-view), 2000–2011
80,000

70,000

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Terrestrial 2,318 2,405 2,275 2,355 2,234 2,326 2,011 2,182 2,221 2,218 2,075 2,221
Pay TV film
channels 36,547 40,277 46,720 52,552 47,499 47,698 44,346 34,737 40,014 45,015 50,756 47,889
Other digital
multi-channel 0 0 4,573 7,900 8,821 13,144 17,998 20,765 20,274 22,359 20,174 18,622
Total 38,865 42,682 53,568 62,807 58,554 63,168 64,355 57,684 62,509 69,592 73,005 68,732

Source: BFI RSU, Attentional.


1

2

13.7 The value of feature film to broadcasters 3

Based on a model developed by Attentional, the BFI Research and Statistics Unit has estimated the value
of feature film to UK broadcasters to be approximately £1.4 billion in 2011. This figure is derived from 4
the annual revenue per channel – ie net advertising revenue for the commercial channels, subscription
revenues for the pay TV channels and the proportion of licence fee applied to programming on the
BBC channels – multiplied by the percentage of broadcast hours for feature film. 5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

„ 20
3 For cinema admissions see Chapter 1 (page 8)
3 For an overview of the film market as a whole see Chapter 14 (page 134)
21

22

Chapter 14:

The UK film market
Chapter 1:
as a whole
The box office

The UK is the third largest film market
in the world, generating revenues
in excess of £4 billion. Theatrical
and overall television income
has grown in recent years but
physical video remains the
largest single revenue source.

Facts in focus:
The total filmed entertainment market in the UK
in 2011 is estimated to have been worth £4 billion,
up 5% on 2010.

In 2011, theatrical, multi-channel, pay TV and VoD
revenues all recorded increases, but physical video
and terrestrial television revenues declined.

In 2011, sell-through video on physical media was still
the largest single revenue source for film in the UK
market, accounting for 29% of total revenues.

Gross revenues for UK film were an estimated
£997 million.

In 2011, the UK had the third largest filmed
entertainment market in the world after the USA
and Japan.


1

2

14.1 The UK filmed entertainment market as a whole 3

As Table 14.1 shows, in 2011 physical video retail was the most significant component of the film value
chain accounting for 29% of total revenues (£1.2 billion). Revenues from video retail were down 8% from 4
2010 when takings of £1.3 billion accounted for one third of total revenues. Theatrical revenues in 2011
increased by 5% to £1,040 million, compared with £988 million in 2010. Gross television revenues increased
by 19% from £1,173 million to £1,398 million, due mostly to a rise in digital multi-channel income, 5
although much of this accrued to the television industry rather than to the suppliers of film.
Gross revenues for UK films were estimated to be £997 million, with market share for UK films highest
in the theatrical market (36%) and lowest in film on pay TV (17%). 6

Table 14.1 UK filmed entertainment market, 2010 and 2011
7
Total Attributable to Total Attributable to
gross value UK films gross value UK films
£ million £ million £ million £ million
Window 2010 2010 2011 2011 8
Theatrical 988 237 1,040 374
Video rental (physical) 253 51 246 54
9
Video retail (physical) 1,267 253 1,165 256
Pay-TV 605 74 676 117
Terrestrial television 215 51 150 36 10
Other multi-channel television 353 74 572 123
nVoD and VoD 146 29 166 37
Total UK 3,827 769 4,015 997 11

Sources: Rentrak, BVA, Official Charts Company, Attentional, Screen Digest, BFI RSU analysis.
Notes:
12
‘Theatrical’ is the total gross UK theatrical revenues (including VAT) in the calendar years 2010 and 2011 for all films exhibited in the UK. See Chapter 1.
‘Video rental (physical)’ is the total revenue from physical video rental (DVD, Blu-ray, etc) transactions in the calendar years 2010 and 2011. 2010 figures revised
since 2011 Yearbook, see Chapter 11.
‘Video retail (physical)’ is the total revenue from physical video retail transactions in the calendar years 2010 and 2011. See Chapter 11.
13
The television values are retail equivalent values calculated from the dataset of films shown on UK television. Values are estimated by multiplying the film
share of the total channel time by the total revenue applicable to that channel (licence fee, subscription or advertising revenue). Television values cover
terrestrial, pay TV and other digital multi-channel. See Chapter 12. An estimate for pay-per-view is included in nVoD.
Video on Demand and near-Video on Demand revenues are derived from Screen Digest estimates of the combined size of the television and internet-based
14
markets. UK share is based on an estimate derived from knowledge of UK film share in the pay TV and video markets.
The above values are gross values and include distributor and exhibitor margins, VAT, prints and advertising costs, DVD/video retail margins, broadcaster and
multi-channel television operator margins in addition to net returns to the film production sector and film investors.
The revenues shown here are revenues earned by film in the UK market, whether UK or foreign films. The table does not include export revenues for the UK
15
film industry. See Chapter 21 for UK film export revenues.

16

17

18

19

20

21

Image: Fast Girls courtesy of StudioCanal Chapter 14: The UK film market as a whole – 135
22

14.2 The UK market in the global context
In 2011, the UK had the third largest filmed entertainment market in the world, after the USA and Japan
(Table 14.2). The USA accounted for 35% of the world market, Japan accounted for 10% and the UK for 7%.
The next biggest individual territories were France, Australia, Canada, Germany and China.

Table 14.2 Filmed entertainment revenues by country/region, US$ million, 2011
Revenue in %
Country/region $US million of total

USA 29,953 35.1
Japan 8,175 9.6
UK 6,022 7.0
Other Western Europe 5,475 6.4
France 4,407 5.2
Australia 4,039 4.7
Canada 3,897 4.6
Germany 3,794 4.4
Other Asia Pacific 3,606 4.2
China 2,719 3.2
Italy 1,917 2.2
South Korea 1,794 2.1
India 1,658 1.9
Brazil 1,648 1.9
Russia 1,594 1.9
Mexico 1,186 1.4
Spain 1,145 1.3
Other Central and Eastern Europe 957 1.1
Other Latin America 763 0.9
Middle East and Africa 684 0.8
Total 85,433 100.0
Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Global entertainment and media outlook 2012–2016, June 2012.
Notes:
‘Filmed entertainment revenue’ includes box office receipts, home DVD/video (rental and retail) and online download and streaming revenues. It does not
include television revenues.

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the ranking of filmed entertainment by territory is forecast to change
significantly by 2016 (Table 14.3), with China becoming the third largest individual territory, ahead of the UK,
France and Australia. India’s share of the global filmed entertainment market is forecast to increase to 2.7%
and Brazil’s to 2.3%.


1

2

Table 14.3 Filmed entertainment revenues by country/region, US$ million, forecast for 2016 3

Revenue in %
Country/region $US million of total

USA 30,933 31.0 4

Japan 8,667 8.7
China 7,374 7.4
5
UK 6,199 6.2
Other Western Europe 5,777 5.8
France 5,445 5.5 6

Australia 4,509 4.5
Germany 4,479 4.5
7
Canada 4,412 4.4
Other Asia Pacific 4,401 4.4
India 2,688 2.7 8
Brazil 2,274 2.3
Russia 2,264 2.3
9
South Korea 2,231 2.2
Italy 2,098 2.1
Mexico 1,530 1.5 10
Spain 1,272 1.3
Other Central and Eastern Europe 1,186 1.2
Other Latin America 1,095 1.1 11

Middle East and Africa 823 0.8
Total 99,657 100.0 12
Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2012–2016, June 2012.
Notes:
‘Filmed entertainment revenue’ includes box office receipts, physical video (rental and retail) and online download and streaming revenues. It does not 13
include television revenues.
Forecasts are in nominal US dollars at the average 2011 exchange rate and therefore do not estimate the impact of any changes in exchange rates between
2011 and 2016.
Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. 14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Chapter 14: The UK film market as a whole – 137
22

14.3 The evolution of UK film revenues, 1998–2011
Aggregate film revenues increased rapidly from 1999 to 2004 with the emergence of the DVD format before
falling in 2005 and 2006 (Figure 14.1). Growth resumed in 2007, with increased theatrical and television
revenues compensating for a decline in the value of the physical rental and retail markets. Combined
revenues from television-based and online on-demand services remain a small component of the overall
film value chain.

Figure 14.1 Gross film revenues, all platforms, 1998–2011
£ million
4,500

4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Theatrical 547 563 583 645 755 742 770 770 762 821 850 944 988 1,040
Rental video (physical) 437 408 444 494 494 462 476 389 327 280 265 263 253 246
Retail video (physical) 453 451 601 821 1,175 1,392 1,557 1,399 1,302 1,440 1,454 1,311 1,267 1,165
Film on television 726 755 826 954 1,066 1,182 1,119 1,089 1,066 994 1,067 1,108 1,173 1,398
Film on VoD and nVoD 33 40 50 65 63 68 73 74 67 75 102 123 146 166
Total 2,196 2,217 2,504 2,979 3,553 3,846 3,995 3,721 3,524 3,610 3,738 3,749 3,827 4,015

Source: Rentrak, BVA, Official Charts Company, Attentional, Screen Digest, BFI RSU analysis.
Note: ‘Film on television’ covers terrestrial, pay TV and other digital multi-channel. Television-based nVoD and VoD are included within the VoD total.

The revenues shown in Figure 14.1 are the actual figures. However, if adjusted for inflation using the
recreational and cultural services price index (Figure 14.2), the decline in revenues from 2004 is clear,
with the 2011 market down 23% from the peak.


1

2

Figure 14.2 Gross inflation-adjusted film revenues, all platforms, 1998–2011 (expressed in 2011 pounds) 3
2011 £ million
6,000
4
5,000

4,000
5

3,000

2,000 6

1,000

7
0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Theatrical 874 872 883 955 1,053 1,001 1,014 977 924 958 962 1,029 1,037 1,040
Rental video (physical) 698 632 672 731 689 623 627 494 397 327 300 287 266 246
8
Retail video (physical) 724 699 911 1,216 1,639 1,877 2,050 1,775 1,579 1,680 1,646 1,429 1,330 1,165
Film on television 1,160 1,170 1,251 1,413 1,487 1,594 1,473 1,382 1,293 1,159 1,208 1,208 1,231 1,398
Film on VoD and nVoD 53 62 76 96 88 92 96 94 81 87 115 134 153 166
Total 3,510 3,436 3,792 4,411 4,955 5,186 5,259 4,722 4,275 4,211 4,232 4,087 4,017 4,015 9

Source: Rentrak, BVA, Official Charts Company, Attentional, ONS, Screen Digest, BFI RSU analysis.
Notes:
Actual revenues deflated by the UK recreational and cultural services price index. 10
‘Film on television’ covers terrestrial, pay TV and other digital multi-channel. Television-based nVoD and VoD are included in the VoD total.

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

„ 19
3 For more information on the box office see Chapter 1 (page 8)
3 For more information on physical video see Chapter 11 (page 111)
3 For further details about the Video on Demand market see Chapter 12 (page 120) 20
3 For more information on film on television see Chapter 13 (page 124)
3 For information on the export revenues of the UK film industry see Chapter 21 (page 189)
21

Chapter 14: The UK film market as a whole – 139
22

Chapter 15:

Audiences

The appetite for watching films
in the UK continues to grow. Films
were viewed by British audiences on
over five billion occasions in 2011,
with British films attracting over one
billion viewings. Television remained
the most popular platform for
watching films.

Facts in focus:
Total ‘film viewing occasions’ numbered 5.1 billion,
which means an average of 87 film viewings per person
in 2011.

77% of film viewing occasions were via television.

Estimated total viewings of UK films numbered
1.1 billion occasions.

The proportion of over-45s in the cinema audience
increased to 28%.

UK films appealed across all age groups with 67%
of the audience for The Inbetweeners Movie drawn
from the 16–24 category and 45% of The King’s Speech
audience made up of the over-55s.


1

2

15.1 Total size of the UK film audience 3

The total size of the film audience in the UK in 2011 was estimated to be 5.1 billion, calculated from all
the sources available (Table 15.1). Television accounted for 77% of the total film audience, followed by video 4
(14%), downloading and streaming via all sources (5.5%) and cinema (4%).
Taking the total film viewing figure of 5.1 billion occasions and dividing it by an estimated viewing population
(excluding the very young), there were 87 film viewing occasions per person in 2011, an average of just over 5
seven films per month.

6
Figure 15.1 Estimated proportion of annual film viewing in the UK, 2011
%
Film on television 77.0
7
DVD/Blu-ray 14.2
Downloaded/streamed 5.5
Cinema 3.4 8

9

Table 15.1 Estimated total audience for film in the UK, all modes, 2011 10
Audience size % of total film Estimated audience
Mode (million) audience for UK film (million)

Cinema 172 3.4 62 11

DVD/Blu-ray 719 14.2 158
Downloaded/streamed 277 5.5 61
12
Film on television 3,902 77.0 817
Total 5,070 100.0 1,098
Sources: Attentional, BFI, CAA, Rentrak, Screen Digest, RSU analysis. 13
Notes:
‘DVD/Blu-ray’ includes occasions watching previously purchased feature film DVD/Blu-ray as well as current purchases. The DVD/Blu-ray and
downloaded/streamed estimates are derived from the BFI Opening our eyes survey conducted in 2011.
‘Film on television’ includes terrestrial, pay TV and free-to-air multi-channel. 14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Image: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 courtesy of Entertainment One UK Chapter 15: Audiences – 141
22

15.2 The UK cinema audience
Opening our eyes1, the recent report on the UK public’s views on the cultural contribution of film, revealed
that there was strong support for British film and filmmaking amongst the British public with comparatively
minor variations across age, gender and ethnicity. In this chapter we look at British cinema-goers’ film
preferences by age, gender and social group in 2011.
As shown in Chapter 2, the top four films at the UK box office in 2011 were British films and two of these
were independent UK films. It is interesting to note how many of the films with above average appeal
to individual age groups are UK films (Tables 15.2 – 15.7).

15.3 Cinema audience by age
Figure 15.2 shows the age trends of cinema-goers from 1997 to 2011. The proportion of people aged 45 or
above going to the cinema increased gradually at the expense of younger cinema-goers from 1997 to 2008
and increased again in 2011 following two years of decline. This was due to the number of box office
successes with particular appeal to this older category of cinema-goer, such as The King’s Speech,
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Jane Eyre.

Figure 15.2 Age distribution of cinema-goers, 1997–2011
%
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
15–24 43 40 39 40 36 35 36 30 38 38 34 36 39 38 31
25–34 29 29 29 27 25 27 26 27 19 21 20 18 20 22 21
35–44 14 16 15 17 20 20 16 18 18 17 19 16 18 19 20
45+ 14 15 17 16 19 18 22 25 25 24 27 30 23 22 28

Source: National Readership Survey (NRS), Cinema Advertising Association.
Note: Cinema-goers are defined as those who reported to have ‘ever gone’ to the cinema in the surveys. Figures for any given year may have
included audiences for a small number of titles released in the latter part of the previous year.

1 Opening our eyes: How film contributes to the culture of the UK, a report for the BFI by Northern Alliance and Ipsos MediaCT, 2011.


1

2

15.4 Film preferences by age 3

Animations and family films such as Arthur Christmas, Gnomeo & Juliet, Horrid Henry: The Movie, The Smurfs
and Tangled were of particular appeal to the 7–14 audience (Table 15.2). Comedies The Hangover Part II, 4
The Inbetweeners Movie and Paul and action films such as Fast & Furious 5 appealed to the 15–24 age group
(Table 15.3). Captain America: The First Avenger and Senna were of particular appeal to the 25–34 audience
(Table 15.4). Parents and carers in the 35–44 audience meant that shares for Arthur Christmas, Kung Fu Panda 2 5
and Tangled were higher than average (Table 15.5). The King’s Speech, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy attracted a greater proportion of cinema-goers in the 45–54 age group (Table 15.6).
As in previous years, UK films appealed strongly to the over-55 audience (Table 15.7) with Jane Eyre, 6
The King’s Speech and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy all featuring in the list.

Table 15.2 Films with an above-average audience in the 7–14 age group, 2011 top 20 films and top UK films 7

Title Age group % of the film’s total audience

Horrid Henry: The Movie (UK) 42
8
The Smurfs 42
Gnomeo & Juliet (UK) 41
Arthur Christmas (UK) 39 9

Tangled 31
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn 31
10
Kung Fu Panda 2 29
Johnny English Reborn (UK) 22
7–14 age group in top 20 and top UK audience (%) 13 11
7–14 age group in total survey population (%) 13
Source: CAA Film Monitor.
12
Notes:
* Audience data were only available for 18 of the top 20 UK films released in 2011.
‘Audience’ in this table and throughout this chapter refers to film-going occasions. That is, if a person went to the cinema to see 10 films in 2011, that person
would have contributed 10 film-going occasions to the audience figures above, unless otherwise stated. Repeat visits to the same films are not recorded 13
in CAA Film Monitor.
CAA Film Monitor included 92 film titles (mostly mainstream) of the 558 theatrical releases in 2011. The Film Monitor survey is carried out via a fortnightly
omnibus survey of over 1,000 adults and children aged 7+.
14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Chapter 15: Audiences – 143
22

Table 15.3 Films with an above-average audience in the 15–24 age group, 2011 top 20 films and top UK films

The Inbetweeners Movie (UK) 67
The Hangover Part II 54
Paul (UK) 53
Fast & Furious 5 53
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 51
127 Hours (UK) 46
X-Men: First Class (UK) 46
One Day (UK) 45
Bridesmaids 43
Black Swan 43
15–24 age group in top 20 and top UK audience (%) 33


Captain America: The First Avenger (UK) 33
Senna (UK) 30
Transformers: Dark of the Moon 28


Tangled 25
Kung Fu Panda 2 23
Arthur Christmas (UK) 22
127 Hours (UK) 20


Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (UK) 17
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (UK) 14
The King’s Speech (UK) 14


1

2

Table 15.7 Films with an above-average audience in the 55+ age group, 2011 top 20 films and top UK films 3


Jane Eyre (UK) 54
4
55+ age group in top 20 and top UK audience (%) 11 5

55+ age group in total survey population (%) 11
6

15.5 Film preferences by gender
7
Some films attracted substantially more of one gender than the other (Table 15.8). Men preferred action
(Captain America: The First Avenger, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Transformers: Dark of the Moon).
Bridesmaids, Jane Eyre, One Day and Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 featured in the list of films with 8
greater female audience share.

Table 15.8 Audience gender split of top performing films released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, 2011 top 9
20 films and top UK films
Greater female audience share Male % Female %
10
Jane Eyre (UK) 14 86
One Day (UK) 19 81
Bridesmaids 21 79 11
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 30 70
Arthur Christmas (UK) 32 68
12
Horrid Henry: The Movie (UK) 34 66
The Smurfs 38 62
Black Swan 39 61 13

Greater male audience share Male % Female %
14
Captain America: The First Avenger (UK) 78 22
Senna (UK) 73 27
Transformers: Dark of the Moon 73 27 15
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol 73 27
127 Hours (UK) 68 32
16
Fast & Furious 5 66 37
The Three Musketeers (UK) 65 35
X-Men: First Class (UK) 63 37 17

Gender difference not significant Male % Female %
18
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (UK) 52 48
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (UK) 52 48
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (UK) 48 52 19

20

21

Chapter 15: Audiences – 145
22

15.6 Film preferences by social group
Eight films, including Jayne Eyre, The King’s Speech, One Day, Senna and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy had
a particularly strong appeal to the AB audience in 2011 (Table 15.9) while two films – Fast & Furious 5
and Johnny English Reborn – had a significant appeal to the DE audience (Table 15.10).

Table 15.9 Films with above-average AB audience share, 2011 top 20 films and top UK films
Title AB group % of film’s total audience

One Day (UK) 50
Senna (UK) 47
Jane Eyre (UK) 43
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (UK) 35
Black Swan 35
AB share of top 20 and top UK audience (%) 31
AB in total survey population (%) 30

Table 15.10 Films with above-average DE audience share, 2011 top 20 films and top UK films
Title DE group % of film’s total audience

Johnny English Reborn (UK) 28
Fast & Furious 5 28
DE share of top 20 and top UK audience (%) 17
DE in total survey population (%) 19

„
3 For more information about top films at the box office in 2011 see Chapter 2 (page 18)
3 For further details about film on video see Chapter 11 (page 111)
3 For more information on audiences for films on demand and on mobile devices see Chapter 12 (page 120)
3 For further information about film on television see Chapter 13 (page 124)

146 – BFI Statistical Yearbook 2012 Image: Wuthering Heights courtesy of Artificial Eye

Chapter 16:

Films certified as British
1998–2011

In 2011, 203 films were certified as
British, the highest number since our
records began. The total production
value of these films also hit a record
high at £2,250 million, £1,533 million
of which was attributed to UK spend.

Facts in focus:
A total of 203 UK films (189 in 2010) received final
certification as British films in 2011. Of these, 189 were
films which passed the Cultural Test and 14 were official
co-productions.

The total production budget of finally certified Cultural
Test films was £2,119 million in 2011 (£1,002 million in
2010) and the combined production budget of finally
certified co-productions was £131.4 million
(£137.4 million in 2010).

There were 151 interim Cultural Test approvals in 2011,
with a predicted production value of £1,615 million and
19 interim co-production approvals with an anticipated
production value of £68 million.

In 2011, the median budget of Cultural Test films
was £0.5 million while that of co-productions was
£3.8 million.

Chapter 16: Films certified as British 1998–2011 – 147

16.1 Qualifying as an official British film
To access UK film tax relief or be eligible for Lottery funding, a film must be certified as British. To qualify
as British, a film must either pass the Cultural Test under Schedule 1 of the Films Act 1985 or be certified
as an official co-production under one of the UK’s bilateral co-production agreements or the European
Convention on Cinematographic Co-production.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport is responsible for approving the issuing
of British Film Certificates on the basis of recommendations made by the BFI Certification Unit. At the
start of 2011 this Unit was part of the UK Film Council, but became part of the BFI in April 2011 when the
BFI assumed responsibility for the majority of the UK Film Council’s core functions. An ‘interim approval’
is granted prior to the start of principal photography to those films that meet the criteria, and ‘final
certification’ is awarded once the film has been completed and final documents submitted.
(There is more information about public investment in film in Chapter 18.)
To qualify as a British film under the Schedule 1 Cultural Test, films have to achieve a requisite number
of points based on the UK elements in the story, setting and characters and for where and by whom the
film was made (see the links at the end of the chapter for details of the Cultural Test). A wide variety of
films qualified as British under the Cultural Test in 2011, from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the
Dawn Treader, The Eagle and Jane Eyre to We Need to Talk About Kevin and Wuthering Heights.
Films can also qualify as British under one of the various official UK co-production agreements. Official
co-productions must be certified by the competent authorities in each co-producing country as meeting the
certifying criteria, which include the creative, artistic, technical and financial input from each co-producer.
Once certified, a film counts as a national film in each of the territories and may qualify for public support
on the same basis as national films in that territory. British films certified as official co-productions are not
required to pass the Cultural Test. Films which received final co-production certification in 2011 include
Africa United, The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus and Route Irish.
At the end of 2011, the UK had eight active bilateral treaties in place, with Australia, Canada, France, India,
Israel, Jamaica, New Zealand and South Africa. At that time the UK had also signed treaties with Morocco
and Palestine which were subject to constitutional procedures and ratification before they could come
into force. (The UK-Palestine treaty was ratified in April 2012.) Official UK co-productions can also be
certified under the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production of which the UK is one
of 42 signatories.

16.2 Cultural Test certifications, 2010 and 2011
In 2011, a total of 189 films (170 in 2010) received final certification as British under the Cultural Test
(Table 16.1). The total budget of finally certified films increased from £1,002 million in 2010 to £2,119 million in
2011. This increase reflects the higher number of big budget inward investment films made in 2010 feeding
through to a higher value of final certifications in 2011. The number of interim Cultural Test approvals also
increased in 2011, albeit slightly, compared with 2010 (142 in 2010 and 151 in 2011), but the combined
production value increased from £959 million in 2010 to £1,615 million in 2011. As with final certifications
the increase in the aggregate production budget is due to a greater number of high value inward investment
productions receiving interim certification in 2011.

Table 16.1 Cultural Test certifications, 2010 and 2011
2010 2011
Type of certification Number Budget (£ million) Number Budget (£ million)

Interim approval 142 959.3 151 1,614.8
Final certification 170 1,001.7 189 2,118.9
Source: DCMS, BFI.


1

2

16.3 Co-production certifications, 2010 and 2011 3

In 2011, with 14 final certifications (£131 million) and 19 interim approvals (£68 million), the number
of official co-productions was slightly lower than in 2010. 4
In 2011, eight of the 14 final co-production certifications were under the European Convention on Cinematic
Co-production, three were under the UK-Canada agreement and one each were under the UK-Australia,
the UK-New Zealand and the UK-South Africa agreements. 5

Of the 19 interim co-production certifications, 15 were under the European Convention, three were under
the UK-Canada agreement and one was under the UK-South Africa agreement.
6

Table 16.2 Co-production certifications, 2010 and 2011
2010 2011 7

Type of certification Number Budget (£ million) Number Budget (£ million)

Interim approval 23 187.8 19 68.1 8
Final certification 19 137.4 14 131.4
Source: DCMS, BFI.
9

16.4 Finally certified British films, 1998–2011
Thanks in part to a competitive tax regime, the number of UK films (Cultural Test and co-productions) 10

receiving final certification has risen sharply in the past few years. The high figures of 2010 (189) and 2011
(203) contrast sharply with the low totals of 1998 (56) and 1999 (81). As Figure 16.1 shows, in the first half
of the 2000s the number of Cultural Test films remained fairly constant while co-productions increased to 11

become the dominant financing model for production. The decline in co-production numbers since then
has been influenced by the closing of tax loopholes and the redesign of the post-2006 tax relief to accrue
more benefit to the UK economy (see below). 12

Figure 16.1 Number of finally certified (Cultural Test and co-production) UK films, calendar years 1998–2011 13
Number of final certifications
250

14
200

150 15

100
16
50

0 17
98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Cultural Test 40 68 108 75 77 76 72 66 74 98 97 144 170 189
18
Co-production 16 13 22 41 56 84 99 106 68 56 8 8 19 14
Total 56 81 130 116 133 160 171 172 142 154 105 152 189 203

Source: DCMS, BFI. 19

20

21

22

The total production budget of finally certified British films in 2011 was the highest on record at
£2,250 million (Figure 16.2). The previous highest was £1,822 million in 2004, which was mainly due to
the surge in official UK co-productions in the early 2000s. In 2004/05 a series of cooling measures designed
to restore balance in co-production relations were introduced by the DCMS and Her Majesty’s Revenue
and Customs (HMRC) and in 2007 the basis of tax relief was shifted from total budget to UK spend.
This intervention reduced the incentive to structure films as co-productions as these films generally have
lower levels of UK spend than Cultural Test films. The value of official co-productions in 2008 and 2009
fell back to the pre-2000s level, but increased slightly in 2010 and 2011. The record level of aggregate budget
in 2011 is mainly due to a high number of high budget inward investment films receiving final Cultural
Test certification during the year.

Figure 16.2 Total production budget of finally certified (Cultural Test and co-production) UK films,
calendar years 1998–2011
Total production budget (£ million)
2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Cultural Test 232.1 407.8 361.2 538.5 585.4 330.0 643.5 757.7 402.0 561.4 935.4 603.9 1,001.7 2,118.9
Co-production 59.5 66.3 95.5 277.7 462.2 427.6 1,178.2 877.1 459.5 356.7 45.2 48.0 137.4 131.4
Total 291.6 474.1 456.7 816.1 1,047.5 757.6 1,821.7 1,634.8 861.6 918.1 980.6 651.8 1,139.1 2,250.3

Source: DCMS, BFI.
Notes: Total production budget is the sum of production activity in the UK and production activity outside the UK for Cultural Test films
and total investment for co-productions.
Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Figure 16.3 shows the levels of UK spend over the same period. UK spend is generally that part of
the production budget spent in the UK (see notes to Figure 16.3). As with aggregate budgets, 2011 saw
a record level of UK spend (£1,533 million), due mainly to the high budget inward investment films certified
during the year. The previous peak of UK spend was £1,023 million in 2005, but by 2009 it had dropped to
£445 million before increasing to £905 million in 2010. Although over half the total production budget was
contributed by co-productions at their peak in 2004–2005, the UK spend of co-productions was considerably
less than that of the Cultural Test films. Since then, the contribution of co-productions to the total UK spend
has continued to fall. In 2011, Cultural Test films accounted for 96% of the UK spend of finally certified films.


1

2

Figure 16.3 UK spend of finally certified (Cultural Test and co-production) UK films, calendar years 1998–2011 3
UK spend (£ million)
1,800
1,600 4

1,400

1,200
5
1,000

800
600 6

400

200
7
0 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Cultural Test 151.4 269.3 292.4 459.3 522.5 293.3 560.2 685.4 341.1 442.4 588.5 422.9 853.8 1,478.5 8
Co-production 22.9 21.6 37.8 88.2 132.2 127.3 442.7 337.4 183.1 123.1 34.0 21.6 51.3 55.0
Total 174.4 290.9 330.3 547.5 654.7 420.6 1,002.9 1,022.8 524.2 565.5 622.5 444.6 905.1 1,533.5
9
Source: DCMS, BFI.
Notes:
‘UK spend’ is the ‘value of the production activities in the UK’ for Cultural Test films and ‘UK expenditure’ for co-productions (bilateral and European
Convention). UK spend for co-productions may include some expenditure on UK goods and services which took place outside the UK. 10
Figures may not sum to totals due to rounding.

UK spend as a percentage of total budget is typically lower for co-productions than for Cultural Test films
(Table 16.3). The co-production UK spend share is usually around one third, though it did rise in 2008 and 11
2009 as the number of co-productions fell away. The UK spend share was as high as 75% in 2008 and 45% in
2009, but in 2010 fell to the more ‘typical’ level of 37%, before increasing slightly to 42% in 2011. The annual
average UK spend share of Cultural Test films has ranged from 63% to 91% and in 2011 was 70%. Tax relief 12
for British films is based on UK spend up to a maximum of 80% of the qualifying budget.

13
Table 16.3 UK spend as % of total production budget, 1998–2011
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Cultural Test 65.2 66.0 81.0 85.3 89.3 88.9 87.1 90.5 84.8 78.8 62.9 70.0 85.2 69.8 14
Co-production 38.5 32.5 39.6 31.8 28.6 29.8 37.6 38.5 39.8 34.5 75.2 45.0 37.3 41.9
Total 59.8 61.3 72.3 67.1 62.5 55.5 55.1 62.6 60.8 61.6 63.5 68.2 79.5 68.1
15
Source: BFI.

16.5 Median budgets, 1998–2011 16

Median budgets for final certifications are shown in Figure 16.4. From 1998 to 2005 the median budget for
co-productions was on a rising trend, increasing to £4.9 million. This was followed by a drop in 2006–2008 17
to £3.8 million then a steep rise in 2009 to £6.3 million followed by falls in 2010 and 2011 to £4.4 million and
£3.8 million respectively. The sharp rise in the median budget for 2009 is likely to be at least partly due to the
very low numbers of films certified in that year, as with low numbers the median is more susceptible to the 18
effects of individual budgets.
From 1998 to 2001, the median budget of Cultural Test films was around £3 million. This dipped in 2002
and 2003 to around £2 million, but then rose to over £3 million in 2004 and 2005. Since then, as the number 19

of Cultural Test films has increased, the median budget has fallen to £1 million in 2008 and 2009 and to just
£0.4 million and £0.5 million in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
20

21

22

Figure 16.4 Median budgets of final certifications, 1998–2011
Median budget (£ million)
7.0

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Cultural Test 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.0 1.8 3.2 3.5 2.0 1.2 1.0 1.0 0.4 0.5
Co-production 2.5 3.5 3.3 3.4 4.7 3.6 4.3 4.9 4.4 4.4 3.8 6.3 4.4 3.8

Source: BFI.
Note: The median is the middle value, ie there are equal numbers of films above and below the median.

16.6 Final certifications by budget band, 1998–2011
Table 16.4 shows that the reason for the decline in the Cultural Test median budget is the growth in
the number of very low budget (under £2 million) films being certified. This growth has been particularly
marked since 2006, suggesting that UK tax relief has become more accessible to low budget filmmakers,
following the introduction of the new rules in 2007. The total number of medium and high budget Cultural
Test films had remained fairly consistent from year to year over the last decade to 2010, but the number
of high budget films (over £30 million) receiving final Cultural Test certification more than doubled in 2011
compared with 2010.

Table 16.4 Final Cultural Test certifications by budget band, 1998–2011
Budget band £ million 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

>30 2 3 1 3 2 2 5 5 2 3 9 4 6 13
10 – 30 2 3 3 10 13 3 7 9 7 7 6 7 9 7
5 – 10 5 12 14 7 10 5 13 7 9 9 11 8 10 15
2–5 20 26 43 24 13 25 23 25 21 18 9 24 16 20
=<2 11 24 47 31 39 41 24 20 35 61 62 101 129 134
Total 40 68 108 75 77 76 72 66 74 98 97 144 170 189
Source: DCMS, BFI.

Table 16.5 shows the distribution of Cultural Test budgets by budget band for all films certified in the years
2007 to 2011. The 5% of films with budgets over £30 million accounted for 72% of the aggregate budget, while
the 70% of films with budgets under £2 million accounted for only 5% of the aggregate budget. This reflects
both the growth in the number of low budget Cultural Test films and of big budget inward investment
UK/USA titles in the top budget band.


1

2

Table 16.5 Final Cultural Test certifications, budget distribution by budget band, 2007–2011 3

Total budget
Budget band £ million Number (£ million) % number % budget

>30 35 3,742.2 5.0 71.7 4

10 – 30 36 584.0 5.2 11.2
5 – 10 53 366.4 7.6 7.0
5
2–5 87 271.1 12.5 5.2
=<2 487 257.6 69.8 4.9
Total 698 5,221.2 100.0 100.0 6

Source: DCMS, BFI.
7
For co-productions the pattern is different. The rise and fall in co-production numbers is clear from
Table 16.6, which also shows a disproportionate increase in large budget co-production certifications
in 2004–2005. This reflects the structuring of some large budget UK/USA inward investment films as 8
co-productions at that time, a practice that has fallen away since the tax rules changed.

Table 16.6 Final co-production certifications by budget band, 1998–2011 9

Budget band £ million 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

>30 – – – 1 1 – 8 4 2 2 – – – 1 10
10 – 30 – 2 2 7 14 11 20 15 5 7 2 1 3 3
5 – 10 5 2 4 8 12 18 14 32 20 13 1 4 5 1
2–5 6 6 13 19 21 39 40 39 28 25 4 1 7 8 11

=<2 5 3 3 6 8 16 17 16 13 9 1 2 4 1
Total 16 13 22 41 56 84 99 106 68 56 8 8 19 14 12
Source: DCMS, BFI.

The budget distribution for co-productions, for all films certified in 2007 to 2011, was much more even than
13
for Cultural Test films, with just over 80% of films having budgets between £2 million and £30 million and
accounting for 80% of the total budget, as shown in Table 16.7.

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Table 16.7 Final co-production certifications, budget distribution by budget band, 2007–2011
Budget band Total budget
£ million Number (£ million) % number % budget

>30 3 118.3 2.9 16.5
10 – 30 16 242.6 15.2 33.8
5 – 10 24 176.7 22.9 24.6
2–5 45 156.9 42.9 21.8
=<2 17 24.1 16.2 3.4
Total 105 718.7 100.0 100.0
Source: DCMS, BFI.

„
3 For information on UK film production, see Chapter 17 (page 155)
3 For details of the UK film economy, see Chapter 21 (page 189)
3 For information on public investment in film in the UK see Chapter 18 (page 164)
3 For information about British films, tax relief and the Cultural Test, see www.bfi.org.uk/film-industry/
british-film-certification-and-tax-relief
3 For more information on the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production, see the Council
of Europe website: http://conventions.coe.int (number 147 under the full list of treaties)

154 – BFI Statistical Yearbook 2012 Image: The Iron Lady courtesy of Pathé

Chapter 17:

Film production in 2011

The value of production spend in
the UK reached over £1.2 billion in
2011, due to record levels of inward
investment. However, the overall
spend on production was
concentrated on a small number
of films, with 62% of British
domestic films made with
budgets of less than £500,000.

Facts in focus:
Total UK production activity in 2011 was £1,272 million,
compared with £1,254 million in 2010.

The UK spend associated with inward investment
features was £1,012 million, the highest yet recorded,
up 4% from £975 million in 2010.

There were 200 UK domestic features (282 in 2010)
and 42 co-productions (32 in 2010).

62% of UK domestic features were made with budgets
of less than £500,000.

Eighteen big budget films accounted for 78% of the total
UK production spend in 2011.

Chapter 17: Film production in 2011 – 155

17.1 The value of UK production in 2011 Definitions:
An inward investment film is defined as a feature film which is substantially
financed and controlled from outside the UK and where the production is
The aggregate UK spend of features that commenced attracted to the UK because of script requirements, the UK’s infrastructure
principal photography in 2011 was £1,272 million, or UK tax relief.
the highest figure recorded (Figure 17.1). A domestic (indigenous) UK film is a feature made by a UK production
company that is produced wholly or partly in the UK.
Inward investment films contributed £1,012 million A co-production is a production (other than an inward co-production)
involving various country partners usually under the terms of a bilateral
(80%) towards the total UK production spend in 2011,
co-production agreement or the European Convention on Cinematographic
also the highest figure recorded. Some of the big Co-production.
budget films contributing to this figure were Measurement:
The Dark Knight Rises, Dark Shadows, Prometheus, The above numbers include only the UK spend associated with productions
shot or post-produced in whole or in part in the UK.
Skyfall, Snow White and the Huntsman, World War Z
Spend is allocated to the year in which principal photography started
and Wrath of the Titans. or to the year in which the visual effects were undertaken in the case
of VFX-only films.
Domestic UK features, including Anna Karenina,
Great Expectations, The Iron Lady, Now Is Good, The
Sweeney and Welcome to the Punch, spent £200 million 17.2 The volume of UK production in 2011
in the UK, the lowest figure of the last four years.
Official and unofficial co-productions contributed In 2011, 274 films were produced wholly or in part
£60 million, down from almost £70 million in 2010. in the UK, down from 343 in 2010. Of these, 42 were
Co-productions in 2011 included 360, The Angels’ co-productions, 200 were domestic UK features
Share, Byzantium, Shadow Dancer and StreetDance 2 3D. (of which 124 had budgets under £500,000) and
32 were inward investment films (Figure 17.2).

Figure 17.1 UK spend of features produced in the UK,
2008–2011, £ million Figure 17.2 Number of features produced in the UK,
£ million 2008–2011
1,400 Number of features
400
1,200
350

1,000 300

800 250

600 200

150
400
100
200
50
0 2008 2009 2010 2011
0 2008 2009 2010 2011
Co-productions 51.0 38.6 69.6 60.2
Co-productions 28 37 32 42
Domestic
UK films 231.7 249.4 209.1 199.9 Domestic
UK films 224 242 282 200
Inward
investment films 432.9 834.6 975.1 1,012.3 ... of which
budgets under
Total 715.7 1,122.6 1,253.7 1,272.4 £500,000 142 154 203 124

Source: BFI. Inward
investment films 29 37 29 32
Data are rounded to the nearest £0.1m so may not sum exactly to
the totals shown. Total 281 316 343 274
Films are allocated to the calendar year in which principal photography
Source: BFI.
commenced.
Films with budgets under £500,000 are included in this analysis. See notes to Figure 17.1.
Notes:
Numbers have been revised on the basis of new information received
According to the European Audiovisual Observatory,
since publication of the 2011 Statistical Yearbook. the UK is ranked sixth in the world in terms of the
Inward investment feature films include three non-USA films in 2009 number of feature films produced.1
and two non-USA films in 2010 and 2011. The category also includes
five VFX-only films in 2011. 1 Focus 2012 World Film Market Trends, European Audiovisual Observatory and
Marché du Film, Festival de Cannes


1

2

17.3 Trends in UK film production, 1994–2011 3

Prior to 2010, the Research and Statistics Unit tracked all features shooting in the UK with a minimum
budget of £500,000. However, evidence from a variety of sources (data on British film certification and the 4
2008 UK Film Council report Low and Micro-Budget Film Production in the UK) revealed a substantial number
of films produced below this budget level. In order to broaden the evidence base, production tracking was
extended to include feature films with budgets under £500,000 and data was collected from 2008 onwards. 5
Figure 17.3 puts the 2011 figures in a longer time perspective, excluding those films made with budgets
of less than £500,000. The decline in domestic features between 1997 and 2004 occurred alongside a
substantial growth in co-production activity, suggesting it was easier at that time to make films as official 6
co-productions than as stand-alone UK productions. From 2005 to 2008 this trend was reversed, reflecting
a tightening in co-production certification requirements followed by the introduction of the new UK film
production tax relief based on a film’s UK spend rather than the entirety of the production budget. 7
Minority co-productions saw the greatest reduction.

8
Figure 17.3 Number of inward, domestic, co-production and total features, 1994–2011
Number of features
250
9

200

10
150

100 11

50
12
0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Inward 13 14 25 20 16 22 28 23 16 45 28 49 28 29 29 36 27 28 13

Domestic 33 34 73 84 67 70 52 51 37 45 40 53 57 71 82 88 79 76
Co-production – – – – – – – – 66 106 105 65 51 29 23 27 22 29
14
Of which…
majority and parity
co-production – – – – – – – – – 23 22 12 18 16 10 6 13 14
minority co-production – – – – – – – – – 83 83 53 33 13 13 21 9 15 15
Total 46 48 98 104 83 92 80 74 119 196 173 167 136 129 134 151 128 133

Source: BFI.
16
Notes:
Inward features include inward investment co-productions from 2002 and a small number of visual effects (VFX) only titles from 2007.
UK co-productions not available by shoot date prior to 2002.
Data for 2003–2011 updated since publication of the 2011 Statistical Yearbook.
17
Inward investment includes a spike in the number of non-USA (mainly Indian) inward investment films in 2005.
Majority co-production means a co-production in which the UK investment is the largest single national investment (not necessarily an absolute majority).
Parity co-production means a co-production in which the UK and at least one other country contributed equal largest investments.
Minority co-production means a co-production in which at least one other country made a larger investment than the UK.
Data for films with budgets greater than or equal to £500,000. 18

19

20

21

Chapter 17: Film production in 2011 – 157
22

Statistical year book 2012

More Related Content

Viewers also liked (7)

Similar to Statistical year book 2012 (20)

More from carlpercival (6)

Statistical year book 2012