Brit flicks in £176m renaissance

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was last year's biggest grosser
Metro11 April 2012
The Weekender

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Cinema-goers are watching more home-grown movies than ever, sending box office takings on the top 20 British films soaring to £176million last year.

The figure was 45 per cent higher than in the previous year, according to the UK Film Council.

The rise was driven by smaller-scale offerings such as Shaun Of The Dead, Bride And Prejudice, and Alfie, as well as blockbusters such as Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban.

The third movie about the boy wizard was the highest grossing British film, taking £46million, followed by Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason (£36million) and Troy (£18million).

Despite a drop in the number of films made in Britain, 2004 was still the second biggest year for spending on film production here.

A spokeswoman for the UK Film Council said: 'What these figures show is the depth of talent present in front of and behind the camera in British film. It shows there is a real appetite for British film both in the UK and around the world.'

Films qualify as British according to criteria set by the Government on where they are shot, the amount of money spent here and the involvement of Britons in front of and behind the camera.

The statistics also show that 2004 was the year of the sequel. The three bestperforming films of all were Shrek 2, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, and the Bridget Jones follow-up.

Recent years have seen a renaissance for the industry, with attendances here peaking in 2002 with a record 176million visits. The lowest point came in 1984 when the figure sank to 54million.

The most popular months for going to the movies were July and August.

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