Disney is planning to spend at least $5bn on producing films and TV shows in the UK and continental Europe over the next five years.
Jan Koeppen, President of Disney across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told The Financial Times that his company will commit about $1bn a year in the UK and continental Europe over the next five years across films, Disney+, National Geographic and other TV productions.
Disney has spent about $3.5bn during the past five years on production in the UK, with many of its biggest films made at Pinewood. All nine Skywalker saga movies were filmed in Britain.
Read more Gen Z swerves traditional broadcast TV, finds Ofcom
Four films are already either being finished or scheduled for production at Pinewood. Work has just been completed on Snow White, which will be followed by The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Roses and The Amateur, starring Rami Malek. A new Star Wars film has also been planned. Next for the UK will be a TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel Rivals.
“We are probably one of the fastest-growing media companies in [Europe, the Middle East and Africa],” Koeppen told the FT. “We have been over the past few years, and . . . we have a lot more growth ahead of us.”
He also expressed confidence in the future of the superhero genre, which many critics think is nearing the end of its shelf life.
The third instalment of Marvel’s Deadpool franchise has proved a box office success for Disney. “[The genre] seems to have a lot of life left,” said Koeppen. Deadpool & Wolverine was made at Pinewood Studios.
Read more Disney reports that combined streaming platforms move into profit for first time
No comments yet