Universal handed £6m of taxpayer cash to film Hamnet despite raking in profits of £810m Media American filmmaking giant Universal was handed a £5.7 million government subsidy to make period drama Hamnet even though the studio generated £810 million in profit last year. The blockbuster’s cost to taxpayers is revealed in filings for the film which won the coveted honour of Outstanding British Film at the Baftas on Sunday. The heartbreaking [...]
London ad campaign boosts Abu Dhabi theme parks Business Visitors from the UK to Abu Dhabi’s theme parks surged by 40 per cent last year following the first advertising campaign for them in London which saw banners for Sea World, Warner Bros World and Ferrari World plastered on the walls of underground stations and at Canary Wharf. It was part of a diversification plan [...]
Wicked London stage show soars to record revenue Culture The West End production of Wicked, prequel to MGM classic The Wizard of Oz, reported its revenue rose 4.5 per cent to a record £27.8m last year. The rise was thanks to hype for the movie based on it, which yesterday became the highest-earning musical adaptation of all time. Mega stars Ariana Grande and Jeff [...]
French film-makers get their claws on £35m of UK taxpayers’ cash to make Paddington movies November 13, 2024 French film production company StudioCanal benefited from £35.8m of UK taxpayers’ cash to make a television series and three movies about British icon Paddington bear, with £13.4m alone handed out for the latest film which premiered on Friday. StudioCanal’s owner, French media giant Vivendi, posted a net profit of £336.6m (€405m) last year on revenues [...]
Disney’s Magical Cruise Company sails ahead as Disneyland parks struggle July 24, 2024 According to recently filed accounts, Disney’s cruise line sailed past the £1.6bn ($2bn) revenue mark in 2023 for the first time in its 25-year history, thanks to a surge in demand as it emerged from the pandemic. Disney’s filings in the United States don’t disclose the results of all of the businesses it owns and [...]
