Renais: Gin brand co-founded by Harry Potter star Emma Watson raises £5m Retail The luxury gin brand co-founded by Harry Potter star Emma Watson and her brother has raised almost £5m. Renais Gin, which was launched in May 2023, has secured £4.95m on the back of expanding into the US last year. The spirit is now sold in 11 countries while the company has distribution deals agreed with [...]
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 [...]
Harry Potter’s wizarding world is an authoritarian dystopia Opinion Secret police, slavery and mass indoctrination of children – Harry Potter’s wizarding world is a greatest hits of repressive regimes, says Sam Fowles Here’s a fun Christmas party game: name your favourite fictional authoritarian state. Is it George Orwell’s “Airstrip 1”? Margaret Atwood’s New England? Or perhaps (whisper it) JK Rowling’s “wizarding world”? It’s better [...]
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child maker remains in the red amid West End troubles December 20, 2024 The company behind the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage play remains in the red amid falling sales and show closures, it has been revealed. The joint venture which produces the show across the world has reported a turnover of £41.3m for the year to 31 March, 2024, down from the £45.2m it achieved [...]
Gary Lineker won’t be the last celebrity to fall foul of HMRC December 10, 2024 With the government’s efforts to close the tax gap, high profile individuals like celebrities, athletes and entertainers, are increasingly finding themselves under HMRC’s scrutiny, says Phil Clayton Gary Lineker is making the headlines once again – this time as a result of HMRC’s continued efforts to overturn the First Tier Tribunal’s (FTT’s) decision on £4.9m [...]
Oh! Darling: Harry Potter star Rupert Grint owes taxman £1.8m thanks to Beatles clause November 29, 2024 Harry Potter star Rupert Grint's appeal against HMRC imposing a £1.8m tax bill on him was dismissed, after a Tribunal upheld a Beatles clause
The Naked Truth October 30, 2024 The love child of Adam Barton and Amy Lane, Atlas Wines began as a vineyard of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia’s Clare Valley. Here Adam tells us more about their partnership with Naked How did you get Naked? Amy and I were approached by Naked Wines in 2012 after our Atlas Wines received some national press. [...]
Harry Potter keeps flying off shelves as Bloomsbury breaks records October 24, 2024 Sarah J. Maas and the still-popular JK Rowling Harry Potter books are set to help publisher Bloomsbury beat expectations, it was announced this morning. In its results for the six months to 31 August, the publishing house told markets consumer revenue was up 47 per cent to £131.3m for the half year, up from £89.4m, [...]
Mrs Doubtfire musical on song for West End’s Shaftsbury Theatre October 8, 2024 The success of West End musical Mrs Doubtfire has helped boost the finances of the firm behind London’s Shaftsbury Theatre. The business behind the venue has reported a turnover of £26.2m for 2023, up from the £17m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show its pre-tax profit jumped from £1m to [...]
The Making of Harry Potter studio tour magics up £100m profit October 4, 2024 Profit at Warner Bros’ Harry Potter studio tour near London passed £100m as it created more than 100 jobs to cope with the rising demand for the attraction. The business behind Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, achieved a pre-tax profit of £100.8m for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with [...]