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Amazon has said that the British government should not take for granted the country’s status as a production hub that can rival Hollywood.
The streaming giant warned that U.S. studios could shift shoots at “short notice” if the UK becomes a less competitive location over the coming years.
Amazon has shown commitment to the UK by using it as the home for major productions, such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but said other countries are offering attractive incentives.
Amazon made the comments in a written submission to UK Parliament’s influential Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which is holding an inquiry on high-end film and TV.
Amazon said: “It’s important for policymakers to appreciate that it’s much easier to change the location of a production than it is [to] relocate for other parts of the economy.
“The production landscape is hypercompetitive, with jurisdictions continually looking for ways to attract high end TV and film productions. Short term policy changes or additional costs to doing business could see an immediate impact on productions moving away from the UK, and at short notice.”
The company urged ministers to benchmark the UK against other countries and consider how they can further stimulate inward investment from major studios.
Specifically, Amazon said the government should reform the apprenticeship levy and simplify planning laws to allow for the construction of more studio space, given that sound stages are “close to capacity.”
The UK has built a booming screen industry on the foundations of generous tax breaks, world-class studio space, a highly skilled workforce, and a shared language.
British Film Institute research showed that 92% of the UK’s record £6.3B ($7.8B) production spend in 2021 was from foreign production.
This virtue has, however, become a vulnerability during the U.S. strikes, when major productions shut down, putting thousands of freelancers out of work.
Amazon acknowledged it had been a “crippling year” for the UK screen industries.
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