London (AFP)

Far from having been wiped out by the disaster scenario of the pandemic, the British film and series industry, already one of the most powerful in the world, is riding the streaming boom to overshadow Hollywood.

With its spectacular landscapes, its Gothic castles, its avant-garde studios, the United Kingdom has over the years been able to attract more and more international productions.

From the "Game of Thrones" series to blockbusters like "James Bond" or "Star Wars", the American film giants and video-on-demand platforms are jostling there for their shootings.

"The audiovisual industries in the United Kingdom are extremely successful and are a major contributor to the economy of culture" on a European scale, said Gary Davey, CEO of Sky Studios, to AFP.

The sector employs around 140,000 people, weighs several billion pounds and contributes to the influence of the United Kingdom in a world where American domination is overwhelming.

- Tom Cruise reassured -

As a sign of its importance, the government authorized the resumption of filming of "Mission Impossible 7" in early July, granting an exemption from quarantine for the film crews.

The Minister of Culture Oliver Dowden had even exchanged with the star Tom Cruise to reassure him.

The sector restarted quickly after the containment and "the resumption of filming was meticulously prepared," said David McGraynor, operational director of ITV Studios.

This restart is done at the cost of a very strict health protocol, detailed in a 50-page document which limits the number of people on the sets and face-to-face meetings between actors.

"Producers had to get more creative, reimagining storylines and using new technologies like remote editing to get programs delivered on time and on budget," Davey notes.

Filming can continue during the reconfinement decided until early December in England.

If movie theaters are deserted or closed due to the pandemic, and for lack of eye-catching releases like the many-time-delayed new James Bond, "the British government has acted very quickly, which makes the UK even more attractive", Vikram Malhotra, CEO of Indian company Abundantia Entertainment, told AFP.

“The UK has historically been the preferred location for many Indian films,” said the Bollywood producer.

In addition to the English language, the country is full of talented players, has recognized technical expertise and offers favorable taxation for productions with, since 2007, a tax credit.

- Battle of studios -

The health crisis could even give a boost, since it accelerates the consumption of films and series in front of its screen at home, even as the switch to streaming in recent years has led to a rush to studios.

Sky gave the green light in July for the construction of Sky Studios Elstree, which are due to open in 2022. They will be located next to the famous Elstree studios, which housed the filming of "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones".

In the east of the British capital, the local authorities have approved the construction of giant studios, a 300 million pound project which will see the light of day in 2022 and intends to become "the Hollywood of London".

The British capital makes production life as easy as possible, a source of jobs.

Last year, she helped turn a disused factory into a filming location for an HBO production by series creator Joss Whedon, director of several blockbusters in Marvel's "Avengers" saga.

Netflix, broadcaster of the series "The Crown" on Queen Elizabeth II, meanwhile concluded an agreement with the studios of Shepperton in west London, while Disney has forged a partnership with the famous studios of Pinewood which s 'are expanding and want to open attractions for the public.

In 2019, spending on audiovisual productions in the United Kingdom reached 3.7 billion pounds, including 2 billion for cinema.

This last figure is twice that of France (1.1 billion euros or one billion pounds at the current rate) but far behind Los Angeles (7.6 billion dollars in 2017 or 5.7 billion pounds ).

"If we can control this boom in content we will be able to increase to 6 billion by 2024-2025" for audiovisual production, promised Adrian Wooton, director general of the British Film Commission at a conference in September.

"All this does not stop with the Covid. In fact there is even more desire", according to him.

© 2020 AFP