Laura Carollo
Research expert covering cinema and film
Film production worldwide - statistics & facts
Imaginative film-sets, talented actors and actresses, riveting screenplays – this is what primarily draws customers to the big and small screen. These factors also account for the largest shares of movie production budgets. Recent years have proven that a big budget does not necessarily translate to large returns (or sometimes leads to losses, as illustrated by a popular franchise spin-off “Solo: A Star Wars Story”). Nonetheless, the show must go on, and the film production industry as a whole is working tirelessly to regain strength lost during the coronavirus pandemic and to attract viewers with better or, at the very least, more films.
Which are the biggest movie markets?
The global film industry could be divided between two broad categories: producers and earners. While both are dominated by Hollywood, the movie-making segment has healthy results in major European and Asian markets as well. Production volumes are undeniably the highest in the United States, so much so that the country alone accounts for 36 percent of all movies made worldwide. Also, when it comes to earnings, the U.S. leads the pack, but China and India follow suit, with European markets a little behind. The latest available data puts the U.S. as the leading country by overall filmed entertainment revenue, grossing more than the rest of the top five altogether: China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Germany. However, China maintains the upper hand at the global box office.Spotlight: the three Asian film titans
In 2023, the Chinese film industry almost reached the same levels of success it enjoyed prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Moviemakers in the country made close to 780 new feature films that year, closing in on 2019 levels. In Japan, the decline over that period was smoother, at 20 percent. At the same time, Japanese viewers were able to see 676 domestic productions released in cinemas, which is only 1.9 percent lower than the record-high numbers recorded in 2019. For the Indian film industry, also among the top global producers, 2023 meant the production of close to 1.8 thousand movies, also nearing the pre-pandemic volume. Additionally, the number of movies made in India and released abroad doubled between 2021 and 2023, showing healthy recovery for Bollywood productions overseas.Where is the movie production industry heading?
Recent figures point to a growth in volume numbers across numerous key markets. However, the film sector’s attempt to make up for the losses incurred during the coronavirus pandemic are weakened by the economic struggles of major producers and recent labor strikes and outcry against the use of AI in the industry. While the movie production numbers are growing, they are not yet at recovery levels, and the real success lies in the quality. It all boils down to whether or not consumers will be interested enough to watch new movie releases in cinemas and on TV, and most importantly – pay for it.
