Budget 2021: policy will continue to support producers against cost of Covid shutdowns Analysis: Sunak digs in for battle against financial cost of CovidBudget 2021: key points at a glanceBudget 2021 live: Sunak to freeze income tax thresholdsThe government has extended its £500m insurance scheme protecting film and TV productions in the
UK against the cost of Covid shutdowns until the end of the year. Last year, more than £2.8bn was spent on making
Hollywood blockbusters and prestige dramas in the UK, from Line of Duty, War of the Worlds and The Witcher to Jurassic World: Dominion, Mission: Impossible 7, Batman and the third instalment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
The scheme, which was due to end in April, has so far supported more than 200 productions to get back up and running, saving an estimated 24,000 jobs since being launched in October. Despite the support, the total amount spent on film and high-end TV production fell by a fifth last year, as all productions across the UK were forced to close in the early months of the pandemic.