UK films based on books create 44% more revenue
A new research report commissioned by the UK Publisher’s Association (PA) has found that UK-produced films based on books generate 44% more revenue in the British box office (and 53% more globally) compared to original scripts.
The research also found that ‘high-end’ UK TV productions based on books have a 58% higher viewership than original screenplays, and nearly three times more ticket sales are generated for theatre productions based on books.
The PA commissioned economic consulting firm Frontier Economics to produce the 21-page report, which explores what impact a book has, in terms of critical and commercial success, when adapted for film, TV and theatre. Data was collected via a combination of qualitative interviews, case studies, publicly available information, and data drawn from creative industry bodies, such as the British Film Institute (BFI), the BBC, UK Theatre and Nielsen BookScan.
The report found that, in the UK between 2007 and 2016, 43% of the top 20 UK-produced, box office-grossing films were based on books, with a further nine percent based on comic books. These films grossed £1.5 billion (A$2.6bn) in UK box office revenue and £22.5 billion (A$39.9bn) globally, accounting for 61% of total UK box office gross and 65% globally.
On average, these adaptations earned 44% more in revenue in the UK than films based on original screenplays, equal to an extra £5.4 million (A$9.6m) per film, or $91 million (A$161.3m) extra per film globally.
The report also highlighted that, in addition, adapted films perform better in terms of critical acclaim and awards.
When it comes to TV series, books also account for a significant amount of source material. Out of the 35 ‘high-end’ series produced in the UK during the period January to September 2017, 40% were based on books. Of the top 100 television dramas broadcast between 2013-2017 on the UK’s free-to-air channels, those based on books attracted on average an additional 1.3 million viewers per episode, equating to 58% higher viewership than dramas based on original material.
For more information about the report, click here.
Tags: adaptationsbook to film
Category: International news
