Film studio reels in record profits

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and the latest Harry Potter movie helped film studios Pinewood Shepperton boost half-yearly profits by 15.8% to a record £6.7m (€10m), it said today.

The new big screen version of Roald Dahl’s children’s favourite and The Goblet Of Fire, being made at the studios, were among several large productions which helped Pinewood to lift studio facility sales in the six months to June 30.

Other productions, such as the Intimidation Game, and the rights to revenues from hiring the studios’ 007 stage also contributed to the rise in operating profits, Pinewood said.

Today’s results were the first since the group floated on the Stock Exchange in May.

Chairman Michael Grade, who recently became the BBC’s new chairman, said the performance was slightly ahead of expectations.

“The directors view the company’s prospects for the current financial year with confidence,” he said.