Millie Bobby Brown, the Enola Holmes star and Hollywood’s favourite recruitment from the Home Counties, has delivered a timely boost to the British film industry. Speaking at the London premiere of her latest Netflix project, Brown declared the UK’s production sector “world-class” as the domestic box office posts record numbers.
Her comments land as a welcome tonic for a sector still nursing post-pandemic jitters. The British Film Institute reports UK cinema admissions hit £1.2 billion in 2023, the highest since 2019. Brown’s own Enola Holmes sequel contributed heavily. The film, shot at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, grossed £87 million globally in its first week.
But Whitehall whispers suggest the industry is not out of the woods. Treasury sources confirm the Chancellor is under pressure to extend the film tax relief scheme beyond 2025. Lobby insiders say Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer is fighting for a five-year extension. Brown’s star power could tilt the balance.
“It’s not just about the big studios,” Brown told the gathered press. “It’s the crew, the post-production houses, the local businesses. That’s what makes the UK special.” Her remarks were carefully scripted but landed well. Producers in the room nodded.
The box office surge is uneven. Independent cinemas are struggling. The cost of living crisis is hitting ticket sales for smaller releases. But major franchise films – Barbie, Oppenheimer, the latest Bond – are printing money. Brown’s Enola Holmes films sit in the sweet spot: mid-budget, female-led, streaming and cinema hybrid.
Behind the scenes, the fight for talent is intensifying. Netflix and Amazon are poaching British crew for US shoots. The industry body ScreenSkills warns of a 20,000 shortfall by 2025. Brown’s praise may help recruiting. A generation of young actors and technicians now sees British film as a viable career.
Polling by YouGov last month showed 68% of Britons think the film industry is a net positive for the economy. That number climbs to 82% among under-35s. Brown’s demographic. Her endorsement matters in Westminster.
One backbench Conservative MP, who sits on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said: “When a global star like Millie Bobby Brown talks up the UK, it cuts through. The Chancellor should listen.” The MP spoke on condition of anonymity. Classic Whitehall.
But not everyone is buying the hype. Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire warned against “complacency”. She tweeted: “One star’s praise doesn’t fix the funding crisis in regional theatres and independent cinemas.” A Labour source told me the party will commit to a “creative industries strategy” in its next manifesto.
Brown, for her part, is careful not to wade into politics. She knows her brand. Her comments were deliberately non-controversial. No one can argue with “world-class”. It costs nothing and buys goodwill.
Yet the timing is sharp. The government is finalising its Creative Industries Sector Vision next week. Brown’s intervention will be cited in ministerial briefings. A DCMS official confirmed the quote is being “included in the narrative”.
For the British film industry, the record box office is a prize. But sustaining it requires more than celebrity endorsements. It needs infrastructure investment and tax certainty. Brown has done her bit. Now the Treasury must deliver.
The dust settles on another London premiere. The stars move on to their next project. But the question remains: can the UK turn this golden moment into a permanent fixture? The answer will be written in the next budget, not on the red carpet.
