Minotaur (2006): Money invested with zero return
Wales Online (The Western Mail on the web) continues its scrutiny of the large sums of money that have apparently been somewhat unwisely spent on highly-publicised film and TV projects in recent years. I think the Political Editor has a point, and she is not the only one making it........
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All the film and TV projects the Welsh Government has invested in which have lost money
More than £15 million was invested - but just over a third has been recoupedhttps://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/welsh-government-films-pinewood-studios-17561213
By Ruth Mosalski
Political Editor
27 JAN 2020
Just one of the film and TV projects which was given taxpayers' money has made any money, it's been revealed.
Overall, £15.1m has been invested in a scheme run with Pinewood, so far, £5.5m has been recouped - resulting in an overall loss of £9.6m.
The Welsh Government said the so-called Media Investment Budget "was introduced to grow and support the production sector in Wales, return on the production itself was not the prime objective of the fund."
Pinewood pulled out of its Welsh studio in October 2019.
Words like "hope" "excitement" and "anticipation" were all used to describe the studio's arrival in Wales.
But, four years later the Welsh Government terminated the lease and collaboration agreement it had in place with the company.
The studio and the running of the Media Investment Fund was brought under direct Welsh Government control.
During 2013-14, Welsh Government officials held discussions with Pinewood executives about establishing the facility and also developed plans to create a £30 million investment budget to support film and TV productions in Wales.
The plan was for that to be operated by Pinewood on behalf of the Welsh Government.
The idea came from a model used on the Isle of Man, where a £25m fund had generated a direct local spend of £100 million and 2,140 full-time equivalent jobs, according to Assembly papers.
In 2018, the Assembly's Public Affairs Committee was told "The Welsh Government is still receiving returns on this investment, but initial receipts do not look promising".
Andrew Slade, the Director General for Economy, Skills and Natural Resources admitted the Welsh Government was expecting to invest more annually than it has done to date and given it has not already spent the £30 million it would not be getting the full return at this stage".
By the time the report was published the Welsh Government had received 20% of its target.
"We noted that there are few other programmes where you would achieve just 20 per cent of the target and this is of concern".
They asked for an update at the end of the year.
Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Dafydd Elis Thomas responded and his letter shows that of the 15 productions given money under either Pinewood or Welsh Government management, all but one lost money.
The only one to make money was Their Finest, which made a gain of £50,000 despite a £2m investment. The film was a 2016 British war comedy/drama starring Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy and Helen McCrory.
Which productions lost money? (Pinewood era)
Take Down
Action film Take Down, received £3.1m but went straight to DVD in the UK.
Take Down, which was shot in the Pinewood studio in Cardiff as well on Anglesey and the Isle of Man, told the story of a group of out-of-control teenagers sent by their frustrated parents to a boot camp on a remote island to learn self discipline.
Total investment: £3.1m
Amount recouped: £1.1m
Total loss: £2m
The Collection
An Amazon Prime original drama, this was shot in Bay Studios in Swansea, which had also been home to Da Vinci’s Demons.
Set in the world of French haute couture after the Second World War, and following the fortunes of two brothers at an illustrious Paris fashion house.
Production lasted 15 weeks with pre-production beginning in late 2015 and principal photography beginning in January 2016.
The production occupied two-and-a-half stages, utilised the vast backlot and built Parisian streets outside. It also shot at Swansea’s historic Guildhall.
Total investment: £1.75m
Amount recouped: £0.25m
Total loss: £1.5m
Show Dogs
Show Dogs was shot at Pinewood Studio Wales and is a 2018 American family buddy cop film directed by Raja Gosnell, written by Max Botkin and Marc Hyman and starring Will Arnett, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Natasha Lyonne, Jordin Sparks, Gabriel Iglesias, Shaquille O'Neal, Omar Chaparro, and Stanley Tucci.
The film follows a Rottweiler police dog and his human partner who go undercover at a prestigious dog show to stop an animal smuggling activity. It received good reviews and took in $39.2 million at the box office.
Total investment: £1.56m
Amount recouped: £0
Total loss: £1.56m
Journey’s End
Partly shot at Pinewood Studio Wales on Stage 1, Journey's End is a British film adaptation R. C. Sherriff's play of the same name. It starred Paul Bettany, Sam Claflin, Asa Butterfield, Toby Jones and was written by Simon Reade and directed by Saul Dibb, this is the fifth film adaptation of the play. It was well received by critics but failed to cause a stir at the box office.
Total investment: £0.85m
Amount recouped: £0.6m
Total loss: £0.2m
Don’t Knock Twice
Don’t Knock Twice also received £75,000 in grant funding under the Welsh Government’s Business Finance scheme.
The supernatural thriller was directed by Caradog W James, who won attention with his science fiction thriller The Machine. It portrays the plight of a mother “desperate to reconnect with the daughter she abandoned” who “must go further than she ever imagined possible to win back her child”.
Total investment: £0.630m
Amount recouped: £0.612m
Total loss: £0.01m
Minotaur
Minotaur was billed as Wales’ answer to "True Detective" and was filmed between Rhyl and Paris. It was written by Holyhead actor Celyn Jones, the actor/writer behind the Swansea filmed "Set fire to the Stars"
Total investment: £0.026m
Amount recouped: 0
Total loss: £0.026m
Lionel the First
Described on Imbd as an in-development film, it is catgorised as adventure, family and fantasy.
Total investment: £0.025m
Amount recouped: 0
Total loss: £0.02m
Productions which lost money (Under Welsh Government control)
Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires
Chuck Steel: Night Of The Trampires is a comedy-horror B film from Animortal Studio and features the voices of the film’s writer-director-producer Mike Mort of Animortal, Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous) and Paul Whitehouse (The Death Of Stalin).
Set in 1986, the film pays homage to the look and feel of 1980s cult action classics.
Total investment: £2m
Amount recouped: £0
Total loss: £2m
Eternal Beauty
A film about a woman dumped at the altar who has a breakdown and spirals into a chaotic world, where love (both real and imagined) and family relationships collide with both touching and humorous consequences.
It was directed by Craig Roberts, who also directed Just Jim (2016).
It featured Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Paddington) alongside David Thewlis and Billie Piper.
Total investment: £1.050m
Amount recouped: £0.77m
Total loss: £0.2m.
Bang
A bilingual crime drama, this was shot in Port Talbot.
It was shortlisted for a prestigious Writers’ Guild Award in the Best Long-Form TV Drama category alongside Line of Dut and Taboo. The series was shown on S4C.
Total investment: £0.350m
Amount recouped: 0
Total loss: £0.3m
Tiny Rebel
This is the story of how, according to Pinewood Pictures, an FBI agent is forced to work with a “rugged lone-wolf Rottweiler NYPD police dog” when “an underground network of illegal animal traders is uncovered at a prestigious dog show”.
Total investment: £0.3m
Amount recouped: £0
Total loss: £1.5m
Goose Green
No details available - still in development.
Almost Never (formerly True Believers)
A CBBC comedy drama about a TV talent competition which sees a brand new boy band pitted against an all-girl group. It starred Tess Daly.
Total investment: £0.62m
Amount recouped so far: £0
Total loss: £0.62m
Six Minutes To Midnight
An upcoming war drama film directed by Andy Goddard from a screenplay by Goddard, Celyn Jones and Eddie Izzard. The film will star Eddie Izzard as Thomas Fisher, with Judi Dench, Carla Juri, James D'Arcy and Jim Broadbent in supporting roles.
It was filmed over six weeks in Wales.
Total investment: £750,000
Amount recouped so far: £75,000
Total loss: £0.675m
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What do Welsh Government say?
A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: "The Media Investment Budget was introduced to grow and support the production sector in Wales, return on the production itself was not the prime objective of the fund.
"The overall Media Investment Budget stands at £15.106m, and the amount recouped to date is £5.6m.
"This investment has in turn, generated a total Welsh spend of £25.112m.
"Receipts on the Media Investment Budget continue to be received by Welsh Government and with some productions yet to be released, any profit is yet to be determined.
"It is expected that recoupment on productions is a process that will continue for a number of years after the initial release.
"In recognition of the creative industries as one of the fastest-growing parts of the Welsh economy, Welsh Government is setting up Creative Wales, which will launch this week along with a new funding package to further support the growth of the sector in Wales."
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