The announcement came yesterday from The British Film Commission (BFC), after the region contributed for some high-end productions including Peaky Blinders, feature film The Immortal Man and the new untitled Peaky Blinders spin-off series.
The West Midlands (Birmingham) now joins South-West England (Bristol); North-West England (Manchester and Liverpool); Yorkshire (Leeds); Northern Ireland (Belfast); Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh); Wales (Cardiff); and London & South-East England as an official production hub, lending its strength to a UK-wide offer which contributed some £5.8 billion to the UK economy in 2025.
Adrian Wootton OBE, chief executive of the British Film Commission, said: “As Tommy Shelby of the Peaky Blinders once said, ‘when you plan something well, there’s no need to rush’.
“The growing success of the West Midlands as a UK production hub certainly bears this out. Over the course of nearly 15 years, the region has steadily grown in strength and stature, building skills, infrastructure and reputation.
“With the West Midlands becoming an official regional production hub, our offer to the global film and TV industry now spans the length and breadth of the UK: wherever you base your production, you’re within a stone’s throw of world-class facilities, crew and talent, with access to one-of-a-kind locations and some of the world’s most stable, transparent and generous tax incentives.
“As a born-and-bred West Midlander who started his career in the region I take great pleasure and pride in this exciting and welcome development. It is a major win for the region’s creative community, the UK and a win for the global industry as a whole.”
Steven Knight, writer, director and creator of Peaky Blinders, said: “I’m thrilled that the West Midlands has been recognised as a fantastic place to make film and TV. The opening of Digbeth Loc.
“Studios is an important part of that ambition, providing a home for world-class film and television production in the heart of Birmingham.
“We are at the beginning of a journey, and we’ve got off to a great start. The West Midlands is always ambitious, and we believe we will create a global content making industry in our neighbourhood.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “This is a real gamechanger because it gives the TV and film industry the confidence that we can provide the workforce, incredible locations and facilities for productions of every scale.
“The BBC is already doubling its production spend and Netflix did not hesitate to bring the Shelbys home. We’ve also recently provided the backdrop for Yash Raj’s latest Bollywood blockbuster.
“Long-running productions Silent Witness and MasterChef are creating regular work for local crews and helping keep talent here. And I’m investing in the local creators of new screen and digital ideas and training up the next generation so they have the skills producers and directors need. With our dedicated production office, it’s never been easier to get a production rolling here.”
In addition to the region’s new Hub status, the BBC previously announced plans to establish its future regional headquarters in the Tea Factory in Digbeth as a visible symbol of its long-term commitment to growing production in the West Midlands.
Together with Digbeth Loc. Studios, it will further strengthen the region’s creative economy, supporting jobs, attracting inward investment, and reinforcing the West Midlands’ position as one of the UK’s leading production centres.
BBC-commissioned analysis forecasts that its recent investment in Digbeth and the West Midlands will generate £282 million in economic benefit by 2031.
