Q2 2023 Global Production Report

ProdPro

July 15, 2023

WGA Work Stoppage Looms

ProdPro, a global leader in tracking TV and film productions, noted a pronounced shift in production trends during Q2 2023, largely driven by the anticipated WGA strike. Television episodic productions experienced a marked decline, mainly due to concerns that a WGA work stoppage would disrupt their completion. This downturn aligns with a trend first spotted in Q1, showing a reduced number of green-lit TV productions this year. Conversely, film studios hastened their feature film schedules, aiming to finalize locked-scripts even if the WGA strike materialized.

What's important: As Strikes loom, producers accelerated the pull-back on episodic productions, while the number of feature films starting jumped.

Why it matters: Studios reassess a new "normal" for scripted production, impacting volume and spend across slates and signaling awareness of strike risks.

Scripted TV & Film Productions Starting Principal Photography: Q2 2023*

ProdPro reported 371 scripted productions that started principal photography worldwide in Q2 of 2023. This encompassed 116 TV series and 255 feature films. However, due to the WGA and SAG strikes, 39 of these faced interruptions and have subsequently been put on hold.

Feature films saw a notable increase of 20% compared to the same period last year. This rise can be attributed to the anticipation surrounding the WGA strike, with features being less vulnerable due to their established scripts.

TV series experienced a decline of 37% year-over-year, primarily due to the WGA strike's influence on US-based series.

Production Budget Analysis

The quarter saw over $6.8B allocated for scripted production budgets, marking a 17.8% decrease from Q2 2022. Though studio TV series counts decreased, major film productions balanced the overall content expenditure. Looking at the total year-to-date, 2023 has $13.2B in committed spend by the end of June, compared to $15.5B for the same period last year.

Scripted TV & Film Productions by Budget Tier: Q2 2023

Geographic Breakdown

The US felt the most significant reduction, with TV series initiations down by 67%, followed by Canada with a 48% reduction. Contrarily, the UK observed an uptick in productions, likely due to a preference for projects less susceptible to the WGA strike.

Episodics

Features

Feature Films - Notable Production Starts

Deadpool 3 kicked off production in late May 2023. Produced by Marvel Studios, the project is filming in London, UK and Vancouver, BC. Key crew on the project include line producer Mary McLaglen, cinematographer George Richmond, production designer Raymond Chan, and costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo.

Filming on Gladiator 2 began early June 2023 with units across England, Malta, and Morocco. A Paramount Pictures production, key crew on the project include line producer Nigel Wooll, cinematographers Dariusz Wolski and John Mathieson, production designer Arthur Max, costume designer Janty Yates, and editor Claire Simpson.

A follow-up to the 1996 film, Universal Pictures' Twisters started production in mid-April in Oklahoma. Key crew on the project include line producer Thomas Chau Hayslip, cinematographer Dan Mindel, production designer Patrick Sullivan, costume designer Eunice Jera Lee, and VFX supervisors Mark Soper and Matthew Schitkovitz.

TV Series - Notable Production Starts

House of the Dragon is returning for a second season. Produced by HBO, the series began filming in April 2023 and is set to film throughout Europe in London, Wales, and Spain. Line producing duties on the project are shared amongst Peter Welter Soler, Danny Gulliver, and Paul Slavin. Additional key roles on the project include cinematographer Catherine Goldschmidt and production coordinator Phil Davin.

The Sandman will return for its sophomore season on Netflix. Warner Bros. Television is producing the project and filming kicked off in June 2023. The second season will revisit shooting locations across the UK, including London and Poole. Key crew include Samson Mucke who serves as line producer, production designer Jon Gary Steele, and VFX supervisor Ian Markiewicz.

Amazon Prime’s hit show The Wheel of Time began filming its third season. Principal photography kicked off in April and the cast will travel across Europe for scenes shooting in Croatia, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. Sony Pictures Television produces the series for Amazon Studios. Line producer Holger Reibiger and production designer Ondrej Nekvasil return for season 3, while Andy Scrase has been named VFX supervisor.

To access the full report statistics on Q2 2023 production activity, subscribe to ProdPro Analytics. You can learn more about ProdPro Analytics here or get in touch with us at contact@prodpro.com.

*ProdPro specializes in tracking English-language scripted content produced by the major studios globally, as well as independent and domestic productions in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.