Star Wars, Hollywood's most successful film ever, was largely filmed in Britain. So was Superman. So was Alien.
Making money-spinning box-office films for foreign companies has become a habit with the British film industry, but it enjoys very little of the profits.
In Hollywood (USA) Michael Rodd investigates what brings American producers to film in Britain. In Elstree (UK) he meets Han Solo, C3PO, Luke Skywalker and the creators of Star Wars. As they work on the film that is trying to follow that £400-million success, The Risk Business discovers how big-time moviemakers are also reducing the chances that they will lose their shirts, in an industry where eight out of ten productions are flops. But what's in it for us? When the price of shooting in Britain forces the Americans back home, will we have a film industry left?
Research DAVID DUGAN Producers ANDREW WISEMAN JOHN GORMAN Editor MICHAEL BLAKSTAD
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