Pinewood has unveiled its strong interim results for the first half of 2011; production has also begun at the UK studio on Universal’s Snow White And The Huntsman, starring Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron.

Pinewood has released its interim results for the six months ending June 30 2011, with revenues up 68% on this time last year from £19m to £26.1m.

Pineood’s operating profit is up to £6.6m, compared with £2.9m in 2010: Profit before tax is at the same level as in 2010 at £1.5m.

Pinewood also revealed that it had begun development on an additional 30,000 sq ft stage capacity at the studios.

Despite recent BFI stats which showed that the number of inward investment productions shooting in the UK in the first six months of the year was down from 14 to 9, Pinewood’s figures have been boosted by the increasingly large scale productions shooting at the studios in 2011. These include Ridley Scott’s sci-fi epic Prometheus and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. Films to shoot at Shepperton this year include Universal’s 47 Ronin starring Keanu Reeves, and Warner Bros’ Gravity with Sandra Bullock.

“The first half of the year has delivered a positive performance across the business with good demand from big budget films and large scale TV productions. Despite the current economic uncertainties, the company is performing strongly,” said chief executive Ivan Dunleavy.

Meanwhile Universal’s Snow White And The Huntsman has just gone into production at Pinewood. The epic retelling of the classic fairytale sees Snow White (Stewart) training in the art of war with a huntsman (played by Thor actor Chris Hemsworth) in order to destroy the evil queen (Theron). The prince is played by 2010 Screen Star of Tomorrow Sam Claflin.

Directed by commercials director Rupert Sanders and produced by Alice In Wonderland producer Joe Roth and Sixth Sense producer Sam Mercer it is one of two Snow White features currently in production. Relativity’s version stars Julia Roberts.

Topics