Bridgerton, Wednesday and the Beatles: The UK and Ireland Film and TV Productions Lighting Up 2026
The United Kingdom and Ireland are hosting an extraordinary slate of major film and television productions in 2026, cementing their status as the world's premier screen production destinations and delivering hundreds of millions of pounds in economic benefit to communities from Belfast to Dublin and London to Liverpool.
Background
The screen production industry has become one of the most significant drivers of economic activity across the British Isles, transforming former industrial sites into world-class studio facilities and creating thousands of skilled jobs in everything from costume design to visual effects. Northern Ireland Screen, the agency responsible for developing the local industry, reported that the screen sector generated £477 million for the Northern Ireland economy between 2022 and 2026 — surpassing its own target of £442 million. The agency has since launched a new four-year strategy, "The Full Picture," to build on this success.
South of the border, the figures are equally impressive. Screen Ireland reported a record-breaking production spend of €544 million in 2025, a 26% increase on the previous year, with the overall audiovisual industry contributing more than €1 billion in Gross Value Added to the Irish economy and supporting nearly 16,000 full-time equivalent jobs. These are not abstract statistics — they represent real employment, real investment, and real cultural influence flowing through communities across the island.
The productions arriving in 2026 represent the full spectrum of the industry, from prestige television drama to major studio films, and from beloved returning series to ambitious new creative ventures. Together, they tell a story of two nations that have successfully positioned themselves at the heart of global screen culture.
Key Developments
At Belfast Studios, production on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — the Game of Thrones prequel set in the age of the Targaryens — is well underway, with the second season beginning filming in and around Belfast in March 2026. The production continues a relationship between Northern Ireland and the Game of Thrones universe that has spanned more than a decade and generated enormous economic and reputational benefit for the region.
In London and Liverpool, Sam Mendes is directing his ambitious four-film Beatles project, with each film telling the story of the Fab Four from the perspective of a different member. The productions are expected to draw significant tourism interest to Liverpool in particular, a city whose identity remains inseparable from its most famous musical export. Meanwhile, Bridgerton Series 5 began filming at Shepperton Studios and on location in London and Bath in March 2026, continuing Netflix's most successful period drama franchise. In Ireland, Wednesday Series 3 — which relocated from Romania — began production near Dublin and in County Wicklow in February 2026, joining Andrew Scott and Emily Blunt's Netflix film and Brad Pitt's The Riders among the international productions choosing Ireland as their backdrop.
Why It Matters
The concentration of major productions across the UK and Ireland in 2026 is not accidental. It reflects years of deliberate investment in studio infrastructure, competitive tax incentive regimes, and the cultivation of a deep pool of skilled crew and talent. The UK's Creative Industries tax reliefs and Ireland's Section 481 film tax credit have been instrumental in attracting productions that might otherwise have filmed in continental Europe or North America. The result is an industry that punches well above its weight on the global stage, producing content that is watched by hundreds of millions of people worldwide and that shapes perceptions of British and Irish culture in every corner of the globe.
Beyond the economics, these productions matter because they tell stories. From the fantasy worlds of Westeros to the drawing rooms of Regency London, from the streets of 1960s Liverpool to the gothic corridors of Wednesday Addams' school, the UK and Ireland are providing the physical and creative canvas for some of the most watched storytelling of our era.
Local Impact
For Belfast in particular, the continued presence of major screen productions represents a transformation that would have seemed improbable a generation ago. The city that once struggled to attract investment of any kind is now home to world-class studio facilities and a thriving creative economy. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms alone supports hundreds of local jobs and brings significant visitor spending to the city. Northern Ireland Screen's new strategy signals an ambition to go further still — to develop local talent, support indigenous productions, and ensure that the benefits of the screen industry are felt across the whole of Northern Ireland, not just in Belfast.
What's Next
With production schedules running through 2026 and into 2027, the pipeline of major projects shows no sign of slowing. The success of Wednesday Series 3 in Ireland and the continued expansion of Belfast Studios suggest that both jurisdictions are well-placed to compete for the next generation of major international productions. For audiences, the coming months promise a feast of new content from some of the world's most talented filmmakers and storytellers — much of it made right here on these islands. Northern Ireland Screen: £477m economic impact and new strategy | Screen Ireland: 2026 production slate
