The director of award-winning TV drama Wolf Hall, Peter Kosminsky, has called for a 5% levy on UK subscription streaming revenues to be allocated to a British cultural fund. This proposal comes as the industry faces funding cuts due to gaps in revenue.
Kosminsky stated that he had to make significant cuts, including cutting exterior scenes and reducing costumes, props, and locations, due to insufficient funds. He also shared that his lead actor, Sir Mark Rylance, and screenwriter Peter Straughan took pay cuts prior to filming.
The director believes that without change, the British TV industry is at risk of being squeezed out of the market. Kosminsky suggests exploring alternative funding options, such as allowing expats to pay for BBC content abroad or crowdfunding campaigns. He also proposes reducing payments to TV presenters like Gary Lineker to allocate more funds to the industry.
Kosminsky’s proposal has sparked debate among fans and critics, with some arguing that a cultural fund would benefit specific groups of artists rather than promoting healthy competition in the streaming market.
Source: https://deadline.com/2025/03/wolf-hall-peter-kosminsky-outdoor-scenes-cut-funding-1236347254