British Fantasy Cinema

In the period since 2001, cinema has witnessed a notable influx in fantasy film. Many constitute adaptations from British fantasy literature, often created and produced in the UK, and showcase domestic talent both in front and behind the screen. This includes massive box office hits such as the Harry Potter series (2001 2011) through to smaller scale and independent endeavours like Nanny McPhee (2005), MirrorMask (2005) and Franklyn (2008).However, such films have received minimal critical attention as British fantasy films. The reasons for this absence are manifold; leaving many films contested, ignored and omitted from established canons.This book re-addresses prevailing scholarship on the fantasy genre, national film production and representation on screen, providing readers with a revised appraisal of the contemporary film landscape. It delivers a fresh perspective across a broad range of films which all embrace the fantastic within British cinema.

Dr Carolyn Rickards is an Independent Researcher in Film and Media Studies. She co-authored Colour Films in Britain: The Eastmancolor Revolution and has contributed to edited collections including Watership Down: Perspectives On and Beyond Animated Violence, Sixties British Cinema Reconsidered and Fantasy / Animation: Connections Between Media, Mediums and Genres. She has also published research in the Journal of British Cinema and Television Studies and Screen.