Rt. Hon Michelle Donelan MP, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport visited Shepperton and Pinewood Studios.
The Culture Secretary met with Paul Golding, Chairman, Pinewood Group, Anna Mallett, Netflix VP Production EMEA, UK and APAC, Chris Bird, Managing Director for Prime Video UK, Spelthorne Councillors and the Chief Executive of Spelthorne Council. They toured the new development in construction to the North of the current Studios, which is due to open from June 2023. The £500million expansion project will include a further 17 stages and deliver approximately 1.2 million square feet. All of the new space is leased long-term to Netflix and Prime Video.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said:”Shepperton Studios is already a world class production facility, creating blockbuster classics such as 1917, Gladiator, Billy Elliot and Love Actually. The studio’s major expansion will enable our homegrown dream factory to become the second largest studio in the world and create bigger and better global hits, which will cement our status as one of the best places globally to make film and television. Alongside the Government’s funding for the BFI Film Academy and National Film and Television School, we look forward to working with the industry to make sure British filmmakers have the skills they need to make the most of the new job opportunities our great entertainment industry has to offer.”
Paul Golding, Chairman, Pinewood Group, said: “Our £500 million expansion of Shepperton Studios in Surrey is progressing at a great pace. We are adding over 1 million square feet to support the UK film industry and to meet the needs of our customers, Netflix and Amazon, who have signed long term contracts to occupy all of the new space.”
The visit continued to Pinewood Studios where the Culture Secretary officially opened the Buckinghamshire Film Office, met students studying with Creative Media Skills based at Pinewood and toured the production spaces and facilities.
