Film news: Sky Studios receives approval for major expansion
Sky Studios’ state-of-the-art film and television studio, based in Elstree, is set to receive a huge upgrade.
Already one of the leading production hubs in Europe, the expansion will see a further ten stages added to the studios, bringing the grand total to 22 stages over a space of 470,000 square feet.
The project is being financed and developed by Legal and General, and signals a major boost for economic growth in the UK, writes Film News Blitz’s Rhys Rogers.
A cinematic boost for UK jobs
The added stages at Sky Studios Elstree are expected to create over 2000 new jobs and attract £2 billion of production investment to the UK.
Sky is also planning to give back to the local economy, stating that they hope to fill crew member jobs with people from the nearby community, and funding for films will be reinvested to improve local roads and transport links.
The current studio only opened in 2022, but has already seen the creation of a slate of iconic films - from Wicked to Jurassic World: Rebirth and Paddington in Peru, plus countless Sky Originals and adverts.
What is clear is that the expansion is driven by helping the UK economy and a focus on the creative job sector.
In a statement, the Group CEO of Sky Dana Strong said, “With the government’s continued support through business rates relief and film and TV tax incentives, our creative economy is poised to be a driving force of UK growth”.
The project is set to cost around £400 million, and construction is scheduled to begin next year.
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