From Bond to Barbie, Hitchcock to Harry Potter, there is a legacy in London of producing some of the best film & tv shows in the world.
Whilst the city has been at the epicentre of the silver screen for years, with established studios harking back decades, there is also a new tranche of studios springing up all over the city with bigger and bolder ideas.
They are able to take on incredible capacity, challenging the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney. Here is a small selection of the best and newest studios, that we consider world-leading, and of course a property or two, thrown in for good measure.
1. Pinewood Studios – the original and bestÂ
Located on the cusp of Buckinghamshire, this studio is the original and the best, founded in 1936 it is synonymous with the production of James Bond and Star Wars for the best part of a century.
It has the biggest water tank in Europe, capable of hosting huge blockbusters like Inception and Dune. A recent $280 million expansion project has also kept it competitive well into the 21st century.
There are more than 150 businesses located onsite at Pinewood, offering everything from motion capture to 3D printing.
2. Warner Brothers Studios – Home to Witchcraft and Wizardry
Founded in 1994, it is infamous for the Harry Potter series of films, spin offs and now, one of the most successful studio tours in Europe. All the films were shot here creating one of the most commercially viable film series ever made.
There are 13 stages available for hire to any major film company, an 100 acre backlot and Europe’s largest heated water tank (only surpassed by Pinewood!)
Since being redeveloped extensively by Warner Bros in 2010, the studio tour has attracted millions of visitors since opening, bringing with it a huge boost to the local economy.
The capacity for filming is huge here, and with the huge breadth of its black-book, there is a genuine legacy for production.
Less than 30 minutes away is The Stables Courtyard, EN7, perfectly positioned for both Elstree and Warner Bros. Studios.
Currently on the market for £1,250,000.
3. Elstree Studios: The Crown Jewel of TV & Film
Elstree is another classic British institution for historic filming and TV having produced some of the most well known entertainment in history. To name but a few, the original Star Wars trilogy, Indiana Jones and The Crown. It really is at the heart of British culture.
At over 60,000 square feet of stage space, there are seven film and TV stages, and a magnificent ‘Green Screen’ stage, pioneering for technological innovation.
The studio also includes a spacious backlot, workshops, ancillary and office spaces, and two 9ft deep internal water tanks.
4. Shepperton Studios: the versatile studios
Shepperton Studios, considered one of the best studios in London for accessibility, the size and workshop space available accommodates a vast array of production needs. This is significant owing the extensive facilities on site its history of hosting major productions such as four bond films.Â
It is the second biggest studios in the world based on size of facilities, a significant factor when considering the level of investment in the facility, with 31 sound stages, and top-end post production facilities, it is really at the forefront of pioneering independent film and TV.
Its location is paramount, being so close to London and Heathrow Airport less than 20 minutes drive away, making it a major driver to its success,
Located close to the heart of Shepperton, this wonderful Georgian family home was previously sold in Thames Ditton, less than 3o minutes away.
5. OMA Studio Group, Enfield – the maverick studios.
The newest boys on the block, located close to Enfield and Waltham Cross comes 480,000 sqft of fresh, breathtaking studio space. Stages of up to 33,000 sqft with incredibly high ceilings, are perfect for high-end sci-fi and fantasy filming.
It has huge potential to be one of the best new studios in the country, having already produced series for Apple TV (Slow Horses & Silo to name a few).
It is what you would call a disrupter, converting former industrial sites into 480,000 sqft of independent. It is a ‘flexible’ studio as well, so vendors working onsite can choose freely who they would like to work with. A rarity amongst the big studio players!
This former water tower was previously sold close to OMA in Winchmore Hill, and is a classic example of the plethora of unique properties in the area.
