A “world-class” Hollywood studio is being planned on a 37-hectare site in the town of Broxbourne, about 27 kilometres from London, UK.
The owners of the Sunset Studios chain in the US have acquired the site for £120 million (about $166m) and plan to invest more than £700m to build a major film, TV and digital production complex.
Hudson Pacific Properties and investment firm Blackstone, which together own the Sunset Gower Studios, Sunset Bronson Studios and Sunset Las Palmas Studios in Hollywood, said they plan to turn Broxbourne in Hertfordshire into a hub for UK and international productions.
Subject to planning permission, they said the film and television facility will create more than 4,500 permanent jobs and "contribute £300m annually to the local economy”.
Sunset Gower Studios, one of the first Sunset Studios properties, was built in 1912, and has been home to many Hollywood classics such as 1934’s It Happened One Night and recent TV shows such as Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder. Other Sunset Studios locations have also hosted films including When Harry Met Sally and La La Land.
The UK studio will be the brand’s first expansion outside the US.
The British government said on Sunday it welcomed the move and that it was "supporting" the development of the studio.
Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, told the BBC the new studio “is yet another vote of confidence in the UK's booming film and TV industry”.
"Through the British Film Commission, we're supporting the development of stage spaces like this across the UK – boosting the local economy and backing our world-class creatives to make the next Bond blockbuster or binge-worthy box set,” he said.
Last week, Hudson Pacific Properties and Blackstone unveiled plans to develop a fourth Sunset Studios venue in the US, in Sun Valley, California.
To be called Sunset Glenoaks Studios, the fully equipped, state-of-the-art studio facility will be the first large-scale, purpose-built studio in the Los Angeles area in more than 20 years, the companies said.
The project, spread across four hectares, is estimated to cost $170m to $190m, and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2023.
“We are leveraging our development and studio operations expertise to further expand Sunset Studios’ facilities here in Los Angeles, where demand from leading content creators for top-notch, fully integrated sound stages and support space continues to significantly outpace supply,” Victor Coleman, chairman and chief executive of Hudson Pacific said.
Besides London, another Sunset Studios facility is also being planned in Vancouver, Canada.
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
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- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
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- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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