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SKY BACKS THE UK’S PRODUCTION TIDE INDUSTRY INVESTMENT A major broadcaster in the UK joins the production wave and commits millions of pounds to content creation WORDS JULI AN M ITCHELL / PICTURES SKY J ust when you thought Disney’s takeover of Pinewood and Netflix’s similar alliance at Shepperton were the culmination of this particular Sky added, would be part-financed by Legal & General (L&G), which would also contribute to developing the site. TIGHT STAGE SPACE ABOVE Sky hopes the investment will bring more original content to viewers, such as Chernobyl
production boom cycle, we get Sky, already a huge producer of content especially with its recent deal with HBO, announcing plans to develop a new 32-acre TV and film studio at Elstree in Hertfordshire, creating up to 2000 jobs. The company claims that the proposed new development, situated next to the current Elstree Studios, represents a “significant new investment in the UK and European creative economy”. Sky hopes the new facility, with 14 sound stages, will open in 2022, subject to planning permission, and attract an additional £3 billion of production investment over the first five years of its operation. “Once complete, the site will include production offices, a set construction workshop, a screening cinema and state- of-the-art post-production and digital facilities,” Sky said in a statement. The broadcaster did not reveal a cost, but that the development had the backing of its new owner, Comcast, and sister firm NBCUniversal, which has been behind top movies, such as the Fast & Furious and Despicable Me franchise. The project,
“We are proud to be working with our colleagues at NBCUniversal and Comcast, and our partners Hertsmere Borough Council and L&G to bring this project to life. Together we share a joint vision to create a world-leading production capability that will support the creation of thousands of jobs in the creative sector. We can’t wait to get started.” Gary Davey, chief executive of Sky Studios, commented: “This was an opportunity to build something new, state-of-the art and at scale. Fourteen sound stages means it’s a big enough site to attract high-end production in television and film from all over the world. It’s a big deal.” Fourteen sound stages means it’s a big enough site to attract high-end production in TV and film
The availability of UK production space has been narrowing over the past few years and the rise of the SVOD platforms has accelerated this huge investment. Earlier last year, Sky’s rival, Disney, leased the majority of stage space at Pinewood, while in July, Netflix struck a deal to rent the bulk of Shepperton – owned by Pinewood Group. Sky Studios Elstree “will provide significant capacity for Sky Studios to produce more original content in-house, while continuing to work with independent production companies across Europe”, the statement read, adding: “The new studio space will also play host to major film productions from Universal Pictures, Focus Features and Working Title, and television series from NBCUniversal Content Studios. “It will also have capacity to host productions from third-party producers.” Sky’s group chief executive, Jeremy Darroch, said: “We know our customers love our award-winning Sky Originals like Chernobyl and our investment in Sky Studios Elstree will enable us to bring more unique stories to more viewers.
08 DEF I N I T ION | JANUARY 2020
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