The Big Picture
Warner Bros. Discovery has announced ambitious plans to expand its Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, its UK based television and film studio, which will see the facility grow by an additional 400,000 square feet of production & support space and an additional 10 stages. This will expand the available number of soundstages by 50%, from 19 to 29.
This development is particularly thrilling for James Gunn and Peter Safran, the creative minds behind DC Studios, as Leavesden is set to become their primary production hub. They are expected to provide valuable input on the design and features of the new facilities. Collaboratively developed with input from Three Rivers District Council and Watford Borough Council, this expansion endeavour is poised to generate 4,000 job opportunities across the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the studio’s contribution to the U.K. economy is forecasted to increase by over ?200 million.
“Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is globally-recognised for its exceptional soundstages and facilities, and with this planned expansion adding significant capacity and capabilities, it will be home to even more incredible storytelling for both film and television projects,” said WBD chief operating officer Simon Robinson in a statement. “We are proud to not only be growing our productions in Leavesden and making it the main hub for DC Studios, but also to be growing our economic and community contributions to the UK’s creative sector.”
Leavesden also serves as the home of the “Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter“, which houses a permanent exhibition of sets, props and costumes which were used in the making of the Harry Potter series, and includes a full replica of the Great Hall as well as the Forbidden Forest, Gringotts Wizarding Banks, Platform 9 3/4 and the Hogwarts Express, Professor Sprout’s Greenhouse, and Privet Drive. The entire film series was filmed there between 2000 and 2010, when Warner Bros. announced their plans to purchase the studio and make it their permanent European home.
Recent WBD films and TV shows to shoot at the location include Barbie, House of the Dragon and upcoming DC feature Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The sets are not exclusive to Warner Bros., and any film can make use of them regardless of ties to Warner Bros. including the likes of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Fast X and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Work will begin on the project in the second quarter of 2024, before being completed in 2027.
Gunn will be personally involved in its development. Read More