Netflix to Create UK Production Hub at Pinewood Group’s Shepperton Studios

The first project to film at U.K. base will be Charlize Theron movie “The Old Guard”

Netflix is going across the pond to create a production hub at Pinewood Group’s Shepperton Studios in England, the company said Wednesday.

The streaming service’s new U.K. base will feature 14 sound stages, workshops and office space. The first Netflix project to use the rented facility will be the action drama “The Old Guard,” starring Charlize Theron and Kiki Layne, and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood.

The film — produced by Skydance Media, Denver and Delilah, and Marc Evans — is based on the comic book series created by author Greg Rucka and illustrator Leandro Fernández.

Financial details and the length of the pact were not made public, though the company says the deal is “part of Netflix’s long-term commitment to the U.K. creative community.”

Over the last year, more than 25,000 cast, crew and extras have worked on nearly 40 Netflix originals and co-productions across Britain including “Sex Education” in Wales, “Outlaw King” in Scotland and “The Crown” at Elstree Studios and across the country, according to Netflix. The streaming service says it expects that number to increase in 2019, with productions like “Jingle Jangle” at Arborfield Studios, “Cursed” at Langley Studios and “The English Game,” a new series written and produced by Julian Fellowes, which recently started filming in Manchester.

“Shepperton has been synonymous with world class film for nearly a century and it’s an important production hub for the UK creative community today,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, said. “We’re incredibly proud to be part of that heritage. This investment will ensure that British creators and producers have first rate production facilities and a world stage for their work.”

“We’re pleased to welcome Netflix to Shepperton Studios,” Pinewood Group Limited chairman Paul Golding added. “Netflix’s decision to base their production hub at Shepperton is a strong vote of support for the Pinewood Group and gives us great confidence as we expand our U.K. studios. Our plans, which represent the single biggest expansion of stage space across the U.K., will see Pinewood Group open twenty-two new sound stages, enabling us to host even more productions. This growth will help secure the ongoing success of the U.K. film and TV industry.”

Film productions that have used the Shepperton Studios’ facilities include “A Clockwork Orange,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Gandhi,” “Gladiator,” “The Young Victoria,” “Gravity,” “Hugo,” and “Mamma Mia!: Here We Go Again.”

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