The studio complex has passed through many owners during its lifetime, and is now owned by Hertsmere Borough Council. The original plan was for the BBC to move back to refurbished Television Centre studios in 2015, however due to delays in the broader redevelopment of the old Television Centre site in July 2014, the lease was extended until 2017.[16]. [6] After improvements the studio contained seven stages totalling over 70,000 square feet (7,000 m2) of floor space. This led to subsequent Lucas productions such as the Star Wars sequels and Indiana Jones franchise being made at Elstree and also brought in directors Steven Spielberg and Jim Henson. Elstree Studios has firmly established itself as the number one Film and Television Studio in London. The smaller Studios A and B were used for schools and sitcoms, while Studio C was a drama studio. The Rank Organisation bought the music stage for the production of documentary films. The BBC bought the Elstree site in 1984 to produce its new soap opera EastEnders (first aired on 19 February 1985). One of several facilities historically referred to as Elstree Studios, the Shenley Road studios first opened in 1925. In reality, it was filmed several miles away at Elstree Studios, Herts, where CGI technology was used to fill in detail on the buildings. Quite the same Wikipedia. During 1928, the studio was sold to Ludwig Blattner who connected it to the electricity mains and introduced a German system of sound recording. At the end of the silent-film era, six new sound stages were built; three of these were sold to the British & Dominions Film Corporation (see below) with BIP retaining the remaining stages. One of several facilities historically referred to as Elstree Studios, the Shenley Road studios first opened in 1925. This site was the first of several such complexes colloquially referred to as 'Elstree Studios' located in the area. You could also do it yourself at any point in time. It will be known as Sky Studios Elstree. For example, the BBC has studios in Elstree, named "BBC Elstree Studios", whereas another company, Elstree Studios Limited, owns a separate site known as "Elstree Studios… Contents. The 32-acre development will … The studio's immediate survival was secured through the facilities being used for Star Wars (1977). When ATV was restructured as Central Independent Television in 1982, one of the conditions of its licence renewal by the governing body of the ITV network, the Independent Broadcasting Authority, was that ATV should leave any London-centric facilities and become more focused on the Midlands, the part of the United Kingdom to which it broadcast ITV programmes. Several stages were taken up with the sets for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) over its extended production schedule, and indeed Stanley Kubrick's film is sometimes blamed for making the studios financially unviable. Located 20 minutes from the heart of London, Elstree Studios is without doubt London’s No.1 studio for any film or television production, tour rehearsal or promo. In 1974, Andrew Mitchell took over from Ian Scott as managing director of the studios but was almost immediately told to close the facility and lay off all the staff. It was announced in 2012 that the studios would be the temporary home of BBC Studios and Post Production during the redevelopment of Television Centre. Elstree Studio Productions | 635 followers on LinkedIn. [3][4], BIP became Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC) in 1933. Known as the studios used for filming The Shining, Star Wars and Indiana Jones (its largest stage is known as the George Lucas Soundstage), the studios are used both for film and television productions. The 1980 movie "The Shining" was based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, which was inspired by The Stanley Hotel in Colorado. On 25 November 2019 it was announced that Elstree Studios would continue with their partnership with BBC Studioworks to provide television studio facilities. Harkness Screens moved out of the site in 2004 having established a global manufacturing base in France and the US and relocated its UK operation to a new production facility in Stevenage. [17] The new studios are expected to open in 2022,[18] and to have 14 stages with the smallest being approximately 1,800 m2 (19,000 sq ft). In 1946, Warner Brothers acquired a substantial interest in ABPC, appointed a new board and decided to rebuild the stages. The Blattner Studio was leased to Joe Rock Productions during 1934, which purchased the site two years later. Back catalog owned by many different firms. This led to subsequent Lucas productions such as the Star Wars sequels and Indiana Jones franchise being made at Elstree and also brought in directors Steven Spielberg and Jim Henson. BBC Elstree Centre, sometimes referred to as BBC Elstree Studios, is a television production facility, currently owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). British National Pictures Ltd. purchased 40 acres (16 ha) of land on the south side of Shenley Road and began construction of two large film stages in 1925. Forbes resigned in 1971. By 1927, Maxwell controlled all the stock, and the company was renamed British International Pictures (BIP) and the second stage was ready for production in 1928. The facility continued to be used until 1970 when MGM closed the studios. In addition to EastEnders, many other programmes have been made there including Top of the Pops, 'Allo 'Allo!, You Rang, M'Lord?, Grange Hill, Hangar 17 and Holby City. In December 2019, Sky announced plans to develop Sky Studios Elstree. Nowadays, Borehamwood is larger, but the old names have remained in use. MGM sometimes leased the studios to other film companies including the 20th Century Fox-produced The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958), for which a large set of a Chinese town, complete with artificial lakes, covering some 500,000 square feet, was constructed.[14]. Elstree Studios is owned by the council and managed by Elstree Film Studios Limited. He will continue to lead the team until a … [2] The first film produced there was Madame Pompadour (1927). When the studios were being established, Elstree was significantly larger than Borehamwood. While some facilities have been built and demolished since then, two sites remain in use in Borehamwood: Elstree Studios on Shenley Road and the BBC Elstree Centre on Eldon Avenue. In 1930, British and Dominion bought three new sound stages from British International Pictures Ltd on the adjoining site before their construction was completed. Elstree Studios on Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire is a British film and television production centre operated by Elstree Film Studios Limited. In 1950, the site was bought by J. Arthur Rank, who renamed it Gate Studios and made religious films. Financial difficulties forced Hagen to sell the studios to MP Productions in 1937. Comcast -owned European broadcaster Sky has secured planning permission to build a major new film and TV studio in Elstree, north London. In 1935, Julius Hagen, the owner of Twickenham Studios, bought the site and formed a new company, JH Studios. Acquired by the entertainment and property company Brent Walker, most of the backlot and several facilities were demolished to build a Tesco superstore. MGM's Edward, My Son (1949), with Spencer Tracy and Deborah Kerr, was the first film to be produced at the studio. Sky Studios Elstree will work in close collaboration with Elstree Studios despite both businesses being managed independently of each other. Maxwell placed Alfred Hitchcock under contract in a 3-year, 12-picture deal, and after several silents, he was responsible for Blackmail (1929), the first British talkie released, which was produced at the studios. [12][13] In his autobiography A Divided Life he states that "They were years of high hopes, of excitement, often of fulfilment and contrary to what various pundits said after the event, the programme proved a commercial success, returning according to the latest [1992] figures a profit in excess of £16,000,000 on a capital outlay of £4,000,000. [17], Film and television production facility on Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, Elstree Studios at Shenley Road, Borehamwood, British International and Associated British, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Greek Myths, Bryan Forbes: film director, actor and writer, "Bryan Forbes profile at British Film Institute website, Bryan Forbes, acclaimed film director, dies aged 86, "Stepford Wives film director Bryan Forbes dies aged 86", "Television Centre return delayed by two years", https://bbcstudioworks.com/news/bbc-studioworks-extends-elstree-studios-partnership/, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elstree_Studios_(Shenley_Road)&oldid=998262290, 1925 establishments in the United Kingdom, Buildings and structures in Hertfordshire, Film production companies of the United Kingdom, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1JG, This page was last edited on 4 January 2021, at 15:31. 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