Ealing Studios: Iconic London film facility set for makeover

One of the world's oldest film studios, which has played an iconic role in British film and television, is set to get a makeover that will mean it can compete with Hollywood once more.

Ealing Studios in west London has made movies such as Bridget Jones, St. Trinians' and The Theory of Everything.

However, it is now small and outdated compared to other working studios.

Plans approved by councillors last week want to transform it into "the most advanced studio in the world".

The studio has been making films since 1902 and hosted stars like Audrey Hepburn.

The works will see a new 14,000-sq-ft stage (1300-sq-m) installed, which the developers say will take 18 months to build, as well as new workshops and additional office space.

The new glossy building has been designed to honour the distinctive Art Deco aesthetic of the original 1930's Grade II listed sound stages that still exist at the studio, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The studios also want to play their part in preserving the planet, as the developers will aim to make Ealing Studios the first Net Zero Carbon stage in the UK.

As major streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime continue to grow, councillor Anthony Kelly said the plans would enable Ealing studios to compete.

Councillor Anthony Kelly said: "There is an inherent challenge about keeping specific film stuff in film studios, but one of the ways of overcoming that is to actually have the right type of stage and studio space.

"Ten miles away there's the second biggest film stage in Europe, the 007 stage in Pinewood is massive - it's the size of three football fields - that's not what they do at Ealing [currently].

"We mustn't second guess the industry, they are the type of studios they want, they are the type of studios they've applied for, so we've got to take them at what they want."

The studios were previously owned by the BBC, and became home to famous series such as Porridge and Doctor Who.

After being sold by the BBC in 2000, the studios continued to host several blockbusters, including The Darkest Hour and Bridget Jones.

Barnaby Thompson, partner at Ealing Studios, welcomed the approval of the development: "This is the next stage in our evolution, responding to a need for greater studio space as well as recognising the need to become a more sustainable industry.

"We want the studio to be a home for talent for generations to come."

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