Pinewood Toronto Studios
43°38′57.94″N 79°20′30.98″W / 43.6494278°N 79.3419389°W
Pinewood Toronto Studios (formerly known as Filmport) is a major film and television studio complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is the largest of its kind in Canada. It is the first in Toronto capable of accommodating the production of large blockbuster movies.[1] The studio is named for UK-based The Pinewood Studios Group. In March 2018 it was announced that Bell Media would be buying a controlling stake in the studio.
It is located across the shipping channel from Hearn Generating Station along Commissioners Street.
History
Construction
The project covers 4.5 hectares (11 acres) of land in the Port Lands area of Toronto, a former industrial area, that is already home to a number of smaller studios. The Port Lands site was originally a brownfield site owned by Imperial Oil, and required considerable cleanup prior to reuse.
Initial work on the complex began in August 2006[2] and the first phase opened on August 20, 2008.[3]
From Filmport to Pinewood Toronto Studios
In June 2009, the studio entered into a comprehensive sales and marketing agreement with The Pinewood Studios Group, resulting in the facility being renamed Pinewood Toronto Studios.[4]
Pinewood Toronto Studios was constructed to be a “green” facility with a number of environmental considerations.[5]
Bell Media
In March 2018, Bell Media reached a deal with the UK-based Pinewood studios group, the City of Toronto, and several holdings companies to purchase a controlling stake in the studio. As part of the deal, Bell Media announced that an additional 170,000 square feet of sound stages would be built at Pinewood Toronto to ease scarcity of production space in Toronto.[6]
Stages and facilities
The 11-hectare lot features seven purpose-built soundstages and one converted warehouse, ranging from 10,000 square feet (930 m2) to 46,000 square feet (4,300 m2). The largest soundstage, called the Mega Stage, is more than 46,000 square feet (4,300 m2) and is the largest purpose-built soundstage in North America. The facilities are designed to accommodate the production of five simultaneous mid-sized feature films, or two massive projects.
The complex also houses an array of office space and ancillary services on the lot.
Filmography
- Battle of the Blades (CBC)
- Breakout Kings (20th Century Fox Television)
- Casino Jack (ATO Pictures)
- Chloe (Sony Pictures)
- Devil (Universal Pictures)
- Dream House (Universal Pictures)
- Happy Town (ABC)
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Universal Pictures)
- Sundays at Tiffany's (Lifetime Television)
- Take This Waltz (Mongrel Media)
- The Thing (Universal Pictures)
- Total Recall (Columbia Pictures)[7]
- Kick-Ass 2 (Universal Pictures)
- Carrie
- Pacific Rim
- RoboCop
- Pixels
- Suicide Squad
- Debug
- Star Trek: Discovery[8]
- It
- Shazam![9]
- It: Chapter Two
References
- ^ "Official site: FILMPORT". Archived from the original on 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "(www.hollywoodnorthreport.com) "Ontario Liberals Boosting Film/ TV Tax Credits."". Retrieved 2008-02-04.
- ^ Rob Roberts (2008-08-20). "Burgers, optimism at Filmport opening". National Post. Retrieved 2008-08-25.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Pinewood takes on management of Toronto's Filmport". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
- ^ "Green Initiatives". The Pinewood Studios Group. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
- ^ "Canada's Bell Media Buys Control of Pinewood Toronto Studios (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (December 23, 2010). "Report: Columbia Pictures' 'Total Recall' Headed to Toronto". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Vlessing, Etan. "Surging Hollywood Shoots Forces Hunt for New Toronto Soundstages". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan. "Pinewood Toronto to Double Production Space as Hollywood Takes City to Full Capacity". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 December 2017.