007 producer Barbara Broccoli backs new film studio plans
The TV and movie production facilities would be built in Dagenham.
James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has backed the creation of new film studios in east London.
Plans have been made to build film and TV production facilities in Dagenham, the first in the capital for at least 25 years.
Investors, entrepreneurs and businesses have been invited to bid to manage the space.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, visiting the set of Channel 4 drama Humans at Barking Power Station to see TV production already taking place in the area, said the site could be a “world-leading destination for the production of blockbuster movies”.
It comes as the value of feature film production spend in the UK in 2016 was a record £1.6 billion.
“East London is a hub of creativity with a strong arts and culture sector and I also believe this studio will offer a new and exciting prospect to the young people of Barking, Dagenham and beyond.”
Khan said the “new studios will have us hot on the heels of Hollywood for blockbuster movies”.
“London is a global capital for film – from Bond to Bridget Jones, and Star Wars to Paddington – our capital is world-renowned for its film industry and has at least 40 crews out on London’s streets filming every single day,” he said.
“But we mustn’t rest on our laurels. I want London to be the most film-friendly city in the world and today’s study demonstrates the huge demand for large- scale film studios in the UK.”
A study found that building the studios could generate around 780 full-time jobs in the local area and £35 million for the economy.
Khan added: “A new film studio in Dagenham East will bring hundreds of new jobs to the area, benefiting everyone from carpenters to camera operators.”
