Disney has signed a deal to take over the majority of the world-famous Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire (20 miles west of London), England, for at least ten years.
The arrangement will see Disney take all the stages, backlots and other production accommodation at Pinewood.
Paul Golding, Chairman of Pinewood Group Limited, said: “It’s wonderful to have Disney here at Pinewood. They’ve been making great films with us for many years and the fact they want to shoot so many more here is testimony not only to the quality of the teams and infrastructure at Pinewood, but also to the British film industry as a whole.”
Filmmakers have been making blockbuster films at Pinewood Studios for over 80 years; in fact, some of the world’s most successful and popular films have been shot at Pinewood over the years, including several James Bond Films, The Hobbit, Batman, Aliens, and The Dark Knight.
Recent Disney films Cinderella, Dumbo, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Mary Poppins Returns, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker were also shot at Pinewood.
Disney is yet to officially comment on the deal, which means we know very little about what films will be made there in the future. That being said, we do know that Pinewood will continue to be the home of Star Wars movies (we have at least three more Star Wars movies coming our way in the next seven years). And with the House of Mouse churning out original content faster than lightspeed for Disney+, we expect that plenty of the new streaming service’s movies and series will be filmed at Pinewood Studios over the coming months and years, following news of this deal.
The arrangement between Disney and Pinewood is expected to begin in 2020.
Sources: Pinewood Studios / BBC