Warners buying UK studio to create Euro hub (FT)

By Nancy Tartaglione

According to The Financial Times, Warner Bros. today is expected to register plans to establish a permanent base in the UK as part of an estimated $161 million-plus investment that would make it the only Hollywood major to own a studio outside the US.

Under the plans, Warners would buy and refurbish a temporary studio it currently leases in Leavesden on the site of a former Rolls-Royce aero engine factory.

The facilities have been in regular use for filming since the mid-1990s. The "Harry Potter" films as well as a "Star Wars" movie and "The Dark Knight" have all shot there.

The new plans involve building two permanent stages, refurbishing the existing buildings and redesigning the 100-acre backlot.

A person familiar with the plans told the FT that Warners is aiming to make Leavesden a European hub for post-production.

The proposal also includes a plan to allow the public to visit the sets of films made there including the great hall from the "Harry Potter" films.

In a statement, the company said the proposal was "central to our long-term plans to invest in the local production community, to create local and industry employment opportunities, and to continue the legacy of exceptional British filmmaking at Leavesden and across the UK."