Hollywood comes to Murcia as Universal announces largest film production studio in Europe
Murcia Film Studios is poised to become a cinematic powerhouse with a 120-million-euro investment
The lights, camera and action buzz of Hollywood are set to descend upon the Region of Murcia as an ambitious film studio project has been unveiled this week. A British company, Stage Fifty, in partnership with Universal, is planning to construct the largest film and television production centre in Europe, right in the heart of Murcia.
With an initial investment of 120 million euros, Murcia Film Studios promises to be a game-changer for the Region's audiovisual industry.
The proposed Murcia studio will span a vast 100,000 square metres and is expected to generate around a thousand jobs. The project has been hailed as "great news" by the local audiovisual employers' association, the Audiovisual Union. They emphasise the strength and reputation of the investors, who count Disney, Netflix, Amazon Studios, HBO and Apple TV among their clients.
Located in the Los Cármenes de Las Torres industrial estate, Murcia Film Studios is envisioned as a hub for top-level national and international productions. The Region's unique locations and temperate weather will be a massive draw for film-makers, and innovative subsidies will be offered to attract international teams and train local talent.
The studio aims to bring specialised knowledge to the Spanish film industry, including expertise in special effects, props, costumes, makeup and visual effects.
Sources close to the project have revealed that international management profiles are being selected to direct the Murcian audiovisual hub, ensuring a world-class standard of operations.
Influential members of the project team have made it clear that, "without the talent of local film technicians available to major productions, Spain simply will not be able to compete with the United Kingdom."
The studio will complement existing production centres, such as the City of Light in Alicante, and will foster synergies between the provinces of Alicante, Murcia and Almería. This collaboration has the potential to establish a powerful national audiovisual hub in Spain.
During a recent visit to the UK, Region of Murcia president López Miras toured the facilities of 'Dimension Studio', a specialised virtual reality production company with similar characteristics to what is envisioned for Murcia.
Stage Fifty's alliance with Universal and its plans for expansion in Spain signal a bright future for the country's audiovisual industry. With this substantial investment, Murcia Film Studios is poised to become a major player in European film and television production, putting the Region on the map as a cinematic powerhouse.
Images: CARM
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
25% Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
