Amazon MGM buys Bray Studios, where ‘Rings of Power’ was filmed
Amazon MGM Studios is acquiring Britain’s Bray Film Studios, the historic location it recently established as a production center for the second season of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.”
The deal marks Amazon’s first acquisition of a physical studio in Britain, with Bray to be used for new and ongoing TV series and feature films. In early 2022, Prime Video signed a multimillion-dollar long-term lease with Shepperton Studios. In the US, Amazon owns The Culver Studios in Culver City, California.
The acquisition of Bray Film Studios, approximately 26 miles from central London, includes approximately 53,600 sq ft of sound space across five stages, 77,400 sq ft of workshops, 39,400 sq ft of office, 182,900 sq ft of backlot and 156,000 sq ft of parking spaces. The first production to take place there after the purchase will be the second season of the Russo Brothers’ spy series “Citadel,” starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, scheduled to begin filming in September.
“With Bray as our creative home in Britain, we are committed to deepening our relationships with the British creative community, which is rich with world-class storytellers and creative talent of all kinds,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon. MGM Studios. “The acquisition of a studio with such a storied heritage not only allows us to produce more film and television in Britain, but also reveals a wealth of opportunities in the local community in terms of jobs and skills training at all levels of the production process. .”
Frank Burke, chairman of Bray Film Studios Ltd, added: “Bray Studios has had an important place in the history of British film production for over seventy years. During our ownership period, I, along with my family and team, have witnessed the rebirth of this iconic facility and we are immensely proud of the role we have been able to play in bringing it back to prominence. We are now truly excited to transition the studios to Amazon, which we believe shares our commitment to quality and excellence and is perfectly suited to preserve the studio’s character while enhancing its world-class creative production spaces for future generations of filmmakers. .”
Based in Water Oakley, Berkshire, Bray Studios has a filmmaking heritage dating back to 1951, when British horror icons Hammer Films made the estate it is built on its permanent home. Hammer built a studio and would film dozens of films – including the 1957 cult classic ‘Dracula’ starring Christopher Lee – in Bray before the company moved to Elstree in 1966. In the 1970s it was best known as the place where models and miniatures for Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’, including the Nostromo spaceship, were created and shot, while in the 1980s and 1990s it was mainly used as a music space, where the very last rehearsal of the original Led Zeppelin band lineup took place and a pre-concert rehearsal for the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness. After a period of inactivity, filmmaking restarted in 2017 with the hit BBC series ‘Bodyguard’, followed by the Oscar-winning Elton John biopic ‘Rocketman’. The second season of “The Rings of Power” started in October 2022 in Bray.
“From ‘Rocketman’ to ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’, Bray Studios has been bringing us some of cinema’s most iconic moments for 70 years,” said UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. “We are committed to supporting the huge potential for economic growth in our creative industries. We want to do everything we can to ensure that career opportunities in these exciting sectors are available to people from all backgrounds across the UK. This vote of confidence by Amazon MGM Studios will ensure that one of our leading film studios continues to play a vital role in our premier screen industries. It will provide a major investment in skills and infrastructure to strengthen our status as Europe’s premier film destination.”
