Major Sunderland film studio announced

FulwellCain Studios, a joint venture between global entertainment company Fulwell 73 and Cain International, has announced plans for Crown Works Studios in Sunderland, which will be one of the largest filmmaking complexes in Europe, creating some 8,450 jobs across the North East over the next decade.

The plans are being described by city leaders as ‘the single most significant development announcement to come out of the North East in decades’.

The joint venture will spearhead the development of a 156,000m² film industry hub at Pallion, with 20 premium sound stages suitable for major feature film and TV productions. The scheme – which requires support from Government to go ahead – will be delivered in three phases, with work set to start in 2023 and the final phase set to complete by 2027.

The team said the studios will be transformational for the city’s economy, cultivating an eco-system on a scale not seen since Nissan’s investment in Sunderland in the 1980s, while meeting the growing demand for studio space in the UK.

Leo Pearlman, Managing Partner at Fulwell 73, said: “Fulwell is a company built on family and the North East is embedded in our DNA. For over 100 years my family had a business here in Sunderland and called this great City home, so to be able to bring Fulwell back to where the inspiration for our global entertainment company began is a truly humbling experience.

“Through delivering the studios, we will create a long-term production industry infrastructure, attract even more significant high-end production to the UK and ensure that future generations of North Eastern talent can develop and prosper at home within the region.”

Crown Works Studios will include provision for production workshops and office space, a vendor village for supply chain businesses, administrative and social facilities, a multi-storey car park and an extensive backlot.