Global asset management company Aviva Investors has partnered with Netflix to operate and “significantly expand” Longcross Studios complex in Chertsey, Surrey.
Aviva Investors previously co-owned the 380 acre site with joint partner Crest Nicholson. The new deal will see Netflix will take a long-term lease of the 72-acre film and production facility on the site while Aviva Investors have acquired the remaining £45 million ($61.5m) stake from Crest.
Longcross Studios has provided production and filming facilities for the James Bond franchise, Marvel films, and ITV’s Broadchurch.
The facility currently includes four main stages, 200 acres of backlot, a two-and-a-quarter mile test track, an off-road course, and a 150-year-old manor house which has been home to the BBC’s Call the Midwife.
The partnership is “expected to significantly increase the breadth and calibre of production facilities,” said the two companies.
Anna Mallett, vice president, Physical Production, EMEA/UK, at Netflix, said: “We are delighted to announce the expansion of our production presence in the UK. The new lease at Longcross highlights our commitment to investing in the UK creative industry and will provide a wealth of opportunities and production jobs, from entry level to heads of department. We’re excited to work with some of the best storytellers in the business to create amazing new films and series for our members.”
