London’s ExCel Centre, previously home to trade show BVE, has announced it has temporarily opened 1 million sq ft of studio space which will be available for use until April 2021.
According to ExCel, the new space is aiming to encourage big budget productions, that might have otherwise filmed in the US, to shoot in the UK as the industry picks up post Covid.
ExCel is working with their filming agents Location Collective to push the space to the UK film and TV industry, with the companies stating recces are taking place on a daily basis.
One major US studio has already taken space for a well-known show, and a number of further blockbuster features and high-end TV shows are in discussion, said ExCel.
James Rees, executive director, ExCeL London, said: “We quickly realised we were in the very unusual position of a perfect storm: we have a large amount of space to offer, space that exactly meets the requirements of an industry who are in need and able to get back to work.”
“Of course, we are itching to get back to ‘our day job’, hosting world-leading, organised events but it’s fantastic that a challenge that we face short-term has put us in the privileged position to support another industry going through its own post-lockdown challenges. It’s been a great case study in how we can work collaboratively to reignite our economy.”
