Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden (formally known as Leavesden Film Studios; colloquially Leavesden Studios or simply Leavesden), is a film and media complex owned by Warner Bros.. The studios and backlot sit on the site of the former Rolls-Royce factory at Leavesden Aerodrome, which was an important centre of aircraft production during World War II. It is situated in south west Hertfordshire approximately 18 miles (29 km) northwest of central London, in Abbots Langley.
Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, is one of only a few places in the U.K. where large scale productions can be made. The studios contain approximately 500,000 sq ft (50,000 m2) of flexible space which includes stage space, production office space and support buildings, along with an extensive 80-acre (320,000 m2) backlot which offers a 180 degree uninterrupted horizon, favourable for exterior sets.
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The 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye was the first film to be filmed at Leavesden. The site was acquired as the series' traditional home, Pinewood, was fully booked with other productions. The production gutted the factory and turned it into a studio. This process is shown on the 2006 DVD's special features.
One of the more noticeable outdoor sets constructed at Leavesden is a row of 10 houses (5 per side) along a street which was created as "Privet Drive" for the Harry Potter film series. As of May 2011, this set is still visible on the Google Maps aerial view of the area.
On 21 March 2010, there was a fire on the Hogwarts set for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 at Leavesden Studios;Not much of the set was badly burnt.[1]
In 2010, Warner Bros. announced their intention to purchase the studio as a permanent European base, the first studio to do so since Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1940s.[2]
In November 2010, Warner Bros. completed its purchase of Leavesden Studios, and announced plans to invest more than £100m on the site that they frequently occupied. The studios will make Warner Bros. the only Hollywood film studio with a permanent base in the UK. They also plan to create a permanent exhibition to the Harry Potter series in turn creating 300 jobs. A full scale refurbishment and re-build is currently underway and the production facilities are due to reopen to film and television work in 2012.[3][4]
Films that have made use of the facilities include:[5]
The studios have also been used for various music videos and television commercials, most notably support for the video for Jamiroquai's Deeper Underground.
A studio tour, The Making of Harry Potter, is set to open in the refurbished facilities to the public on March 31, 2012.[6] The tour includes major set pieces salvaged from the studios and backlot, as well as props and costumes used throughout the film series. It is also expected that other Warner Bros. movies filmed at the location will be showcased in a similar fashion as the tour expands.[7] Tickets have been available for purchase since 13 October 2011 some of the sets avaible to walk though are
The studio tour wil be announcing more sets over the coming weeks.
.[8]
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