UK film production has been on a genuine tear lately — £5.6 billion spent on film and high-end TV last year alone. If you're building a career in production, it's worth knowing not just the history behind the big studio names, but which ones are actually growing right now, which are hiring, and which are landing the franchises that keep crews employed for years at a time.
Which studio has the biggest legacy?
Pinewood is still the name most people know first, and for good reason. Its history goes back to the 1930s, and its résumé includes James Bond, Star Wars, and the entire Marvel franchise. Right now it's in the middle of a $280 million expansion, and that kind of growth usually means a steady stream of production assistant, technical, and crew roles as capacity comes online.
Which studio is expanding the fastest right now?
That would be Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, just outside Watford — arguably the single biggest expansion happening in UK studios today. The site is growing from 19 to 29 sound stages, nearly doubling its footprint from 1.14 million to 1.78 million square feet, and it's just become DC Studios' permanent home. It's also where HBO shoots House of the Dragon. The build-out runs through 2027, which means years of hiring ahead across construction, technical, and production roles.
Where is Netflix actually filming in the UK?
Just down the road from Pinewood, Shepperton has quietly become one of the biggest production complexes in the country, with more than 30 purpose-built stages. Netflix and Amazon MGM have both signed long-term stage leases there, which is a good sign if you're job hunting — long-term leases usually mean sustained production, not one-off bookings that dry up in a few months.
What's the newest major studio in the UK?
Sky Studios Elstree, which opened in early 2023. At 260,000 square feet, it's where Wicked was shot — the biggest UK-filmed movie of 2024 — and it's also been rated the most sustainable studio in the world. One detail worth knowing if you're based in Hertfordshire: about a quarter of the crew on recent productions there lived within ten miles of the site.
What about Elstree Studios itself?
Elstree's been around since the 1920s and has hosted Star Wars, The Shining, and The Crown over the decades. It's about to get more public-facing too — a £2 million immersive movie and TV experience opens there in December 2026, expected to bring around 60 new jobs alongside the studio's regular production work.
Are there major new studios still being built?
Yes, quite a few. Sunset Studios in Waltham Cross is one of the biggest new-build projects going, adding 21 sound stages and nearly 500,000 square feet. Longcross Studios, known for Murder on the Orient Express and Thor: The Dark World, brings four stages and 200 acres of backlot. And outside the usual London orbit, Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol remains the biggest production facility in the West of England — a genuine option for anyone not based near the capital.
What does all this actually mean if you're job hunting?
Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire are still where most of the action is, thanks to Leavesden, Elstree, and Pinewood all expanding at once. But growth outside London, especially around Bristol, is slowly opening up routes into the industry for people who aren't based near the capital. With this many studios mid-expansion at the same time, the next two or three years look set to bring a genuinely strong wave of production, technical, and construction-adjacent jobs across the UK.
