LONDON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- One of the world's oldest film studios raised the curtain Thursday on a plan to open a Hollywood standard filming complex in Liverpool.
London-based Twickenham Studios is to take over a large part of a vacant art-deco office building in Liverpool's inner city Edge Hill district.
Twickenham Studios, founded in 1913, has produced a string of box-office hit movies over the years, but needs more space.
Plans have been unveiled for a Hollywood standard filming complex at the former Littlewoods pools building in the city.
It has signed a deal with Capital and Centric, owners of a stunning office building originally built as an office complex for a company than ran a national pools competition that allowed people to win fortunes by guessing the results of football games.
More than 67 million U.S. dollars will be spent restoring the 1930s complex into a film studio and production base. As well as two new huge sound stages there will be workshops, a wardrobe department, prop storage and offices.
Maria Walker, chief operating officer at Twickenham Studios, said the Littlewoods building was a good fit for major U.S. films. She said the Littlewoods building was reminiscent of the landmark studios in Hollywood
Walker said the volume of film work in Britain had grown exponentially in the last ten years, but Twickenham Studios has no space to grow. "Areas such as Liverpool have got the space and the flexibility to expand," she said.
Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital and Centric said: "Littlewoods is one of Liverpool's most loved buildings. Twickenham Studios couldn't be a better fit. They'll bring a century's worth of film-making heritage and help to write a new chapter for the creative industries in Liverpool."
With Twickenham Studios as the first anchor tenant, Capital and Centric believe business allied to the film and creative sector will also move to the estate.
Liverpool is already a popular location for filmmakers, with some scenes from the famous Harry Potter films shot in the city.