Tara Studios, Irish facility backed by former Pinewood boss Opendoor – The Hollywood Reporter

Tara Studio House and Gardens

Tara Studio

Ivan Dunleavy, who ran the legendary UK studio Pinewood for 17 years before retiring in 2017 following a takeover, is now launching a new studio business in Ireland.

Based on the 154-acre Borley Manor Estate in County Wexford, less than an hour’s drive from Dublin (and, importantly, connected by motorway to the capital), Tara Studio is currently on location filming. We are opening for business on. However, construction work is also underway, with plans to build seven studio stages (the largest stage is 30,000 square feet) providing a total of 150,000 square feet of space, and an additional 90,000 square feet of workshop and office space. It is being said. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2024, with full completion expected in July 2025.

Mr Dunleavy said the development would cost “tens of millions of dollars” and would see Tara Studios become Ireland’s largest film and television production facility (the title is currently held by Troy Studios). It spans 100,000 square feet across four stages and is the home of the Apple TV+ sci-fi series. foundation).

The project is being led by Dunleavy and veteran film financier John Gleeson, who heads Saffery’s Dublin office, who hope to tap into the huge demand for stage space in Ireland. The country has long been a destination for large-scale filming that takes advantage of its locations, and recent notable productions include: cocaine bear, vikings: valhalla, Banshee of Inisherin and bad sisters — but studio equipment is lacking.

“The latest projections call for about 1 million square feet of stage space, and we currently need about 250,000 square feet of stage space,” Dunleavy explains.

It took Dunleavy and Gleason about two years to find a location for Tara Studio, named after a nearby hill. A key factor was its proximity to Dublin, the airport, and his four- and five-star hotels for the crew. Dunleavy also said the property has “total privacy” and is not visible from the road, making it the perfect secluded spot to build a backyard away from prying eyes.

And Dunleavy and Gleeson are also drawing on a piece of Hollywood folklore when they take over Boley Manor, which went up for sale in 2020 and features a walled garden and stables alongside the grand manor house. Best known for playing the lead role in the 1950s matinee His Idol star Richard Greene, British television series He adventures of robin hood. Green is said to have hosted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant and Richard Burton there.

“There have been many reports of Hollywood celebrities coming to the house and enjoying dinner,” Dunleavy said, adding that the property is honoring its connection to the film by displaying various images of its former owners. Ta.

Tara Studios’ opening comes at a worrying time for the industry, with streamers pulling back from spending heavily on content that had been a big driver of demand for studio space, and an actors’ strike forcing many productions to halt. ing. But Dunleavy says he has little worry about the attention his new venture will attract.

“I think the global demand for new content continues to increase. There have been some obvious impacts, but the consumption of new material due to the pandemic has resulted in people getting into the habit of watching more titles. “The rise and fall of big and small projects has been a factor in television for decades.” “I don’t think that’s a concern for me. Certain players go up and down at certain moments.”