Eastbrook Studios, Dagenham

Fully open from January 2025

(Revised March 2025 )

 

 

During the 19th century this land was an orchard supplying fruit for Tiptree Jam.  In 1934 pharmaceuticals company May and Baker built a factory here.  They developed various drugs including the first effective treatment for pneumonia.  This is said to have saved Winston Churchill’s life during the war.  They also researched and manufactured world-class anti-cancer drugs here.  Following several mergers and takeovers, in 2004 the site became owned by French pharmaceutical company Sanofi.  In 2009 they announced their intention to close the Dagenham plant by 2013.  The old factory buildings were cleared but some of the more modern offices and labs were retained on the north part of the site.

The empty buildings were used as locations for a number of TV dramas including  Humans (C4), Code of a Killer (ITV), New Blood (BBC) and were also used for the Marvel blockbuster feature Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The remaining buildings and the land around them became known as the London East Business and Technical Park – or LondonEast-UK.  Some educational and R&D facilities, a Marston’s pub and a Travelodge were established here over the following years.  These occupied a mix of refurbished Sanofi buildings and some new constructions.  Various schemes were proposed for the rest of the site including new factories and warehousing and a Sainsbury’s supermarket, which came to nothing.

 

 

 

In 2017 Barking and Dagenham Council made it clear that they would like film studios to be part of the regeneration of this area.  The studios moved a little closer when, according to press reports, they ‘invited expressions of interest’ for the creation of the studios.  This followed the publication of a report that predicted that the studios were viable and could create 780 jobs and £35m for the economy.

In January 2018 the land south of the business park was purchased by the local council in order to facilitate their ambition for film studios to be sited here.   The Londoneast-UK Enterprise Partnership and Barking and Dagenham Council invested £80,000 to develop a business case for the development, with the support of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

In February 2018 The Guardian reported that Pinewood had shown an interest in building and running these studios.  However, in March the unexpected winner was announced – it was American company Pacifica Ventures in partnership with Media Content Capital.  You may recall that Pacifica was the company that expressed an interest in developing and expanding Elstree Studios back in 2007.  Plans that unfortunately never happened.

 

 

The £100m scheme announced by Pacifica was ambitious and very exciting.  It included 12 sound stages, some TV studios, workshops, offices, a cinema and post production and training facilities.  In September 2019 they announced that a new 42,000 sq ft ‘warehouse’ was available for filming along with 3,500 sq ft of ancillary offices.  This was not an actual sound stage but one of the proposed scenery construction workshops that was being offered to production companies as a build space whilst the rest of the site was prepared and constructed.

Sadly, in October 2019 Pacifica said that they were withdrawing from the project.  They blamed ‘uncertainties to do with Brexit.’  No construction of any stages had begun at that point.  Ho hum.

 

 

 

To their credit, Barking and Dagenham Council immediately released £3.4m to ‘Be First’, the council’s development arm, to design and apply for planning permission for the first six stages along with workshops and offices.  These would either be operated by a new management company or by the council themselves.

The planning application was submitted in March 2020, just before Covid-19 stopped everything in its tracks.  Approval was given in July 2020.  The plans included 6 sound stages covering 140,000 sq ft, 85,200 sq ft of offices and 174,500 sq ft of workshop space.  This was a somewhat less ambitious scheme than originally proposed.  Building work was expected to start in 2021.

Pat Hayes, the director of Be First, stated that a decision on whether to appoint a management company or run the studios themselves would be taken early in 2020 after submitting planning permission for the revised scheme.  In July 2020 it was reported that Be First was still in talks with potential joint venture partners.

 

 

In November there was at last an announcement that a new backer for the project had been found.  This is Los Angeles real-estate firm Hackman Capital Partners, who also own Culver Studios and Television City Studios in California.  HCP have taken on a 250 year lease and have built 12 sound stages, offices and workshops with 1.7 acres of backlot.  They are working in partnership with MBS – the California-based company that supplies lighting kit in the UK but is also involved in planning and running many film studios worldwide.  MBS are also running the new Apple film studios near Aylesbury, Cardington Studios and Wardpark Studios in Scotland.

Interestingly, the new scheme includes the 6 planned stages but the two large workshop buildings have been converted into 6 more stages.  Nevertheless, there are still 12 workshops of various sizes.  MBS also have a large lighting and grip store very close to the studios.

HCP held consultations with the local community in the summer of 2021 as they wanted to change the design and use of some of the buildings.  Construction was due to begin soon afterwards.

 

 

The stages are as follows:

 

stage 1 – 213 x 95ft (21,600 sq ft)

stage 2 – 193 x 95ft (19,600 sq ft)

stage 3 – 214 x 140ft (31,000 sq ft)

stage 4 – 187 x 117ft (23,000 sq ft)

stage 5 – 187 x 117ft (23,000 sq ft)

stage 6 – 129 x 114ft (16,000 sq ft)

stage 7 – 129 x 114ft (16,000 sq ft)

stage 8 – 129 x 114ft (16,000 sq ft)

stage 9 – 129 x 114ft (16,000 sq ft)

stage 10 – 187 x 117ft (23,200 sq ft)

stage 11 – 187 x 117ft (23,200 sq ft)

stage 12 – 187 x 117ft (23,200 sq ft)

 

Note that stages 6 & 7 and 8 & 9 can be opened up to form much larger stages if required.

 

 

According to HCP’s website, the studios should have been ‘fully operational by 2023’.  However, the construction firm VolkerFitzpatrick are the company that actually built the studios.  (PRP are the architects.)  Their website stated that they began work in August 2022, modifying the two existing warehouses and providing groundworks and piling, before moving on to the new stages.  Their website also included the information that the project’s duration was 80 weeks, which if they started in August 2022 meant that it should have been completed around March 2024.

In fact, the studios announced that they were open for bookings in July 2024.  Then in January 2025, press releases declared that they were fully open.

 

 

Of course, as well as stages and workshops the studios offer excellent support facilities.  The production offices are large, airy and attractively furnished.  MBS say that they can be configured any way an incoming production wishes – even walls can be moved.  Make-up and dressing rooms are also very smart and well equipped.  On the fourth floor of one block is a large terrace with views for miles over London.  It all helps to make this a very attractive place to work.

 

Interestingly, one of the first bookings here was for a multicamera TV show with a studio audience.  I doubt if many people saw that coming.  In January 2025, ticket agency Standing Room Only were advertising a ‘brand new dating show hosted by Hollywood sweetheart, actor Anna Faris.’  According to the IMDb, it’s called Love Takes a Village and was a pilot for NBC.   Rick Edwards is the co-host.  I assume if it goes to series it will, no doubt, appear on a TV channel in the UK too.  When I visited in March 2025 there were no firm bookings in the calendar but I’m sure that when people become aware of the sheer quality of these facilities they will fill up very soon.

 

Film Barking & Dagenham’s ‘Make It Here’ programme has enthusiastically supported this enterprise since its inception.  It is worth emphasising the importance that has been placed locally on training by them and MBS.  The studios have taken longer than anticipated to build but that time has not been wasted.  Credit is particularly due to Toby Dare of MBS who has visited local schools and colleges and explained to the students and staff all the opportunities the studios will offer.  Not just the obvious behind the camera roles but careers that were not fully appreciated by many local people such as carpenters, plasterers, painters, electricians, hairdressers, make-up artists, accountants and all the vital production office support jobs.   When I visited we were welcomed by a keen and enthusiastic group of young employees who were a credit to the studios.

These studios are the result of nearly a decade of dedicated work by a small group of individuals.  They have overcome many delays and obstacles but they deserve to be proud of what has been achieved for the people of this area and the industry in general.