Amazon Prime Video has announced that it is acquiring the historic Bray Film Studios in Water Oakley, Berkshire, just 26 miles outside central London.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The iconic studio includes five sound stages, 77,400 square feet of workshops, 39,400 square feet of office space, 182,900 square feet of backlot, and 156,000 square feet of parking space.
Bray Film Studio has been the production home for the second season of the hit Prime Video series `The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ since 2022.
The first Amazon MGM Studios production to be located at the studio post-acquisition will be the second season of the Russo Brothers’ spy series `Citadel’, starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, which is scheduled to begin filming in September 2024.
This purchase is in addition to Amazon’s significant presence at the UK’s Shepperton Studios, where it has a long-term contract for the exclusive use of nine new state-of-the-art sound stages, workshops, and office accommodation, totaling approximately 450,000 square feet.
“With Bray as our creative home in the UK, we are committed to deepening our relationships with the UK creative community, which is rich with world-class storytellers and creative talent of all kinds,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “The acquisition of a studio with such a storied heritage not only empowers us to produce more film and television in the UK, but also unveils a wealth of opportunities in the local community with respect to jobs and skills training at all levels of the production process.”
“For 70 plus years, Bray Studios has held an important place in the history of British film making”, said Frank Burke, chairman of Bray Film Studios Ltd, the previous owner of the site. “During our period of ownership, I, together with my family and team have witnessed the rebirth of this iconic facility and we are extremely proud of the part we have been able to play in bringing it to renewed prominence. We are now genuinely excited to be handing the studios over to Amazon, who we believe share our commitment to quality and excellence and are perfectly suited to preserving the character of the studio while enhancing the first-class creative production spaces for generations of filmmakers to come.”
