Twickenham Film Studios RIP?

I was saddened to hear in the news that Twickenham Film Studios might be closing. The nearly 100 year old British studio is the home to such classics as ‘Help’, ‘A Hard Days Night’, ‘Alfie’, ‘The Italian Job’, ‘Repulsion’ and also my beloved desert island movie, ‘An American Werewolf In London’.

But not only that, it was the studio where we shot the very first series of ‘Spaced’. So the original interior for 23 Meteor Street was shot in Twickenham in 1999. In fact the last scene of that series we shot there was the zombie dream sequence from episode 1.3 - ‘Art’.

It’s very sad if this cannot be reversed. I loved shooting there and indeed returned for some scenes in ‘Hot Fuzz’ in 2006. I hope something can be done. It’s a great place to work and has British cinema in its bones.

From the BBC;

Twickenham film studios set to close

Twickenham Film Studios, recently used for The Iron Lady and My Week with Marilyn, has gone into administration.

The renowned studio, which was due to celebrate its centenary next year, will be wound down between now and June.

Gerald Krasner, who is handling the administration, said the the business had lost money over the past three years.

“I doubt it will be retained as a film studio,” he said. Half of the 17 employees have already left.

The remainder are working their notice, Mr Krasner added.

“We are selling it on,” he told the BBC News website. “Everyone will then be paid in full.”

[Via BBC News]

This very scene from ‘An American Werewolf In London’ was shot in Twickenham. One of my favourite scenes of all time.

Set on the site of a former ice-rink, St.Margaret’s Studios was set up in 1913 by Dr. Ralph Jupp.

At the time of construction it was the largest studio in the UK, and its first release was entitled “The House of Temperley”. By 1929 the studio was owned by Julius Hagen and Leslie Hiscott and was renamed Twickenham Film Studios. One of the first titles from the new company was “Call of the Sea”, and a steady roster of films followed from there.

Classic films such as Sherlock Holmes’ The Missing Rembrandt made in the 30′s, and in the 60′s, the Beatles films, Help and A Hard Day’s Night, Roman Polanski’s Repulsion and ground breaking films such as Alfie, and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning were all shot on Twickenham’s stages.

More recently, War Horse and Horrid Henry: The Movie have been made at Twickenham Film Studios. In the field of television, series ranging from Poirot to Horrible Histories have headed up a wide-ranging array of drama, comedy and children’s programmes.

[Via Twickenham Film Studios]

  • Karen Moran

    I am shocked and saddened to hear Twickenham film studios closing. This studio virtually became my home in 1978 when I appeared as a walk-on extra in the film Yanks starring Richard Gere and Lisa Eichorn. The interia sets which included the shop, front room and pub were all shot on the studio lot and I will always have many fond memories making this movie. Travelling to the studio was quite a journey where I lived in Essex and caught the train via Liverpool St to Waterloo and then seven stations to St Margarets where the studio was just across the road. I had worked at Shepperton and Elstree so Twickenham was very small in comparison but had room for thousands of extras at one time. Once again we see another one of our studios being sold off, Richard Branson if you read this blog couldn’t you think of buying it rather than it be sold off to a developer for housing and flats.  Lets hope we can still keep Pinewood, Shepperton and Elstree all of which keeps our industry churning out brilliant movies for all.

  • Alexfenn

    Hi Edgar and all, Regarding Twickenham Studio (and if you haven’t already) please sign the petition to save it. here is the link-
    http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-twickenham-film-studios/

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=15102355 Michael Roth

    It’s time to bring this out once more -

    nooooooooooooooo.com/

  • AmberGrindstaff

    That would be a shame :(   hopefully they can work something out

  • Shizukodc

    I dont understand why this is happening. How have they lost money?

  • Downsy

    A real shame, I hope something can be done. It may only be some buildings but it is the history this has given us as well as the future it could provide that we may well have to mourn.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=649375804 Beth Accomando

    Sad news. Hope it finds a way to remain open.