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$125 Million Film Studio from Lionsgate Coming to Newark

The state that played host to Thomas Edison’s first movie production house will soon be home to another film facility as a $125 million investment is coming soon to Newark’s South Ward.

Great Point Studios, a studio management business specializing in film and television infrastructure, has announced a partnership with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center to build a major television and film production studio called Lionsgate Studio Newark. The facility will be owned and operated by Great Point Studios and Lionsgate will be receiving naming rights under the announced deal.

The endeavor will revitalize 12 acres of the former Seth Boyden public housing complex. Jersey Digs has been following the redevelopment effort for almost two years was the first outlet to report on the possibility of a movie studio coming to the site last fall.

Great Point Studios is a joint venture with an affiliate of Lindsay Goldberg, a private investment firm. Matrix Development will serve as the project developer and San Francisco-based Gensler, a global architecture firm, has signed on to provide architecture and master planning. Operations are expected to begin in late 2024.

“One of my administration’s priorities has been to enhance New Jersey’s film industry and create new revenue streams for our State,” Governor Murphy said when announcing the deal. “With the addition of the Lionsgate Newark Studio, New Jersey will cement its position as a hub for television and film production with its proximity to all forms of transportation and access to more than 14,000 qualified union members in the region.”

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Jersey Digs