Great Point Studios and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center have partnered with Lionsgate to build a 12-acre production facility in Newark, New Jersey.
The complex will be owned and operated by Great Point Studios, but, as the facility’s long-term anchor tenant, Lionsgate will receive naming rights to the studio. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center will manage public affairs and community relations for the facility and will create educational programs and internships for Newark high school and university students.
The facility will feature production stages ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 square feet, offices, support space and parking for 400 cars and 65 trucks. It will also offer a full set of production services on site, including grip and electric, equipment, props, set building, restaurants, location catering, cleaning service and security.
The production complex will be located in Newark’s South Ward at the site of the former Seth Boyden Housing site, located near Newark Liberty International Airport, the Port of Newark, NJ Transit, the PATH system and several major highways.
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,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “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. As a result, the introduction of the Lionsgate Newark studio not only promotes the economic vitality of our state but also provides good jobs and access to opportunity for all South Ward community members.”
“Bringing a project of this magnitude into Newark is a monumental victory for our city,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. “It will bring hundreds of new jobs, create new educational opportunities for our students, and invigorate the revitalization of the South Ward.”
“We have a shared vision for the future of the entertainment industry, and it’s reflected in every detail we put into this complex,” added Robert Halmi, founder and CEO of Great Point Studios. “Given the rise in studio production post-Covid, we are confident that expanding our studio program into New Jersey will be a welcome addition.”
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer commented, “This is a great opportunity to scale our East Coast studio footprint with our partners at Great Point Studios and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center to support our robust film and television production. Lionsgate Studios Newark is also an important part of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, enabling us to create hundreds of jobs, provide educational opportunities to local students and contribute to the economic revitalization of the South Ward of Newark.”
“NJPAC continually seeks opportunities to act as a catalyst for economic development in its home city of Newark,” said John Schreiber, CEO of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. “We are grateful to Mayor Baraka and the Newark Housing Authority for embracing our project to bring a world-class film studio back to the city where celluloid movie film was invented and to Governor Murphy for creating tax incentives to make New Jersey more attractive to the film industry and especially for the development of studios, like Lionsgate Newark. Without their collective efforts, this project wouldn’t have seen the light of day.”
