28/01/2010

US film giant Warner Brothers has applied for planning permission to the Three Rivers District and Watford Borough Councils to buy Leavesden Studios, the production home of the lucrative Harry Potter franchise. The company currently leases the site.

If successful, the company plans to invest £100m, expand the space and create two permanent sound stages. There are also plans for film fans to take guided pre-booked set tours once the redevelopment is complete.

Leavesden has been the base for Harry Potter films for over a decade and has also been the home for blockbusters Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Dark Knight. The final Harry Potter film wraps later this year.

A Warner Brothers spokesperson said, “Warner Brothers holds Leavesden Studios in the highest esteem as the home of our much-loved Harry Potter films. This proposal is central to our long-term plans to invest in the local production community, to create local and industry employment opportunities, and to continue the legacy of exceptional British filmmaking at Leavesden and across the UK.

“We look forward to continuing to co-operate with the Three Rivers and Watford councils and with the local communities as the project moves forward.”

The deal is far from done however, since planning permission in the UK is notoriously difficult to obtain as evidenced by South Buckinghamshire District Council’s rejection of Pinewood Shepperton’s ambition £200 million expansion plans in the area last year.