Pinewood Studios

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Image:Pinewoodentrance.jpg Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated approximately 20 miles west of London among the pine trees on what was the estate of Heatherden Hall, near the village of Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. They were created in 1934 by Charles Boot and built within 12 months by the Henry Boot Company of Sheffield. Boot drew his inspiration from the latest Hollywood movie studios. J. Arthur Rank later took control of both Pinewood and Denham Film Studios which were often used by producer Alexander Korda.

In 2001, Pinewood Studios merged with Shepperton Studios, the other leading British film production location. Both studios are linked to the media network Sohonet. In 2004, Pinewood Shepperton floated successfully on the London Stock Exchange. In 2005, Pinewood Shepperton acquired Teddington Studios. Collectively the company has 41 stages, including 6 digital tv studios, audio post facilities, preview theatres, backlots, gardens & woodland for outdoor shooting, one of Europe’s largest exterior water tanks, and a new dedicated underwater stage.

The studios have acted as the base for two long-running British film series, the James Bond films and the Carry On films, both of which also used the studio's main buildings to represent various locations, including S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Island in From Russia with Love. James Bond additionally has its own soundstage aptly titled the "007 Stage". The soundstage was specifically built for the film The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and featured a massive water tank, one of the largest in Europe. The 007 soundstage burnt to the ground in 1984 due to gasoline canisters being left over from the filming of Ridley Scott's Legend. It was rebuilt 4 months later and renamed "Albert R. Broccoli's 007 Stage" just in time for filming to commence on A View to a Kill (1985).

Some films have also used the studio itself as a location. Peeping Tom (1960) shows people driving out through the main gate and has various shots in the studios (showing things behind the camera), offices & corridors. Return to the Edge of the World (1978) includes shots of director Michael Powell driving into the studio.

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Production history

Since its beginning Pinewood Studios has been the location for many well-known films. For a full list of Pinewood-based productions by year see Pinewood Studios Filmography: Notable Pinewood productions include: