Industry Fights To Save Twickenham Studios

The British film industry will lose an illustrious member later this year when production ceases at one of the UK’s oldest film businesses and it seems the industry is not ready to let go.
Twickenham Film Studios, founded in 1913 and used for the recent production of Oscar nominated films My Week with Marilyn, The Iron Lady and War Horse as well as both of the Beatles films Help and A Hard Day's Night has gone into administration.
The renowned studio, which was due to celebrate its centenary next year, will be wound down between now and June but since the announcement an outcry of support for the studio has emerged.
Gerald Krasner, who is handling the administration, said the business had lost money over the past three years and doubts that it will be retained as a film studio.
The decline of Twickenham, which had losses of more than £400,000 in the 12 months to March 31 last year, has occurred despite 2011 being a record year for inward investment in the British film industry.
The near certain demise of the studio has saw the industry raise concern over the demolition and redevelopment of Twickenham Film Studio.
UK film workers union, BECTU is supporting a high profile global film industry campaign to keep the historic film studio open.
According to a report on the union’s website the petition has already won backing from figures such as Michael Apted, Stephen Daldry and Steven Spielberg whose recent project War Horse used facilities at Twickenham.
BECTU’s Assistant General Secretary Martin Spence said: “Quite apart from the fact that Twickenham is a vital part of the film industry’s history, this is not the time to be losing studio capacity. If UK film is to flourish we need a range of studio facilities – large and small, generic and specialist. I believe Twickenham still has a role to play.”
It is unclear why revenues fell at Twickenham but, while recent box-office hits War Horse and The Iron Lady used its facilities it is understood that studios do not receive a slice of revenue from successful films because they are hired spaces.
Indeed the demise highlights how imperative it is for studios competing in a cut-throat industry to establish a niche, to capitalise on demand from media companies shooting their productions in south-east England, where the majority of British studios are located.
Classic movies shot at Twickenham include Sherlock Holmes film The Missing Rembrandt, made in the 1930s, and the Beatles films Help and A Hard Day's Night. Roman Polanski's Repulsion, Alfie starring Michael Caine and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning also made use of its facilities. More recently War Horse and Horrid Henry: The Movie were made there, while director Phyllida Lloyd completed post-production on The Iron Lady at the historic studios.
(LB/GK)