A major new visitor attraction is being developed at Elstree Studios – one of the UK’s most famous centres for film and television production.
The studios have been open since 1914 and have been the filming location for many of the world’s best-known movies from Star Wars to Indiana Jones, James Bond, and The Shining. It’s also where TV shows such as The Crown, EastEnders, Strictly Come Dancing, and The Chase are produced, with over 95,000 square feet of stage space.
But despite its importance to British film and television, only a small number of people have been permitted on tours due to Elstree Studios being a working production facility. However, the new attraction, named the Elstree Immersive Experience, is set to give the public a glimpse behind the scenes and to find out more about how their favourite shows are made.
The attraction will make use of AI to create an immersive experience, which will include holographics and what they describe as “next-generation storytelling tools”. This will take visitors through the past, present, and future of the studios.
Artists’ impressions of the project show a colourful experience, with visitors able to interact with screens and other elements, as well as using studio equipment such as cameras to create their own content.
While the creators of the project haven’t yet announced which film and TV brands might be featured in the experience, a spokesperson confirmed they were in talks to include some “exciting” brands, likely to be fan favourites.
Visitors will be able to discover “100 years of screen heritage”, according to the attraction’s press release, as well as learning about innovative new technologies in film-making.
Hertsmere Borough Council have backed the £3.3 million project, which has a projected opening date of December 2026 if approved.
The attraction could bring large visitor numbers to the Borehamwood area, creating new jobs, as well as potentially inspiring the new generation to pursue careers in TV and film-making.
Elstree Studios were built over 100 years ago and previously called Neptune Studios. They were one of the first places to use dark studios with electric lighting, rather than natural light. Another pioneering project filmed here was the first British talking film, Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail from 1929.
The site is made up of many different studios, including Eldon Avenue Studios, which is mostly made up of the EastEnders set, and Elstree Studios Shenley Road where Pointless and Strictly Come Dancing are filmed. This is also where the original Star Wars began filming back in 1976, which helped put the site on the map for filmmakers and enthusiasts.
The area was once also home to MGM British, and several of its stages were used to film 2001: A Space Odyssey, among other iconic movies. However, this site was sold off and redeveloped into housing and industrial spaces.
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