TORONTO – Bell Media is acquiring a majority stake in Pinewood Toronto Studios and plans to add more than 50,000 square metres to the massive complex. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
One of the largest purpose-built production studios in Canada, Pinewood Toronto Studios already boasts 11 purpose-built stages, offices that can house multiple productions at a time, teaching facilities and a variety of support services for film and television clients.
The facility was home to Bell Media original productions including Orphan Black, The Listener, and Killjoys, and Star Trek Discovery and The Expanse were also shot there.
Bell Media said that it’s making the deal in partnership with Comweb Studio Holdings, Castlepoint and the City of Toronto.
"Our partnership to purchase Pinewood Toronto Studios reinforces Bell Media's role as Canada's leading content creation company," said Bell Media president Randy Lennox, in the news release. "We're excited about the synergies that Pinewood Toronto can offer and the role it will play in generating new revenue streams in an open-shop basis."
Nanci MacLean, vice-president and head of Bell Media Studios, will oversee operations at Pinewood Toronto Studios.
"The addition of Pinewood Toronto Studios to our portfolio offers us an exciting new advantage in meeting the rising demand for original content across all media platforms," MacLean said. "One of our first actions will be to add a further 170,000 square feet (51,793 square metres) of sound stages and support space, maintaining Pinewood Toronto Studios as a best-in-class film and TV studio."
