New film studios The Depot to establish Liverpool as ‘Hollywood of the North’

Multi-million pound investment for Liverpool as new film studios The Depot open.
The Caped Crusader stands atop the Liver Building during filming of The BatmanThe Caped Crusader stands atop the Liver Building during filming of The Batman
The Caped Crusader stands atop the Liver Building during filming of The Batman

Liverpool is set to boost its status as the ‘Hollywood of the North’ with the opening of new film studios and additional funding for the industry.

The Depot, situated adjacent to the Littlewoods Building, off Edge Lane, has two purpose-built, 20,000 sq ft sound-proofed film and TV production units and will be open for business from Monday.

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Liverpool has experienced its busiest period for film and TV production on record – despite the COVID-19 pandemic – with blockbusters like The Batman, due to be released in 2022, filmed in the city.

The Batman director Matt Reeves, who filmed landmarks like St George’s Hall and the Royal Liver Building for their gothic architecture, said he chose Liverpool because he “wanted it to feel like an American city you’d never been to”.

How will The Depot benefit Liverpool?

Liverpool Film Office (LFO), which is overseeing the management of the space, is keen to find productions that will employ local crew and work with local businesses on training initiatives.

It is predicted that The Depot, which was built by council contractors Morgan Sindall, will create a £24m economic boost for the regional economy, creating hundreds of new jobs.

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The studios, due to open on Monday, are seen as critical to Liverpool’s reputation as one of Europe’s premier film and TV production hubs, following a £17 million funding commitment from the Liverpool City Region (LCR) Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund.

The city is currently hosting productions such as Sky’s Funny Girl starring Gemma Arterton and Channel 4’s The Curse from the team behind People Just Do Nothing, as well as recently investing and supporting Channel 4’s Help starring Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham and BBC’s The Responder starring Martin Freeman.

BBC’s sixth series of Peaky Blinders, Doctor Who, Ridley Road, Netflix’s Stay Close, Sky’s COBRA: Cyberwar and major blockbusters such as Netflix’s Munich: The Edge of War were also filmed in Liverpool.

Hollywood star Samuel L Jackson helped put Liverpool on the map in 2001 when he filmed 51st State in the city. He is now a staunch Reds fan.

Reaction to The Depot opening

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Lynn Saunders, Head of LFO, explained the opening of The Depot had been a long time coming: “We’ve been campaigning for studio space since before Samuel L Jackson was running round the city in a kilt!

“Over the years we have got very creative around providing alternatives to productions who need more than our region’s locations – but to now be able to actually show off two enormous purpose-built structures, that will be filled with crews and stars, filmmakers can really unleash all their creativity in Liverpool.

“For us it’s more than a space for sets, it’s an opportunity to build a production hub in the city region, where we can embed the local filming infrastructure network and develop training opportunities to future-proof Liverpool’s prime position in the industry.”

Inside one of the studios at The Depot. Image: Liverpool Film OfficeInside one of the studios at The Depot. Image: Liverpool Film Office
Inside one of the studios at The Depot. Image: Liverpool Film Office

Award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern, whose latest project Time – a BBC TV drama part financed by the LCR Production Fund, said: “I love the fact that Liverpool has these new TV and film studios. Everyone knows how great the city is in hosting productions, but we can’t always complete a shoot here due to a limited studio capacity.

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“These new studios will be a huge shot in the arm for the sector and especially for the hugely talented army of people who make the magic happen off-screen, as they will save a lot of time wasted having to travel to other studios elsewhere. “

He said it was also good news for young people in the city who wan to get into the industry.

Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson, said: “Liverpool’s TV and film industry has been one of the city’s great success stories of the past 20 years, and thanks to these new studios the city’s offer can continue to flourish for the next 20 years.

“The Depot is a great example of how Liverpool is maximising its potential to fuel its recovery from the pandemic.”

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Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Our ambitious plans are to help make our region the ‘Hollywood of the North’ and we have already invested £17m to develop film studios at Littlewoods, which will help us cater for productions from writing and filming, right the way through to editing and post-production.”