Cinespace Film Studios is a series of film studio facilities in the US and Canada, founded in 1988 by Greek-Canadian Nick Mirkopoulos. The studios began with a facility in Vaughan (suburban Toronto), that had been in operation since the 1960s. Current studios include facilities in Toronto; a branch (Cinespace Chicago Film Studios) in Chicago, founded in 2007 with Mirkopoulos's nephew Alex Pissios; and facilities in Atlanta and Wilmington, NC acquired in 2023 from EUE/Screen Gems. [1] In 2022 TPG Real Estate Partners acquired the facilities of Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam-Babelsberg and merged those into Cinespace[2]
The company acquired a 30acres campus at 777 Kipling Avenue in Toronto's Etobicoke area in 2009.
At the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, Mayor of Toronto John Tory joined with Cinespace officials to announce plans to build two very large new studios on the site, with a combined footprint of 50000square feet. One of the large studios will be permanently devoted to underwater filming.
| Film Links | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | ||
| Pacific Rim | 2013 | |
| Pompeii | 2014 | |
| 2017 | ||
| Flatliners | 2017 |
Television Series
Toronto International Studios is a film studio that was established in Kleinburg, Ontario in the 1950s. Its geocoordinates are 43.8524°N -79.6481°W.
Cinespace moved out of the studios in 2015, and the complex is now home to the Vaughan Sports Centre, a baseball training complex.[3]
| Film links | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| The Hired Gun | 1957 | |
| The Fox | 1967 | |
| The First Time | 1969 | |
| The Reincarnate | 1971 | |
| Mahoney's Estate | 1972 | |
| Recommendation for Mercy | 1975 | |
| Death Weekend | 1976 | |
| Silver Streak | 1976 | |
| Equus | 1977 | |
| Rituals | 1977 | |
| Welcome to Blood City | 1977 | |
| Riel | 1979 | |
| H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come | 1979 | |
| Fish Hawk | 1980 | |
| Virus | 1980 | |
| The Amateur | 1981 | |
| Class of 1984 | 1982 | |
| The Wars | 1983 | |
| Strange Brew | 1983 | |
| Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird | 1985 | |
| The Fly | 1986 | |
| Love at Stake | 1987 | |
| Divided Loyalties | 1990 | |
| The Good Son | 1993 | |
| To Die For | 1995 | |
| Murder at 1600 | 1997 | |
| Dick | 1999 | |
| Thomas and the Magic Railroad | 2000 | |
| The Sentinel | 2006 | |
| Casino Jack | 2010 |
| TV movie links | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| The Day Reagan Was Shot | 2001 | |
| The Brady Bunch in the White House | 2002 |
| TV links | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Hudson's Bay | 1959 | |
| The Forest Rangers | 1963–1966 | |
| Hatch's Mill | 1967 | |
| The Adventures of Timothy Pilgrim | 1975 | |
| The Littlest Hobo | 1979-1985 | |
| You Can't Do That on Television | 1979-1990 | |
| Matt and Jenny | 1979-1980 | |
| Fraggle Rock | 1983-1987 | |
| Shining Time Station | 1991-1996 | |
| The Doodlebops | 2005-2007 | |
| The Big Comfy Couch | 2006 |
Cinespace Chicago Film Studios opened for business in 2011 and Alex Pissios, the president and CEO of the company, worked with his uncle, Nick Mirkopoulos, to establish the Studios in Chicago. Mirkopoulos and Pissios purchased 60 acres of the former Ryerson Steel complex in the Windy City's North Lawndale neighborhood. The Studios are the largest independent movie studios outside of Los Angeles.
The Studios have continued to expand and now has 36 sound stages. Pissios and Cinespace Chicago Film Studios were featured in the December 2019 Chicago Magazine and highlighted the success and influence the studio has had on the film industry in Chicago.[4] Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, is the “Hollywood of the Midwest,” bringing more than 15,000 jobs in digital media and education opportunities to the community and region by revitalizing a depressed neighborhood.[5] Cinespace Chicago has been instrumental in infusing billions of dollars of revenue into the city and the state of Illinois.[6]
Its 70acres campus has been the nexus for over 40 major productions used to film multiple television series and Feature Films, including:
| 2011 | |||
| Divergent | 2014 | ||
| Captive State | 2017 | ||
| Rampage | 2017 | ||
| Widows | 2018 | ||
| Proud Mary | 2018 |
With 36 sound stages on its 2 million+ square foot main campus in Chicago's North Lawndale neighbourhood and additional studios currently under construction at 31st and Kedzie, Cinespace is not only the largest film studio outside of California but is continuing to grow. In addition to studio space, Cinespace Chicago Film Studios houses dozens of production offices and support spaces as well as numerous production tenants that offer equipment, casting services, post-production houses, a 3D animation company, plus camera and lighting rentals and sales.
Cinespace partnered with DePaul University's film school in 2013 to house student classrooms, two interactive stages, faculty offices, lounges and equipment vaults. Ranked in the top 25 film schools nationwide, DePaul University's School of Cinematic Arts program teaches aspiring producers and creatives about all aspects of television and film production.
Since its inception, Cinespace has brought in more than $3 billion in film-related spending to Chicago.