Cinespace Film Studios Explained

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]

Studios

Kipling Avenue Studios

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.

Selected Feature Films
Film Links Year
2012
2013
Pacific Rim 2013
Pompeii 2014
2017
Flatliners 2017

Television Series

Kleinburg

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]

Selected Films
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
Selected television films
TV movie links Year
The Day Reagan Was Shot 2001
The Brady Bunch in the White House 2002
Selected television shows
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

Chicago

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:

Selected Feature Films!Film Links!Year!Notes
2011
Divergent2014
Captive State2017
Rampage2017
Widows2018
Proud Mary2018

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.

References

43.631°N -79.5286°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cinespace Buys EUE/Screen Gems' Atlanta and North Carolina Campuses. www.deadline.com.
  2. Web site: TPG Real Estate completes acquisition of Studio Babelsberg AG. 2024-02-13.
  3. Web site: Archived copy . 2020-11-15 . 2021-12-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211228201945/http://vaughansc.com/ . dead .
  4. Web site: The Accidental Movie Mogul - The Cinespace Saga. Jones. J.R.. December 2019. Chicago magazine. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191210195937/http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/December-2019/Alex-Pissios-Cinespace/ . 2019-12-10 . 2020-01-14.
  5. Web site: Petrella. Dan. State extends film tax credits to keep 'Chicago Fire' and other productions in Illinois; Gov. J.B. Pritzker says it could also give a boost to South Works movie studio plan. 2020-07-17. chicagotribune.com.
  6. Web site: Swartz. Tracy. Chicago's film industry saw some growth last year, thanks to indie movies. 2020-07-17. chicagotribune.com.