One of the sound stages at Shepperton Studios.
Shepperton Studios is a major British film studio situated in Shepperton, Surrey, approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of central London. The studio has a history dating back to 1931. Alien and Prometheus were both filmed at Shepperton, among numerous other blockbuster movies.
History[]
Shepperton was built in 1931 on the Littleton Park estate; the original manor house still stands on the site. It quickly became successful, although it was forced to close during World War II when its proximity to the nearby Vickers-Armstrongs aircraft factory made it an unintentional target for German bombing raids. Shepperton reopened in 1945 but struggled throughout the 1960s and 70s, before finding renewed success starting in the 1990s. In 1995, the studio was purchased by a consortium led by Ridley Scott and his brother Tony Scott, which extensively renovated the studios while also expanding and improving its grounds. Since its merger with the The Pinewood Studios Group in 2001 (who also own the nearby Pinewood Studios), Shepperton has become one of the foremost film studios in the UK.
While Shepperton initially catered mainly for British productions with smaller budgets, in more recent years it has grown to accommodate numerous big-budget Hollywood blockbusters. Films made at Shepperton include Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Omen, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Alien, Blade Runner, Judge Dredd, The Mummy, Gladiator, Troy, Batman Begins, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, The Da Vinci Code and Fast & Furious 6. Since it's merger with Pinewood Studios, several major productions have been shared between the two locations, owing to their close proximity, including numerous movies from Marvels Avengers series and Prometheus.
Trivia[]
- Shepperton has a long history with director Ridley Scott. Aside from his role in purchasing the studio in 1995, Scott has made no less than six movies at the studio, including Alien, Blade Runner, G.I. Jane, Gladiator, Robin Hood and Prometheus.