Hollywood in wizard boost for UK films
The UK film industry received a boost yesterday as Hollywood giant Warner Bros announced it had bought Leavesden Studios, home to the Harry Potter series.
The US firm said it was planning a 100m expansion of the studio, used for all eight Harry Potter films and other recent blockbusters such as The Dark Knight and Inception.
The expansion programme, due to finish in 2012, will mean the studios in Watford will represent about a third of the UK's total film stage space.
Warners are the first Hollywood studio to purchase its own permanent UK production facility.
The boost will create about 1,500 jobs at the studios and 300 more for builders and contractors.