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American studio Warner Bros announced in November 2010 that it expected to finalise the purchase of the 170-acre Leavesden Studios on 10^th November 2010, safeguarding 1,500 existing jobs and creating a further 300.   The move made Warner Bros the first Hollywood studio to have a permanent base in Britain since the 1940s.   The studio also announced that it planned a £100 million expansion, to be complete by 2012, which would give it one-third of the country’s entire film stage space.   The expansion would enable the studio to host two major film productions plus television and advertisement shoots.

Warners also announced that the refurbished studio would boast a visitor centre where fans could see sets, props and costumes from the Harry Potter franchise and other Warner Bros films.

Barry Meyer, Warner Bros Chairman and CEO told the media, ‘For 86 years, Warner Bros has been intrinsically involved in film production in the UK. Our purchase of Warner Bros Studios, Leavesden, and our multimillion-pound investment in creating a state-of-the-art, permanent UK film production base further demonstrates our long-term commitment to, and confidence in, the skills and creativity of the UK film industry.’

Warner’s decision came following assurances from British Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt to Barry Meyer that the British Government was committed to maintaining tax credits.   In the previous ten years, the studio had spent approximately £1.9 billion on film production in the UK.

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