Pinewood to Recreate Manhattan, Chicago and London Streets in Toronto

TORONTO -- Coming to Pinewood Toronto Studios: standing New York, London or Boston street sets.

Looking to expand its footprint beyond existing soundstages, Pinewood has unveiled plans for a mixed use residential/commercial development that includes “shooting streets” for Hollywood producers looking to do location shooting in Manhattan, London’s West End or Chicago’s Loop area without the extra travel or expense.

“Location shooting in Toronto is increasingly expensive, and Toronto is a gridlock city. We’re hoping that having these kinds of facilities will mitigate some of the cost,” Edith Myers, managing director at Pinewood Toronto Studios, said.

Pinewood Shepperton proposed similar full-scale “streetscapes” based on popular location shooting destinations in New York City, London and Paris as part of its Project Pinewood development in southern England.

Myers said the Toronto shooting streets will be part façade and part permanent buildings. At the same time, the Pinewood Toronto Studios exec cautioned that planning permission for the commercial development in Toronto is time-consuming and cumbersome. So don’t expect to have a pint in the London pub built near to the current Toronto soundstages anytime soon.