The founders of Windmill Lane Studios are hoping to turn Ringsend into the next Hollywood, with plans at an advanced stage to turn the former Irish Glass Bottle site into a major film studio.
The creation of an Irish film studio would do well to centralise much of the film work that is currently going on in Ireland, most recently seen with the arrival of Hollywood to film scenes for the latest series of Star Wars films, as well as the TV series Vikings.
Now, according to The Irish Times, James Morris and Alan Maloney of Windmill Lane Studios have revealed that the studio’s proposal is at an advanced stage with local authorities to develop an 180,000sq ft site in Ringsend.
It’s understood that it is part of a joint US-Irish consortium that has been developing the plans for the past five years, with other independent studies run on the feasibility of the site also giving it positive feedback.
It has also received the backing of U2’s Bono, who has led an Irish artistic lobbying effort in the area to encourage the Government to back the proposal, including putting in a call to former environment minister Alan Kelly.
Nearly 6,000 jobs could be created
Among the planned facilities on the site are several sound stages, as well as a number of warehouses, which will act as film sets.
The studio is also expected to encourage a major jobs boost for the city, with nearly 6,000 jobs forecast to be created in connection with the studio.
This, Morris and Maloney said, will be split between 2,800 jobs created directly with the running of the film studio, with a further 2,800 jobs being created indirectly within “the green industry”.
In a statement, the studio said of Ireland’s likelihood of having a film studio comparable with Hollywood: “Ireland is now a very attractive location to produce television series and movies. Ireland needs the infrastructure to capitalise on the growth of the film and digital industries and the growing international success of Irish film-making talent.”
Film studio image via Shutterstock
