Work resumes on set of Kidman movie at Belfast Harbour studios
PRODUCTION has resumed on a new Nicole Kidman movie at Belfast Harbour Film Studios after it had been stalled due to lockdown.
Belfast Harbour, a major landlord with vast interests ranging from the port to a hotel, office blocks and the studios, said it expects its 2020 revenue will take a hit of between 10% and 20% from the pandemic.
But chairman David Dobbin confirmed life is returning to the set of Viking revenge saga The Northman at the Giant’s Park studios.
He said: “The setbuilders are back on site and I think we’re hopeful that filming will maybe start late July early August. We also have a lot of interest in the long-term pipeline for renting it for productions.”
In a briefing on the company’s financial results for 2019, chief executive Joe O’neill said it hopes to soon obtain planning permission for an extension to the studios.
But he said that afterwards “we absolutely have to look at what market demand looks like”.
He added that “if the market prospects appear strong to us then we are committed to make further investments in that sector”.
Belfast Harbour yesterday announced “solid” financial results, with turnover down 4% to £65.9m and operating profits down 15% to £30.6m.
The fall was down to the end of a major offshore wind farm sustainable energy contract, which had been worth around £6.5m, and a fall in the amount of coal passing through the port. However, Mr O’neill said the harbour was hopeful of attracting more wind farm occupants to a facility currently occupied by cruise ships. He said it was the best facility of its kind for wind farms.
But he said new £20m cruise ship facilities would not now be built until there is both a pickup in demand for cruises, and more wind farm clients. And he said he hoped there could be more demand from the Republic for wind farm work now that the Green Party is sharing power.
Mr Dobbin said the harbour had managed to offset the loss of the wind farm contract as it had benefited from a full year’s trading of the AC Marriott Hotel and business at its multi-storey car park.
Belfast Harbour’s City Quays 1 and 2 offices are home to a large number of corporates, with many employees now working from home.
Mr O’neill said: “We’re looking at a phased return for most of them from towards the end of the summer, which is aligned with childcare. But there’s no expectation of a full return until early 2021.”