Knight: Hollywood will be knocking on Birmingham’s door
Screenwriter says BBC move will lead way
PEAKY Blinders creator Steven Knight says Hollywood producers will be making a beeline for Birmingham when his new movie studio opens.
Mr Knight is behind plans for a 38-acre development in Digbeth – at the heart of which is a major movie and TV studio.
He says American producers like working in the UK because of the tax breaks, the standard of production crews and the quality of talent.
It comes after the BBC revealed plans to expand its operations in the city, which include the making of major prime-time TV shows.
The Midlands has a fraction of the broadcast facilities other UK regions boast, but Mr Knight told the Post he is confident major producers and streaming companies will want to come.
He said: “I have no doubt that with the BBC blazing the trail that the streamers will follow.
“Our plan is to open our doors to everyone who wants to make quality content and that will include American producers.
“They love working
here,
the
Americans. I work in Hollywood and here and they love to work in the UK because the talent is so good, because tax breaks are good, crews are the best in the world.
“Here we are in the heart of this desirable destination and what we have got to do is build it and it will come.”
The Post reported last week how the BBC planned to create a new “centre of excellence” for television production in Birmingham, as part of a huge shift in resources out of London.
Digbeth, already home to a number of creative businesses, is likely to be the site of the new production centre. And the BBC has committed to producing at least one major long-running drama show, and one major entertainment show, in the city.
Mr Knight added: “What we want to do is increase it hugely and this is not just me, this is Create Central and all of the other industries around the Midlands.
“We have all come together to make sure that the amount of content being produced – whether it be TV, film, computer gaming, virtual reality – is going to increase exponentially.
“That is our plan, and the BBC announcement was a fantastic first step in that direction.”
He added: “Something incredibly exciting is waiting to happen and we are all hands to the pump to make it happen.
“We are in the later stages of getting this. There are a lot of different projects going on – ours is just one of them.
“We really want to attract serious film and TV makers and illustrate to them this is the place to come.”
We really want to attract serious film and TV makers and illustrate to them this is the place to come Peaky Blinder creator Steven Knight