Amazon Prime Video has made a significant investment in the UK film industry by purchasing Bray Studios in Berkshire, a historic film studio that has been creating movies for over 70 years. The US-based company has been filming at Bray Studios since 2022, but now with the acquisition of the site, Amazon Prime Video will become a more permanent fixture in the area, providing a boost to the local economy.
Lesley-Anne Macfarlane, head of production at Resource Productions, which runs the Berkshire Film Office, expressed excitement about the opportunities Amazon’s presence will bring to the region. She believes that the company’s investment in the community will lead to growth and expansion in the coming years.
Bray Film Studios, located on the bank of the River Thames just 26 miles from central London, has a rich history as the former home of Hammer Films, known for creating iconic fantasy and horror movies such as The Mummy, The Curse of Frankenstein, and Dracula. Ridley Scott even worked on his Academy Award-winning film, Alien, at the studios in 1978.
Amazon Prime Video has already worked on some of its biggest hits at Bray Studios, including the Lord of the Rings spin-off show Rings of Power and the first season of Citadel. Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, expressed the company’s commitment to deepening relationships with the UK creative community and creating opportunities for jobs and skills training in the local area.
With Amazon Prime Video’s acquisition of Bray Studios, the future looks bright for both the company and the UK film industry as a whole.
