By While the ongoing debates concerning Toronto’s waterfront development (on Lake Ontario) may not concern the world at large, the announcement of a planned movie studio expansion might. Toronto is one of Canada’s biggest contributors to the film industry, producing some of the country’s greatest talent, holding world class film festivals, but also in its more pervasive role as the world’s soundstage. Hometown boy David Cronenberg shot the Indiana-set A History of Violence in Toronto. Likewise, Matthew Vaughn relied on the metropolis’s lofty skyline to recreate the look of New York City in Kick-Ass. Toronto even acted as the stand in for Chicago in Chicago! And that is just a few examples of many.
Canadians are known for their identity issues–not British, not American–and now the city itself is about to go through an identity makeover. The Toronto Star reportsthat a partnership has been formed between UK based Pinewood Studios (home to most James Bond productions) and local developers to double the studio’s current footprint on the waterfront with the addition of living sets. While the new developments would include fully habitable residences–around a thousand condos–retails stores, and office space, the contained area will be built to…
While the ongoing debates concerning Toronto's waterfront development (on Lake Ontario) may not concern the world at large, the announcement of a planned movie studio expansion might. Toronto is one of Canada's biggest contributors to the film industry, producing some of the country's greatest talent, holding world class film festivals, but also in its more pervasive role as the world's soundstage. Hometown boy David Cronenberg shot the Indiana-set A History of Violence in Toronto. Likewise, Matthew Vaughn relied on the metropolis's lofty skyline to recreate the look of New York City in Kick-Ass. Toronto even acted as the stand in for Chicago in Chicago! And that is just a few examples of many.
Canadians are known for their identity issues–not British, not American–and now the city itself is about to go through an identity makeover. The Toronto Star reports that a partnership has been formed between UK based Pinewood Studios (home to most James Bond productions) and local developers to double the studio's current footprint on the waterfront with the addition of living sets. While the new developments would include fully habitable residences–around a thousand condos–retails stores, and office space, the contained area will be built to mimic famous residential areas from the United States and England, such as Charring Cross in London. Also in the plan is a hotel that will have a private entrance on to the lot, so that actors on location have suitable and secure accommodations as they shoot.
This move ensures a lot more ease for the studio itself in attaining shooting rights–since they control the residential and retail areas on their property, they have the power to shut down streets at will, with full disclosure to and provision for the residents affected. Pinewood Studios has similar plans on its home turf to construct a miniature city-set near the M25 highway in London, but has met resistence from locals. Alfredo Romano, one of the Toronto-based partners, explained the reasoning behind the plan: “Right now you can plunk soundstages in the middle of nowhere and build a studio. But to make this really work you have to have a sense of place – a true community.” The magic of movies has fooled us many times before. Expect to see a lot more of Toronto, without even knowing it.
[via The Toronto Star]